Keifer Yu’s bad experience at a 2015 WAFL conciliation session after being the victim of vile racist abuse during a match prompted him to insist that Subiaco opponent Josh Deluca was sent to the tribunal this week.

The Lions midfielder was suspended for three matches for referring to Yu as “Asian” during the match against Claremont at Leederville Oval last Thursday.

Subiaco intend to appeal the severity of the ban and claim that Deluca’s genuine remorse, immediate apology and the relatively innocuous nature of the term used should have been taken into account at the tribunal.

Under the WAFL’s racial and religious inappropriate conduct guidelines, a first offence will attract a minimum three-game ban.

Subiaco chief executive Peter Capes said the club would appeal against the ban but was more concerned at the stigma that would attach to Deluca over his conviction.

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“We accept that vilifying a player’s ethnic origin is unacceptable and does not meet community standards but it is a very different proposition to a racial/colour slur,” Capes said.

“This failure has tarnished Josh Deluca with being found guilty of a broad racial vilification label.”

Camera Icon Subiaco's Josh Deluca was suspended for three matches for referring to Kiefer Yu as “Asian” during the match against Claremont at Leederville Oval last Thursday. Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The Sunday Times

And Capes was angry at the WA Football Commission process that saw several attempts at conciliation fail to resolve the matter.

“Subiaco is extremely disappointed about the clear failure of the WAFL process that has led to an outcome that is both unjust and serves to damage our player’s reputation,” Capes said.

Yu is understood to be disappointed that his experience in 2015, when he went through official conciliation after being the subject of racist abuse in a match, left him feeling railroaded to clear the offending player and failed to create any change in on-field behaviour.

WAFC chief executive Gavin Taylor was adamant that any inappropriate conduct of a racial or religious nature was unacceptable at any level of football.

“There is no place for this kind of behaviour and it won’t be tolerated at the football,” he said.

“We must ensure we offer safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for everyone involved in our game.”

Taylor urged players, umpires, officials or spectators to report immediately any vilification.

“It is important we continue to educate people about the significant impact racial or religious vilification can have on the health and wellbeing of individuals and community groups,” he said.

Deluca’s ban will rule him out of action for six weeks, given that the Lions have three byes during his suspension.

The WAFL match review panel cleared him of a striking charge from the same game after he was reported over a clash with tagger Morgan Davies.

Vision from the Channel 7 broadcast showed Deluca throwing a left cross at his opponent during a heated exchange directly in front of umpire Ben Laycock.

But the vision was not clear and the MRP was not convinced that Deluca struck Davies with sufficient force to constitute an offence.