Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains is supporting AFL star Eddie Betts and calling on everyone to continue speaking out against racism.

Betts spoke openly about his experiences and fight against racism on Fox Footy this week, sparking a league-wide showing of support.

“His emotion was raw, he spoke from the heart, and you can just feel how weary and distressed he was,” Bains told Gerard Whateley on SEN 1116 this morning.

“I declare I’ve got a personal friendship with Eddie, so to see what he’s had to endure over the last two or three weeks has been really harrowing.

“When you see it happen to people that you are close with and spend time with – it does become really distressing, and puts extra responsibility on you to really challenge that behaviour in every part of your life where you see it.”

The Bulldogs playing group released a joint statement of support, with Bains urging everyone to continue calling out racist behaviour.

“Whilst Eddie and many others have spoken out and continue to speak out about racism, I think the sheer rawness of what’s occurred is the fact that the latest triggering of it, at least partly, is due to it occurring within our own industry,” Bains said.

“The public nature of the messaging was really important from our club’s point of view, but also privately to provide support to those within our own club and around the industry who would be feeling really distressed by the last few days.

“There’s no doubt that the situation is improving – whether it improves to the level that young Indigenous players, both men and women, don’t have to be subjected to this, is another question.”