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Many big names have played for the Sydney Swans over the last 20 years, but they don’t come much bigger than Adam Goodes.
Tony Lockett played for the Sydney during this period, followed by Barry Hall, and while Lance Franklin is arguably the biggest name in the game at the moment, Goodes ranks up there as one of the Swans’ greatest ever players.
Some may even say the greatest.
Jude Bolton’s query on Sunday morning about whether his former teammate had gone on a season or two too long, needs to be put into context. Bolton, also an all-time great at the Swans, played his first senior game for the club the same year as Goodes – 1999.
They played a staggering amount of footy together and are dual premiership teammates.
Bolton, who played 325 games for the Swans (Goodes will play his 353rd for the club this weekend), may feel the Swans champion has nothing to prove. He may fear the champion forward has underestimated father time and may not go out the way he deserves to be remembered.
Adam Goodes has achieved what many AFL players would dare to dream for themselves. Being a dual Brownlow Medallist, dual premiership player, a Norwich Rising Star winner – as a footballer a CV doesn’t get much better than that. What would be left-over for Goodes to achieve?
To put that into perspective, Tony Lockett, the game’s greatest ever goalkicker, and arguably greatest ever full-forward, made no secret he would happily trade in his Brownlow Medal for a premiership medallion. Lockett is one of the greatest names in Australian sport.
On the flip side, Goodes still has a vital role to play at the club, while he is still there. Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher has proven age is not a factor when it comes to still being able to produce at AFL level. It’s hard to believe I was 14 when I watched the veteran Bomber play in the 1993 grand final against Carlton – 22 years at senior AFL level – it’s an incredible achievement!
Goodes has a wealth of experience to offer the Swans younger brigade, and could be a dangerous super-sub and pinch-hitting forward.
Goodes, prior to the 2012 grand final, looked like he was going to get to 400 games easy. On Fox Footy’s Open Mike, when Mike Sheahan quizzed him about 400 games, he didn’t shy away from the possibility of going that distance.
He also spoke of his desire to win another premiership that year, to redeem the pain of the 2006 loss in the famous grand final re-match against the West Coast Eagles.
Goodes went on and achieved that redemption with a great boilover against the Hawks. He played a crucial role in the Swans winning the game on that day, however not in the role which is typical of the man.
While he did score the final quarter goal which put the Swans back in front for the last time, Goodes played the majority of the game on one leg, after injuring his right knee in the second term. His flashy brilliance was subdued to staying put in the Swans forward 50.
What also could be weighing upon Bolton’s mind is Goodes, the champion indigenous footballer and campaigner has been through quite a bit since 2012 – especially since being made Australian of the Year in 2013.
Goodes endured a volatile year, culminating with that infamous game at the MCG against Collingwood, resulting in a 13-year-old girl being removed from the game for hurling racial abuse at the Swan.
The same incident led to another incidence of abuse, a supposed gaffe or slip from Magpies president Eddie McGuire.
And then, once again, Goodes, along with Lewis Jetta and Franklin, endured racial abuse from spectators last season against the Bombers.
Cricket legend Shane Warne also chimed in with his two bobs over Goodes’ ‘staging’ for free kicks.
It is debatable to whether Goodes has been the same player since both the injury and the controversies occurred. At some point it all has to take a toll.
The man is only human. At the same time, from a pure footballing perspective, Goodes has nothing left to prove.
However, all this combined with the heart ache of losing last year’s grand final to Hawthorn, after the season promised so much, Goodes maybe seeking vindication and personal redemption, just like the Swans are collectively as a team and club.
It should be remembered this is the same Adam Goodes who many felt was passed his best in 2012 – the man had a blinder of a finals series. Just like he did then, he may yet have something left to give.
If a gifted footballer like Adam Goodes has one last gift to give us, the promise is much greater than the debate as to whether he has played one game too many.
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