If you're booing Adam Goodes, examine the reason why

The thing is there is a precedent for it, other people have been banned from performing goal celebrations why is Adam Goodes so special, or are the rules only for the non-indigenous I must've missed that part. Are there any other indigenous only escape clauses for rules, I'd like to know so that I don't make another racist assumption. But yes I'm old enough to remember the first footloose, LOL

I would need to research this for myself to know if you what you have said about the settlers is true. In my experience our history books are littered with lies (or critical omissions at best) that teachers, scholars and the general public believe to be an accurate version of event when they aren't.. The British have been front and centre in many of those lies. I will research this topic at some stage but I'd be very surprised if the British weren't driving it but as always I remain open as all I want is the truth no matter how ugly it gets.

So - no unauthorised dancing. What is this? Footloose?

Johno I don't want him to apologise for throwing an imaginary spear, I want the AFL to treat all people equally. Nobody else does a dance or cultural expression after a goal either its ok for all or none, has Nic Nat got a south pacific islander dance he would like to do after every goal ? Maybe those of Irish descent would like to do a river dance, the Scottish a jig and the list goes on. If someone wants to do a cultural expression it should be done at the start or end of the game as the Haka is, others have been chided or stopped from doing routines why is Goodes or any indigenous player different from the rest, I thought the whole point of anti-racism and vilification rules was that we are all the same. Realistically I personally believe that goal celebrations belong in games like Soccer,NFL and rugby not AFL, AFL is a high scoring game unlike the others so I can certainly understand and appreciate wanting to celebrate a goal/touchdown etc it is a rarity if the scoring passes double digits if at all, I admit I have researched the figures but AFL must have anverage of around 30 goals per game.

Interesting you mention Tomic and Kyrgios who were recently racially abused by Dawn Fraser when she suggested that maybe they need to go back to where their parents came from ...

Even if its not racist, it hardly matters. Iit shows what a raw nerve we have about racism and all these frictions in society because we are all being set against each other like angry dogs, by the usual exclusive powerful set that have always exploited the rest of humanity. We should stop booing each other and start booing the REAL bastards who are ultimately behind keeping this uneven and unfair in the world to protect their positions, or just to get their power kicks.

I should start by saying that I don't actually follow the football at all, I haven't watched a game in decades because it has become so commercialised, but that is another issue. All I can say is: what sort of awful people am I sharing this country with? There is a small but permanent nasty stain in our society that we just can't seem to be wash away. These 'stain' people are dug in deeply - they are redneck, xenophobic, environmentally exploitative, anti-intellectual, hyper-masculinised, sport-obsessed and war-proud, ignorant, self-leveling, conformist, conservative, violent, aggressive, drunken, sport-obsessed, isolationist, and complacent. I am increasing ashamed to have an Australian citizenship because of the influence of these people. And don't forget all these years of socially-divisive and fear-mongering policies and manipulations by the Howard and Abbott governments - they have a lot to answer for because they manipulate these idiot people to get into office, and the pollution of these toxic policies is exactly the depressing behavior This situation is poison for us all Australians.

Spot on

Thanks Johno, Border won as well I think. It looks like the international careers of 3 of those sportsmen ended in the same year that they won the AOTY. Rafter, Taylor and Waugh stopped that same year. They were all men and they weren't politically vocal on any major issue as I recall. Freeman and Goodes also have a bit in common. They both played on the year after winning their AOTY, both were proud of their heritage, both spoke up about Aborignal issues, both polarised the nation and both received a lot of media attention. Cathy had her flag and Goodes has his dance which are now etched into our memories. Is it a case of sports and politics not mixing, is it Aboriginals proudly (and some would say aggressively proud) speaking up about Aboriginal issues or is it just a coincidence? Maybe it's a lot more or all of the above? Our Gov't only said sorry in the last decade so we can't depend on the them to drive change.

Well done Tone and thanks for sharing.

That's his perception. People have intent when they do something and that has to be considered. He and Jetta brought months of booing baggage into that game (a lifetimes even) and Jetta snapped. Goodes snapped right behind him. When things build up over time as they did it doesn't take a lot for one to snap and they decided to snap at WC by inciting the crowd when Jetta hit Ellis off the ball. For that action I have no respect or sympathy for the booing they received as it was warranted. The non-stop booing is not warranted and I have never done that to anyone. I do get and respect the point that you are making. If that's Adams perception then let's respect that whether we agree with his reality or not. I want the non-stop booing to stop. It's obviously effecting them so let's ease off.

