Port Adelaide banana thrower apologises for 'lapse in judgement' as Eddie Betts breaks his silence

UPDATE: Both Eddie Betts and the Port Adelaide fan at the centre of an AFL racism scandal have broken their silence within minutes of each other.

Betts released a video message on the Adelaide Crows website on Monday evening, saying he was disappointed to see the racist act during a milestone match.

He said it showed racism was a live issue in Australia but said he hoped the events of the weekend's Showdown would be used to highlight the problem and serve as learning and educational tools.

Meanwhile, the Port Adelaide fan who sparked the outcry by throwing a banana at the indigenous Crows player on Saturday has apologised, claiming she was guilty of a 'momentary lapse in judgement'.

"I apologise to Eddie Betts and the Adelaide Football Club as it was never my intention to cause harm or distress to your players or supporters," she said in a statement released via the Port Adelaide Football Club.

"Going to a game of football is meant to be a fun and enjoyable event for all and I apologise for ruining it for so many.

"I regret my momentary lapse of judgement and I did not attend the game with the predetermined attitude of bringing the game into disrepute or to offend anyone."

She said she would accept her sanctions while the PAFC said she had indicated she was willing to take part in the club's cultural awareness program.

Earlier the woman's father told an Adelaide radio station his daughter is being demonised by people playing the 'racist card', and delivered an emotional interview to 7 News in which he begged for her "not to be put on the cross over this".

The woman was caught on video throwing the banana at Adelaide Crows player Eddie Betts during the Showdown clash between the two South Australian AFL clubs on Saturday.

The woman, who was wearing Port Adelaide colours, has been banned indefinitely from attending matches in the wake of the outrage.

In a tearful interview with 7 News the father said that everyone makes mistakes, asking the public not to "put her on a cross" over the scandal.

He earlier called Adelaide radio station FiveAA on Monday morning and said his daughter had been unfairly targeted.

"Unless my daughter was on drugs overnight, no way in the world," he said.

"The thing that irritates me the most is that we're playing the racist card here. It was more an act of frustration than a racist act where she's thrown a banana.

"You're playing the racist game. I'm not condoning what she's done.

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"This is called media rubbish. Why do you people sensationalise things?"

AFL aboriginal advisory Committee chair Paul Briggs said there was no debate as to the intent.

"While speculation and debate will occur around the motivation of such behaviour, it is clearly an unambiguous racist act, something most fair-minded Australians would find appalling and unacceptable," he said.

Incoming AFL inclusion and social policy manager Tanya Hosch said: "On behalf of the AFL, I want to say that we know racism exists in our game, as it does still in the broader Australian society."

Hosch did not want to comment on the individual case but drew a parallel between the Adelaide Oval incident and historic banana-throwing condemned as racist.

"The throwing of a banana and its association with slurs on indigenous Australians and other cultural groups, which has sadly occurred in sports around the world, is deeply racist and offensive, and should be rejected by every part of our game, including clubs, players, fans and supporters."

"The AFL will work with the club as they finalise their investigations and provide support on any further action required," Hosch said.

The Port Adelaide Football Club yesterday banned the 27 year old woman indefinitely after finding her actions toward Betts were racially driven.

Amateur video from the game showed the female Port supporter launching what appeared to be a banana at Eddie Betts, sparking the code's latest drama around alleged racism from fans towards Aboriginal players.

The object was later confirmed to be a banana

"After talking to witnesses it is clear that the offender’s behaviour was racially motivated and is therefore a significant breach of the club’s values and spectator code of conduct," a statement from Port Adelaide Football Club read.

"As a result, the Member has been banned indefinitely from attending any Port Adelaide games in the future."

Earlier the Adelaide Crows said they were "disappointed and disgusted" with her actions.

The video, which surfaced on social media on Saturday night, shows a woman in a Port Adelaide scarf waving her middle finger at Betts before throwing the object in his direction as he celebrated a goal in the forward pocket at Adelaide Oval.

Star Crows forward Taylor Walker was also disgusted and said the fan in the video "shouldn't ever be allowed back into enjoy the football", while Port Adelaide was "appalled by the vision and will not tolerate this type of anti-social behaviour at its games".

"The Adelaide Football Club is both disappointed and disgusted at the behaviour of some members of the crowd during tonight's Showdown at Adelaide Oval," the Crows said in a statement.

"Of particular concern, an object was thrown onto the field of play and in the direction of one of our players."

Adelaide says, in consultation with Port Adelaide, Adelaide Oval and the AFL, it has "expressed in the strongest possible terms that we expect significant action to be taken against any person found guilty of anti-social behaviour".

The video circulated on social media and was shared on Facebook by Port Adelaide's Aboriginal Programs Manager, Paul Vandenbergh.

"Disgusting ... I will be reporting you!!," Vandenbergh posted.

Vandenbergh's post was later removed from his profile.

There have been a number of high-profile incidents across Europe where bananas were thrown at black soccer players as a form of racial abuse.

Betts booted five goals in the Showdown, his 250th AFL game, to help the Crows to a 15-point win.