FORMER Port Adelaide and Essendon forward Che Cockatoo-Collins is shattered after his oldest son quit the game because of a case of racial vilification.

It comes as the game is celebrating its Indigenous Round.

Cockatoo-Collins, who played 85 games with Essendon and 75 with Port from 1994-2003, said the game has missed out on a potential top-10 draft pick after under-14 player Sachem turned his back on the game.

It has led Cockatoo-Collins to seek out legal advice, and the family is now considering making a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission as well as the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland.

Sachem was racially abused by a boundary umpire in a club game, was allegedly called “nigger’’ by the umpire and targeted with remarks from the official suggesting he should watch his back.

Cockatoo-Collins’ son has since been targeted via social media.

He played out the year, was named best afield in last year’s grand final but then handed in his jumper.

A distressed Cockatoo-Collins has since sought the counsel of fellow Essendon player and human rights activist Michael Long and the AFL’s Jason Mifsud to get some closure to the matter.

Former Fitzroy player Michael Conlan, who is now the from AFL Queensland chief executive, said the league was strong on the issue of racism.

“AFL Queensland took the issue very seriously and an independent investigation resulted in a number of actions against the club and those involved,’’ Conlan said.

“In addition, an education program was conducted to raise awareness of racial vilification and discrimination issues and to emphasise the expectations of all club personnel.

“There is no tolerance for vilification of any kind in Australian football and the impact in this case underlines the deep hurt that it can cause.’’

But Cockatoo-Collins felt the issue had essentially been brushed aside and said he his family had suffered deeply from the incident, which happened last year.

The reason it has come to a head now is that they witnessed the same umpire officiating this month.

The Cockatoo-Collins family feels it was not consulted in the matter and was under the impression the umpire had been banned for two years, rather than two weeks.

If Cockatoo-Collins had his way, the umpire would be banned for life.

Collins spoke to The Sunday Mail and was emotional about the fall of events.

“We have three sons,’’ Cockatoo-Collins said.

“Stirling is eight and Preston 10 and they look up to their big brother.

“I was angry, yelling and crying.

“As parents we still feel guilty we were not there to protect our son.’’

Cockatoo-Collins and his wife have busy weekends shipping their sons around to various sporting engagements and were not at the game.

His main reason for pursuing this matter is not about the incident itself, but about how it was handled and how football can rid itself of racism.

“It sends mixed signals and confuses those parents of minority backgrounds,’’ Cockatoo-Collins said.

“This is something we did not want to revisit as a family and we feel let down and hurt.

“As a family we don’t want any other child to be subjected to this.’’