For those in the media to have the nerve to pin the very people that make the AFL what it is today as being racists is pathetic! This whole saga has been completely driven by those in the media, they where the ones to suggest the booing was due to Goodes being awarded Australian of the year and also them who threw in the race card which has now snowballed in to what it is now. Think back to what happened just weeks before the first night of booing, what did Adam Goodes do that caught the attention of the media? what has Garry Ablett and Daniel Wells been copping flak for all season? They are choosing when they play and when the wont just as Adam Goodes done early this season when he refused to play as a sub and dropped himself down to the SAFL. This was I think 2 weeks before the booing started and the real reason why it started but once the crowds saw it got a rise out of Goodes and caused his game to suffer of course they continued. In a perfect world the AFL community would make a stand and not attend any games this weekend and future weekends until the media come out and right this wrong, and let it be known they they took the easy was out when it comes to the reporting of the fact that they basically called lies! time to take responsibility for this one.

I agree racist comments shouldn't be tolerated but what is a racist comment ? You belong in a zoo ? surely it depends on context and there seem to be alot assumptions being made if i made the comment about barry hall must people would agree with it and it wouldn't be racist would it ?

Best article I've read on the subject so far. What has been a real eye opener is just how racist Australians are and how much energy they put into excusing it. I had previously read research that suggested Australians exhibited a high rate of racism, but I dismissed it, it wasn't something I witnessed. However here we are looking at racism play out on a national stage, and it is ugly. Just reading the comments below, so many ill-informed arguments trying to excuse their belief that Goodes deserves to be put back in his corner. It's sad to read, and sad that so many are willing to show their ignorance without an ounce of introspection. And it doesn't matter how much you argue with them about the facts of what has happened, they will not back down. Sad is all you can say about it.

I think the tactic of demonising someone who boos or disparages the conduct of a public person of different religion, race, background or colour by labelling the critic as "racist" has been done to death and no longer works as well as it used to. This could be the reason for a wider football supporter fight-back in the form of indignance and refusal to back down. Are supporters of all clubs really trying to say, Adam you are no different, from any other sportsman, be it Tomic or Kyrgios, Carey or Plugger, and we therefore retain the right to criticise your conduct as much as we criticise any other AFL player, and we will not ring-fence you just because you are misinterpreting our criticism as racism. I am guessing that commentators are going to be overly-hesitant about reviewing the overall performance of any person from a minority group for fear of being labelled "racist" but football supporters may not be so easily influenced. No-one should ever be racially abusive. That's indicative of a bad character. On the other hand we can't say one group is fair game, and another group is critically untouchable.

"Also note that calling attention to being called a racist remark is to be generally applauded." a favourite film quote "Assumption is the mother of all F@$k ups" even in his own press conference Goodes admits that he didn't think it was intended as a racist remark and that it was his own interpretation or assumption. A definition for you all "having or showing the belief that a particular race is superior to another." if that is not the intent and the person whom has received the comment realises and acknowledges that it is not the intent, it can not be racist. I would be very interested to see whether his claim could be justified in court and quite honestly surely being incorrectly labelled as a racist is just as offensive as being on the end of a truly racist remark, I would actually call it defamatory.

I know - and the main PC issue in this whole debate is racism.

I think he cops one or two boos, mainly against the cats thanks to the Scarlett incident. But he loves it, he niggles and gets under the oppositions skins. He sees it as success if he's booed. He sees it as a way of distracting his opposition (these are my assumptions on him anyway).

I replied about those 3 articles and raised other points about them and I'm glad that you shared them. The opposing view is discredited by the organisation publishing them while they present the story. I'm really glad that you believe there is propaganda as that was my main point. I'm sure that some people don't know why they are booing him.

Hi Marc, Yep Ballantyne has been heavily booed and heckled at every Freo game I have ever been to, some of it is pretty vitriolic to be honest and probably shouldn't be accepted but as Johno said before he seems to thrive on it and play better the more the boo boys seem to jump on his back. He is actually one guy I don't boo as most of the time I think his antics are fairly funny and booing doesn't seem to have any effect on him, or at least that's the indication that he gives.