Think about the lyrics to Advance Australia Fair and you can find fault in the second line.
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The jolting lyrics of the national anthem read "Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free". Well there can be little wonder why many feel as though they are not represented.
It took until 1967 for indigenous Australians to be formally recognised as citizens, despite a history spanning something close to 65,000 years.
So why the uproar following the ARL Commission's decision to scrap the national anthem at the upcoming All Stars game?
It has, after all, only been in place since 1984. Few know the lyrics beyond the second line of the second verse - if that. Few could truly say they feel attached to it - and therein lies the stark reality of an underlying racism in Australia.
The ARLC and NRL should be lauded for scrapping the Australian anthem from the itinerary before the Indigenous All Stars meet the Maori All Stars on the Gold Coast on February 22.
The decision was given the green light on Thursday following a meeting between the ARLC and NRL with consultation from the ARL indigenous council.
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But waiting in the shadows of social media were the purveyors of vitriol.
Those boasting a cloak of invisibility in the form of a Twitter profile began to spew misguided hatred without fear of repercussions.
"As long as they're happy, maybe just have a moment's silence to reflect on where their money comes from."
"Will the indigenous team do their quack quack song instead?"
"Why are they playing a white man's game?"
So zip it and play football. Let us marvel at your attacking brilliance and your silky skills, but don't speak. That's not your place.
Is that what we should be asking of our athletes? To stay silent? No. We should be encouraging conversations about how we can bring our country together.
Yes, the sample size is small. But do those social media comments sound like the comments of people ready to embrace Australia's history? No, and they won't try.
If they do care to look into Australia's black history, what they find will be far too harrowing to accept.
The arrival of Europeans in 1788 saw Aboriginal people oppressed into a world unnatural to their existence.
Before long tribes were decimated and the fabric of a culture which had stood for thousands of years was being torn to pieces.
The NRL's decision, sparked by the opinions of its players, does not serve to create division. Rather, it is a chance to open a respectful debate.
A host of Indigenous All Stars players stood silent during last season's pre-game anthem, and Cody Walker needed little time to think when asked if he is comfortable standing for it.
"To be honest, no," the South Sydney and Indigenous All Stars playmaker said.
"It just brings back so many memories of what's happened [in Australia's past].
"It's something that everyone as a group and everyone in Australia need to get together and working something out.
"It doesn't represent myself and my family."
Walker again found himself at the centre of controversy when he, Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr opted not to sing the anthem during last year's State of Origin series.
Just disregard the videos which soon surfaced showing players - both indigenous and non-indigenous - from past State of Origin games with their lips stitched shut during the anthem.
Because that footage doesn't fit into the narrative, not in a country whose failure to embrace its own history is nothing less than embarrassing.
The AFL is still learning from the fallout of the Adam Goodes saga which sparked racially motivated booing of the Sydney Swans star during the final years of his sparkling career. He was left isolated as crowds targeted him with every touch.
So rugby league supremos should be applauded for their decision. There is little doubt disparaging comments will continue, at least for now.
But make no mistake about it, this is a major step towards reconciliation.
If our players stay silent about the anthem, who then is going to start the discussion?