Sam Newman’s bitter response to winning Adam Goodes painting

Sam Newman isn’t happy with Adam Goodes’ latest achievement after the AFL legend played a vital role in making Indigenous history.

Sam Newman is either no fan of Adam Goodes or has a different taste in art to the judges of this year’s Archibald Prize — or both.

Vincent Namatjira’s painting of the Indigenous AFL star was crowned the most impressive entry in Australia’s prestigious art competition but Newman couldn’t see why.

The striking piece of work, called Stand Strong For Who You Are, depicts Sydney Swans legend Goodes performing an Indigenous war dance and lifting up his guernsey and pointing to his skin — a la St Kilda’s Nicky Winmar in 1993. It also shows Goodes shaking hands with Namatjira.

In a year where the Black Lives Matter movement has exploded, Namatjira became the first Indigenous artist to win in the Archibald Prize’s 99-year history — beating out 54 other finalists — but Geelong champion Newman isn’t impressed.

Responding to a tweet by entertainment reporter Peter Ford that simply read “Wow” in response to the winning Goodes/Namatjira combination, the former Footy Show panellist put his thoughts bluntly.

An acronym, obviously ‘Why Oh Why’. https://t.co/SlPOtqkYF5

— Sam Newman (@Origsmartassam) September 26, 2020

The winning piece.

Goodes was booed into retirement at the end of 2015, forced to quit footy because of cruel treatment from fans — which started when he called out a young Collingwood supporter for racially vilifying him during a match against the Pies at the MCG.

Many have come to agree the booing was racially motivated, but Newman was among those who defended the taunts, saying the gun on-baller was copping heat because he staged for free kicks.

Newman was widely condemned after his stance on Goodes was featured heavily in documentary The Final Quarter , which focuses on the Swans star’s final days in the red and white.

Newman doubled down last year when talking about convicted doping cheat, Chinese swimmer Sun Yang, who was in hot water at the 2019 World Championships for his boorish behaviour as rivals protested against him.

“Newspaper article says Sun Yang (Chinese Swimmer) being booed for what he did. Can you believe it. Being booed for what he did, not for who he is. Sounds like racism to me,” Newman sarcastically tweeted at the time.

Earlier this year Newman and the co-hosts of his podcast, Mike Sheahan and Don Scott, were forced to apologise to Winmar after the trio questioned the reason for the Saints great’s iconic stand against racism.

They suggested Winmar was alluding to his guts, rather than racial injustice, when he lifted his shirt and pointed to his stomach in 1993.

Newman is no fan of political correctness.

Goodes was forced out of the game he loves.

Namatjira was inspired to paint Goodes after watching The Final Quarter, and hoped his recognition would inspire fellow Indigenous Australians.

“Choosing to paint Adam — he had a hard life when he was young, and I also had a hard life when I was young, so to me painting Adam was a reflection of painting myself,” Namatjira told The Guardian.

“At the start of my life, all Indigenous young fellas, the first thing that comes to our mind is football. So I watched (Adam) and I admired his football talents and everything on the television.

“But when I met him live, face-to-face, and he told me about his background and about his life and what he’s been through his career, that sort of got me with how I felt with my career also — that we have something in common.”