It really should have been a celebration of the contribution Indigenous Australians have had towards the AFL, instead the weekend was mired in controversy.
Adam Goodes’ war dance on Friday Night has once again brought out the worst in abuse and idiotic logic. Let’s not beat around the bush, the booing of Goodes is a reflection of the racist and recalcitrant attitudes still prevalent in Australia.
Those who say they boo him for diving are the same people who say Joel Selwood plays for free kicks yet never boo him when he is playing. Those who feign upset at his supposed ‘bullying’ of a 13-year-old girl seem to forget that her face was plastered all over the telly and papers by her parents, not by Adam Goodes.
Many anti-Goodes people say his goal celebration on Friday night was intimidating and uncalled for. It’s a weak argument as his celebration was a tame effort when compared to the antics of sport stars in other codes whose celebrations are ten times more inflammatory.
Secondly, Carlton fans who booed and taunted Goodes cannot hide behind feeling intimidated as they felt superior and macho enough to taunt the double Brownlow Medallist as a mob. If you are going to dish it out, you best be prepared to cop something in return.
But the main reason given to me as to why people boo Adam Goodes is that they see him as a loudmouth, someone who should keep their mouth shut and play footy. It is understandable as the double Brownlow Medallist has a significant media presence and presents strong, polarising opinions.
While people have the right to disagree with him, they are wrong to use that as an excuse to jeer and taunt him.
Booing in sport is a pantomime act performed as a response to incidents surrounding the game itself, whether it’s a star player crossing clubs, a player being booed for an incident in a previous match or just a character who polarises people for his acts on the field.
So when people say they boo Adam Goodes because of what he says off field, they are essentially saying they dislike him for his opinions.
If this is what Australia is coming to, the act of booing and taunting someone for having a different opinion, we are heading down a horrible path of inconsistencies and self-immolation.
I have to admit that I don’t always agree with Adam Goodes. However, I don’t see it as an excuse to taunt him, shout disgusting things at him in packs at the footy and write horrible things anonymously on social media.
In a supposedly civilised society, surely we can agree to disagree with Adam Goodes and separate that from the fact he is an outstanding footballer? If we can’t do that, it sets a horrible precedent for the future, a future I don’t want to see occur.
Personally, I’m amazed at the courage and conviction of Adam Goodes. He’s been the target of a racist PowerPoint circulating on the internet, called all racist things under the sun and the subject of an appalling case of misspeak by Eddie McGuire.
Furthermore, he’s been the subject of criticism from thin-skinned, right wing critics who continue to tell him that he is the one who needs to change his behaviour. Yet he still refuses to lash out, and still carries on with his message of tolerance.
In a world where we are crying out for role-model footballers, surely even the most stringent critic of Adam Goodes must see that he’s an outstanding example for our children.
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