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Football's lesson from the Adam Goodes storm

27th July, 2015
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Football in Australia has always embraced multiculturalism, but more must be done. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
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27th July, 2015
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It’s been 41 years since Harry Williams became the first Indigenous Australian to represent the Socceroos. The Sydney-born defender replaced Jim Rooney with 18 minutes to go as Australia saw off Indonesia in a friendly in Jakarta ahead of the 1974 World Cup.

Williams travelled to West Germany and was a substitute as the Socceroos grabbed their first point at a World Cup – a 0-0 draw with Chile.

Since then, a number of Indigenous footballers kept the trail alight on the international stage: Kyah Simon, Lydia Williams, Travis Dodd, David Williams, Kasey Wehrman and Jade North (who became the first Indigenous player to captain the Socceroos).

We’ve come a long way as a society since 1974, but the ongoing saga surrounding another indigenous sportsman – Adam Goodes – over in the AFL has cast an unwanted throwback to a bygone (but far from gone) era of racial inequality.

Goodes – arguably one of Australia’s finest ever sportsmen – has been the eye of the racism storm since he was vilified by a schoolgirl back in 2013. It was a turning point that saw him become the face of an ugly fight, one that should have been made redundant by now.

The 2014 Australian of the Year wouldn’t have wanted to publicly shame that girl. But it was a necessary step to send a clear message that throwing words can be just as damaging as throwing stones.

The topic resurfaced at the weekend as Goodes’ teammate Lewis Jetta went into bat for him. The war dance celebration in the defeat to West Coast was a poignant reminder of the reality of those in a minority.

Jetta decided he’d had enough of Goodes being made a scapegoat for a fight he shouldn’t even be involved in.

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According to Swans coach John Longmire, Jetta simply released a load of steam that has been brewing for some time:

“He has had enough of it and he is obviously pretty close to Goodesy and he celebrated the goal and that’s how he acted,” Longmire said.

Booing Adam Goodes doesn’t make you racist. And booing shouldn’t become a crime. It’s a tactic employed by most fans to get under the skin of their opponents. In fact, it aids most players, who see hatred from the other side as a sign they’re doing something right. To most, booing is nothing more than a bit of playful banter.

But while we can’t cast a shadow over all those who have booed Goodes, the overriding intention appears to carry a worryingly racist undertone.

To a majority of those ridiculing Goodes, fandom is being used as a veil for bigotry.

And the issue is far more prevalent in the world of football.

Earlier this month, former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong was sent off during a match in Russia after giving the bird to opposition fans who he says directed monkey chants at him.

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Even more disgusting than the punishment was the pathetic response from his club, Spartak Moscow, who condemned the Ghanaian for not shrugging off the jibes. The old adage ‘an eye for an eye’ clearly doesn’t fly in Russia, though they’re inexplicably blind when it comes to facing racism.

The 2018 World Cup in Russia has racism as its key subplot and pressure is growing to patch up the country’s crippling ideology when it comes to diversity.

Racism strikes a chord closer to home as well. The FFA’s National Club Identity Policy is a blatant form of discrimination. If existing clubs wish to change their logo, or new clubs are formed, they must not ‘carry any ethnic, national, political, racial or religious connotations either in isolation or combination’.

Try as some might, Australia’s immigration days are not over. For years to come, there will be people from around the world seeking a new start in Australia or simply being too charmed by this great country to leave.

But, in football at least, we’ve simply shut up shop to any new cultural influences.

As Football Channel Asia’s Paul Williams brilliantly identified, the NCIP appears to be in direct violation of the Asian Football Confederation’s policy against discrimination of any kind.

This week, Australia’s multiculturalism will be broadcast on the national stage via the FFA Cup. The cameras will pan to a bloke eating souvlaki and there will be interviews in broken English with veteran servants of some of the non-A-League clubs.

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It’s a celebration of everything that is good about football in Australia. There’s the Greeks at Oakleigh Cannons, Heidelberg United and South Melbourne; the Turkish at Hume City; the folks at Gungahlin United (nee Canberra Juventus) and the Brits who founded Balmain United.

So much good about the Australian game has been bred from multiculturalism, yet it’s something we’re scurrying to stop in its tracks.

The argument for the affirmative alludes to the cultural indifferences that hampered the NSL, but it’s a weak excuse.

The key to bridging the gap is not simply cutting off one side altogether, but in bringing the two sides closer. Is it not more beneficial to educate about the perils of racism?

If the events of the AFL at the weekend have taught us anything, it’s that we need to do more to promote multiculturalism rather than sweep it under the carpet, as the NCIP intends to do.

The way forward is embracing culture, not fearing it. Maybe then, the role of the minority will be reversed.

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