Murray Magpies player Ash Murray was allegedly subject to an abhorrent response from an umpire during the game against CDHBU on Saturday.

While the matter is yet to be investigated, and proper procedures must be followed, the idea that such abuse could have taken place has understandably resulted in disgust and disappointment.

They are reasonable and indeed fitting reactions if one were to accept the allegation as true.

An investigation must take place, and the protocol will be that there will be no comment until that has concluded.

Hume Football League president Merv Wegener, pictured, said the league would take a complaint of that nature very seriously.

In his 15 years in his role, Mr Wegener said there had only been two other breaches of the vilification policy, saying it was not an issue that “is out of hand”.

Mr Wegener is right in saying that sport is an emotional game, and people can say things in the heat of the moment.

But there is absolutely no excuse for racial vilification, and under no circumstances can such comments be tolerated.

As Indigenous leader Darren Wighton said, it’s time to move on. It’s pretty simple: Racial sledging doesn’t belong in any part of society, or on any sporting field. 

In the case of Ash Murray, the Hume League must now be allowed to complete a thorough investigation of the allegation.

And hopefully in the meantime, Murray can be allowed to continue doing what he does very well – playing football.

It’s a sad fact but it has to be said that most of the time, it would be the far easier option for a player who is a victim of racial abuse to simply say nothing.

One only has to look as far as two-time Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes to see that there is a price to pay for speaking up.

But there’s a higher price to pay in saying nothing. Saying nothing allows the offender to get away with it. And in saying nothing, nothing changes. Those who have the courage to speak up about such incidents deserve our full support.