AFL sorry it didn’t act quicker people booing Adam Goodes during his final season

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has apologised to Adam Goodes for the booing he copped from crowds last season.

Lauren Wood

2 min read

March 18, 2016 - 7:59AM

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has apologised to Adam Goodes for the booing he copped from crowds last season.

The former Sydney star, who played 372 games for Sydney, took a break from football after incessant crowd hostility, with McLachlan admitting in the league’s annual report — which was released last night — that the AFL should have acted sooner on the issue.

“By the time Adam retired, he had been subject to a level of crowd booing and behaviour that none of our players should ever face,” he wrote.

“Adam stood up to represent indigenous people and he took a stand on racism, and for this, I believe he was subject to hostility from some in our crowds.

“As a game, we should have acted sooner and I am sorry we acted too slowly.

“I am proud of the way the community, players from every club and supporters of the Sydney Swans made their support for Adam so public during his time away from the game, and on his return to play against Geelong (in Round 18 of last year).”

The dual Brownlow medallist also elected not to take part in the traditional lap of honour Grand Final for retired players — a decision McLachlan said he respected.

He hopes, however, that the two-time premiership player can eventually be honoured.

“The national conversation about racism taught me how important our role is to partner with all players to fight racism,” McLachlan wrote.

“Adam has led with courage and humility and I look forward to the day our game can properly celebrate the retirement of this great champion.”

Goodes’ former teammate Ted Richards spoke of his disappointment today, particularly in the fact that it has taken this long for the league to act.

“As a playing group, we were disappointed that the AFL didn’t act earlier, as Gillon said,” Richards said on SEN.

“We really respected and appreciated the support that a lot of the other opposing captains showed throughout the season, especially when things got worse. It’s great that Gillon has acknowledged that now, but really it could have been appreciated a lot earlier last year.

“The (acknowledgement) that Adam was doing it tough and that he wasn’t getting the respect – I really think it was needed. Goodesy needed help and he wasn’t getting it.”

Richards said he believes Goodes has enjoyed some time away from football after what he says was an unprecedented saga.

“In my time in footy, you see it and everyone respects that there’s a certain level of passionate fans … but that went too far for too long,” he said.

“So much so that it was gaining momentum. It’s not something that we’d seen in Australia – you see stuff like that go on overseas. I was really disappointed that it was able to go on for so long.”

League chairman Mike Fitzpatrick also expressed the “shame” of the situation.

“Adam is, and will always be, a great champion of the AFL,” he wrote in the report.

“For racism to blight his final season is a great shame for our game.

“While we have much to be proud of in fighting racism and working with the indigenous community, the (AFL) Commission also acknowledges the journey we are all still on.”