Adam Goodes documentary: Sam Newman hits back, take our poll

Sam Newman remains convinced the initial booing of Adam Goodes was not about race and says the conversation has been “hijacked”.

The abuse Adam Goodes suffered during the end of his playing career was highlighted in The Final Quarter but now one of the key players in the film has hit back.

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Former Geelong star, Sam Newman, who featured heavily in the documentary still insists the storm that surrounded Goodes came about because of his actions on the field and not his skin colour — a view that Newman doubled down on, when he spoke to 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Friday afternoon.

“All I said at the time was, if you’re going to incite Hawthorn fans or Carlton fans and they boo you just be prepared for the blowback,” Newman said.

“‘You’re not as important as you think you are and if you are offended by that because you have incited people well you’re a jerk,’ that’s what I said about him, not about what he is.

“The AFL then said ‘it’s about time we stop booing people’ and that’s like a red rag to a bull, if the AFL or anyone says to stop doing something then they (people) are going to do it and people went to the next level.”

After laying that blame for the booing of Goodes at the feet of both the player and the AFL, Newman then went on to say that people with agendas had “hijacked” the whole issue.

“I didn’t think it started off being race-related and that’s what I commented on. If it’s gone to the next level it’s been hijacked by the activists,” he said.

“It’s OK to have a narrative and discussion, but if people go on and on about how (and this is not about Aboriginals) they been maligned or disadvantaged, at some stage we have got to get over it, move on and try and unite and unify ourselves, we are all Australians.”

The former Footy Show host bit his tongue as the documentary screened but broke his silence with a message on Twitter: “Heartfelt thanks for enlightening comments by my fellow Australians on Goodes doco,” Newman wrote. “Would love to have been part of conversation, but wasn’t allowed. Glad I could help (Channel) 10’s flagging ratings. Keep comments coming, please.”

Heartfelt thanks for enlightening comments by my fellow Australians on Goodes doco. Would love to have been part of conversation, but wasn’t allowed. Glad I could help 10’s flagging ratings. Keep comments coming, please. #channel10 #AdamGoodes 🇦🇺🇦🇺

— Sam Newman (@Origsmartassam) July 19, 2019

It was earlier revealed that the former co-host of the AFL Footy Show even phoned director of The Final Quarter Ian Darling to complain about his inclusion.

“Sam called up. He wanted to know why he was in the film. I made it very clear we wanted to simply show the conversation that happened during that period,” Darling said on Channel 9’s Sports Sunday.

“It was really important that everyone who had a voice was represented and people added to the conversation in so many different ways and Sam played an important role in that conversation.”

Adam Goodes during his final AFL season.

Despite being painted in a negative light in the documentary, Newman said he would welcome an opportunity to speak to Goodes in the future.

“I would be delighted to speak to him about what he thought I was, my motivation to say this, or if he considered me to be a racist or a person he did not want to speak to, I would take on whatever he said to me.”

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