The AFL has apologised unreservedly for its failure to call out the racism that drove Adam Goodes into retirement in 2015.
The league admitted on Friday, shortly before the premiere of documentary The Final Quarter, that its inaction “let down all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present”.
A statement attributed to the AFL and all 18 clubs – on behalf of members, administrators, staff and players – apologised for “our failures”.
“Failure to call out racism and not standing up for one of our own,” it said.
“Adam, who represents so much that is good and unique about our game, was subject to treatment that drove him from football. The game did not do enough to stand with him, and call it out.
“Through Adam’s story, we see the personal and institutional experience of racism. We see that Australia’s history of dispossession and disempowerment of First Nation’s people has left its mark.
“Racism, on and off the field, continues to have a traumatic and damaging impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and communities.
“We are unified on this, and never want to see the mistakes of the past repeated.”
Ian Darling’s film, made entirely from archive footage, revisits the final three seasons of Goodes’ 372-game career.
The movie includes part of AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan’s belated public response to widespread booing of the 2014 Australian of the Year.
In 2015, McLachlan refused to describe the jeers as racism.
On Friday, an apologetic McLachlan conceded he was wrong.
“I should have called it earlier and been clearer,” the AFL boss said on 3AW.
Goodes’ championing of issues outside football, such as Indigenous constitutional recognition, and celebration of Indigenous culture in the form of a war cry at the SCG is documented in the film.
As is the fiercely negative response from some pundits, the boos and explanations proffered by those insisting it had nothing to do with race.
Reconciliation Australia chief executive Karen Mundine hopes the documentary is a catalyst for conversation and change that extends beyond AFL circles.
“Adam is such a strong and resilient person,” Mundine told AAP, describing the film as upsetting, uncomfortable and important.
“I was always amazed during that period of time, how he managed to remain true to himself but continued to be vocal.
“I really want this film to be a new conversation starter. Not just a rehash … what do we need to change or do differently.
“So we don’t have another person driven out of game or somebody in a workplace feeling so isolated and put upon they leave an industry.”
Swans supporter Mundine and Michael O’Loughlin, Goodes’ close friend and former teammate, were among the first to see Darling’s final cut.
“I really hope it starts positive conversations around race relations in this country,” Mundine said, having been involved in reconciliation for more than 20 years.
“What racism looks like, what it feels like.
“I felt specifically for Adam. The film also felt representative of things that we as Aboriginal people experience on a regular basis … that isolation, not being welcomed.”
Jero
Roar Rookie
I'm sure all three players will be gratified to know that you've lent their names to your take down of Goodes, and that you speak on their behalf in fabricating that they copped it anywhere near as much from the crowd. They'll really appreciate that. Stay classy, Zlatan.
michael RVC
Roar Pro
That’s because they scratched and clawed the opposition under tackle packs, not because of their heritage.
Zlatan
Roar Rookie
Tony Liberatore, Jose Romero and Paul Dimmatina, the Bulldogs 'Wog Squad' used to get booed every time they went near the ball. Clearly racist taunting that drove all three into early retirement. Is there no-one to speak up on their behalf?
clipper
Roar Rookie
Sometimes you have to take action to nip this sort of behaviour in the bud - before people become bigoted, uncaring and post offensive comments
Zlatan
Roar Rookie
spruce goose - I gave Travis Varcoe another go after his racial online comments as he was just a kid at the time. How come Varcoe was never booed if AFL croweds are so racist?
Jero
Roar Rookie
Yeah, I bet Neale fully endorses the appropriation of his disease and all his battles in support of fellow sufferers to prop up Jonboy’s take down of Goodes. Stay classy Jonboy, and keep it coming. You’re on a winner here.
Macca
Roar Rookie
So your Broadmeadows and shanty comments weren't alluding to being a low income bogan? This whole interaction you have acted morally and intellectually superior (hence the latte sipping comment) which has prevented you from grasping the point. If you stopped preaching and started listening you will get further.
Nick
Roar Guru
And yet you slagged me as a latte sipping toss thinking I'm saving the environment by having a hybrid as a second car. Whereas I'm actually a public transport riding expat overseas. I stand corrected on the can't speak/ can speak (I misread). At least big enough to accept that... but maybe next time I'll consider the PR implications before issuing another retraction. I didn't say you were bogan. Not all bogans are the product of incest.
Pelican
Roar Rookie
I love what you did there Paul. With the likes I mean.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Are we the same race? And exactly when did I suggest you spoke for Goodes? I said you tried to speak for me. Less outrage more comprehension. And my logic around the PR exercise is perfectly sound, you just don’t understand it. The AFL wanted a statement they could point to to diffuse any negative publicity but they didn’t want the issue blowing up and dominating the headlines – they executed this perfectly. And I find you characterisation of me very revealing, you think anyone who doesn’t agree with you is a low income bogan and yet I am a tertiary educated, left leaning, socially progressive professional. Seems your narrow mind is betraying you.
anon
Roar Pro
I don't think footy fans would about what he liked on Instagram. The care about his actions on the footy field though. He's sniped three people this year.
