PIES’ RACE ROW IS FAR FROM RUN

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley is yet to speak with Heritier Lumumba over the former defender’s racism claims, but appreciates fans want the matter sorted.

The 2010 premiership player is after a public acknowledgement about his allegations of being treated unfairly while at the Magpies before he sits down with Buckley.

Lumumba, who debuted for Collingwood in 2005, played under Buckley’s coaching for three seasons before departing for Melbourne at the end of 2014.

Mick Malthouse coached the Magpies until 2011, but Lumumba said he had the “utmost respect” for the coaching legend who wasn’t “necessarily privy to all behaviour or every aspect of the (club) culture”.

Buckley has reached out to Lumumba, but is yet to hear from the retired 33-year-old over claims he was nicknamed the “Chimp” at Collingwood.

“We look forward to being able to converse a little more openly to be able to put the context around what he has spoken about publicly and privately to us,” Buckley said.

“We need to know a little bit more about it to be able to support him and to be able to make the right decisions for him and the football club so we can be at the cutting edge of this issue of racism.

“The next step is actually to speak with Heritier, see where he’s at, see what he wishes for and the context is important in that.

“Our fans would clearly want to know how we carry ourselves as an organisation.

“There’s nothing be swept under the carpet, we’re more than happy to have those conversations.”

Lumumba has detailed on social media his experiences at the Magpies, claiming he endured a “culture of racist jokes” and took magic mushrooms to cope with the situation.

He retired from football in 2016 after repeated concussion problems, and has accused Buckley and the Magpies of failing to adequately support him.

Over the weekend, Lumumba posted a series of questions via Twitter directed at Buckley and Collingwood president Eddie McGuire about the “Chimp” nickname.

His claim was publicly backed up by former Magpies teammate Andrew Krakouer in 2017.