Swans give Adam Goodes a break

That's all very well Mick, except for one little thing; What the hell are you going on about?

Very true Axle, but my comments are directed towards supporters not yet brainwashed by the copious pro-Goodes propaganda being circulated, not the sycophants screaming racism. (mostly Swans fans)

The Dogooders are going to love your comments mate,if they do see them then get ready for a full on attack from them,I know from past experience.

Slane I would love to read a description of the type of clientele that would give Ricky Nixon a standing ovation.

Yes of course, we all have a duty to combat racism. I want the booing to end, but anyone with half an inkling of how crowds behave - for example, the AFL - will know that this situation is out of hand, it cannot be helping. The Swans and large chunk of the media have pretty much branded all booers "racist", talk about dolphins caught in the shark net.

We can't ignore that are are people, Penster. I've been to games where idiots in the crowd have yelled out some disgusting racist stuff. Goodes decided a while ago to take a stand against it all, including the girl who called him an "ape". Good on him, but it appears there is a price to pay.

In 30 years of following football I've never seen a bigger sook than Adam Goodes. He's invited most of this on himself with his own behavior but rather than taking ownership of the situation he's running for cover and painting himself as the victim as usual. The problem with playing the race card is the more often a person does it the more obvious a tactic it becomes. So if Goodes goes into politics after hanging up the boots as we all expect, makes it to the front bench and fumbles an answer during question time is he going to paint it as a racist attack by the opposition to avoid embarrassment? He's a divisive figure football will be better off without. I'm tired of him hijacking the game for his own benefit and so are the crowds.

I design sporting memorabilia for a living. That includes supplying sportsmen nights with their auction items, etc. Ricky Nixon is currently doing the circuit and being very well received by his audience. Meanwhile he was accused of giving cocaine to a 16 year old girl who he was allegedly having an affair with. People PAY to see the scumbag.

Who give Ricky Nixon and Ben Cousins standing ovations????

I agree with you about Goodes being a great role model etc, Mango, but with all due respect, I like ALL our footy players to keep their mouths shut and just play, is that too much to ask? I spend my hard earned on going to as many footy matches as I can, just play the game and talk about the game, leave the bullsh!t behind. This is a team sport but the Swans and the 'you're all racist' rent-a-crowd have made a right hash out of this. If you make a jeering gesture to the opposition supporters when they're getting flogged, what do you honestly expect will happen - reckon they'll clap? No, mate, they'll boo. If you then go on to complain about the booing and brand it "racist" because it was an indigenous gesture (that no one has ever seen before!), they'll see right through that and boo some more. And then it snowballs until everyone gets sick of it, and moves on. For the love of god, stop it and play the goddamn game.

It seems that we like our indigenous players to keep their mouths shut and just play. Stick to the mold - quick, freakishly athletic, cheeky and occasionally getting into a bit of strife. But stand up and eloquently expose a few uncomfortable home truths about how we treat our indigenous people? No way. That's getting above yourself and "lecturing us". I hope Goodes returns and receives the farewell from the game he deserves. He has been an excellent role model for all players and especially young indigenous ones. Through his example, they know they can be more than just good players.

When has Goodes treated the game's fans with contempt?

Sad to see a champion of the game torn down like this. Another poppy grown too tall for the Australian public. The sad thing is blokes like Cousins, Carey, Leigh Matthews, Ricky Nixon, Barry Hall, Stevey J, Sam Mitchell, etc still get standing ovations despite being dirtier on and/or off the field than Adam Goodes ever was.

I'm loving this - Goodes, in all his self serving hubris, can say whatever he feels like whenever he feels like it - including treating the game's fans with contempt, the tens of thousands of people who scratch and save to pay for admission tickets - and it is now the official position that he is automatically right and the tens of thousands booing him from the stands are wrong. Because they are misogynist or evil Christians or something (I had to invent something there because I am losing track of what hitherto perfectly adequate descriptive word in the English language is now banned from the footy internet because it may be hurty to some grievance industry member or other). If one doesn't coo and purr the correct words, and express astonishment that other insensitive savages say horrid words, one is summarily pointed out and taunted and bullied into subservience by envoys of that which is deemed correct. I wonder if the game's easily deceived young fans know they are signing up for a game now which is nothing like the splendid peoples' game they heard of from their fathers and passionately want to be part of. This "host of senior AFL figures" really ought to be ashamed of themselves, treating the good people who pay their wages as barbarians.

No wonder AFL will never be international sport. It is embarrassing as a Australian to witness such ignorant racist behaviour. The game and some fans need to evolve to the 21st century. Well done Mr Goodes and rise above this nonsense.

That's probably in line with the population increase in Victoria anyway.

Taking a break means the racists win. Don't do it Adam.

Josh said: "...especially when crowd numbers are already down." Just thought I'd double check that. The average attendance so far this season is 32,716, compared to 32,333 last season and 32,163 the season before. http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/summary.html

It's politically correct for them all to say that Josh, just imagine if someone said the opposite, they would not have a job by the end of the day.

Branding everyone racist is really a bad move by the AFL - it's not going to go down well, especially when crowd numbers are already down and people are generally pissed off by constant rule changes amongst other things. Who do these so-called sanctimonious people think they are saying the crowd is anti-aboriginal??