Nick
Roar Guru
P.S I find it interesting you think I spoke for Goodes when I explicitly started the sentence with "I can't speak for Goodes". I would also say that if the AFL were serious about this apology they would have made it on a Monday where it would have then been discussed on all the footy shows, not on a Friday (before a long weekend)where it was quickly lost in the football action. So, you just accused the AFL of apologising for PR reasons, now you are getting into them for not timing it right media wise? Isn't it a shame when someone digs themselves back into the hole again?
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Sorry spruse but it is you that is " not seeing it '' your quote ''So the healing can begin'' the healing begun years ago and is still progressing but you cannot grasp it and i don't think you want to even try. There will always be a odd idiot call on social media or at the game you will never stamp it out, but look for the positives and stop all the negative stuff. I think the majority are trying. After the movie which probably will not help, there will probably more calls 'we need to do more' when in fact there has been huge progress, but a lot of the younger city dwellers cannot see it.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Strange you think that I am dimishing Goodes rather than elevating the others. Goodes' experience has been replicated throughout history - why stop the apology at just Goodes?
Macca
Roar Rookie
My lot – sounds close to racism to me. And again you are making my comments about Goodes when my criticism is of the AFL. The only thing profound is that you and the AFL think that a society wide and generations long issue that has impacted hundreds of footballers is best addressed individual by individual and incident by incident, of course only after the AFL is embarrassed in a documentary (up to that point the problem doesn’t exist). I can just see you having a latte with your friends bragging about how you are tackling climate change because your second car is a hybrid. I would also say that if the AFL were serious about this apology they would have made it on a Monday where it would have then been discussed on all the footy shows, not on a Friday (before a long weekend)where it was quickly lost in the football action. PS I find it interesting you can’t speak for Goodes but you can speak for me.
Nick
Roar Guru
It is embarrassing that the AFL think this issue is about 1 player, not something much bigger. And Rudd apologised to everyone, not just 1 bloke who was on 4 corners. You're showing your true, ugly colours now, Macca. You clearly don't like Goodes, so are making this personal. You're insinuating if they don't apologise to all, then don't bother. I can't speak for Goodes, but I think that if they at least make amends with one individual, it's better than none, and can at least hopefully lead to them making amends with more. In your clouded mind, Goodes doesn't even deserve an apology. It is profound - recall another time when the AFL and all 18 clubs apologised to a player? before you engage the gutter side of your mind, just remember one thing: Adam Goodes hasn't asked for an apology. I'm done with you. Go back to your white cavern in Broadmeadows with the rest of your lot.
anon
Roar Pro
It's no-one thing. People think that he stages, he snipes, he sooks, he takes himself too seriously, that he didn't deserve one let alone two Brownlows, umpire's pet. A lot of people find him unlikable and that has nothing to do with race. I'm sure they'll ban the ability to like or dislike people in coming years.
Macca
Roar Rookie
The fact you think it is profound explains a lot. It is embarrassing that the AFL think this issue is about 1 player, not something much bigger. The fact that they (and you it seems) think that this apology even goes close to addressing the issue only highlights how out of touch they are. It is nothing more than the bare minimum to mitigate bad PR. And Rudd apologised to everyone, not just 1 bloke who was on 4 corners.
Nick
Roar Guru
You’re not seeing it are you? By diluting the AFL apology, you are belittling the plight of indigenous. Yes, you may actually be right, but the fact that they apologized is still quite a profound step. It’s like Kevin Rudds apology – it really hasn’t led to a substantial improvement (if at all) in bridging the gap, but the important thing remained that a body accepted their wrong and apologised for it. So, the healing can begin (albeit, would be better if subsequent governments actually did something!). I encourage you to read up on the symbolic value of an apology. There’s a lot of good literature out there on the importance of one. Have you ever read the Bringing them Home report? That was absolutely staggering…and yet it prompted nothing but continued silence from Howard. Do NOT underestimate the value of saying “we were wrong. We are sorry”. You diluting (constantly, by the way) the apology is embarrassing. Yes, there’s more to be done. Der. Yes, we want to see action on this. Der. Yes, it took a documentary to prompt them into this. But they still did it. And that is always a good thing. Gil could just as easily have taken the “well, not all of them did it because of racism argument” again. But he didn’t. He apologised.
Mitcher
Guest
Neale Danniher has a tragically degenerative disease and is an inspiring human. Vis a vis. Institutionalised racism is cool. So said Jonboy.