Adam Goodes puts gong to work in racism battle

AUSTRALIAN of the Year Adam Goodes has vowed to use his increased public profile to fight racism.

Goodes puts gong to work

CHAMPION AFL player and indigenous Australian Adam Goodes, named Australian of the Year on the weekend, has vowed to use his increased public profile to fight racism.

"It gives me an opportunity to talk about racism and how it is unacceptable in our communities and the steps that we can put in place going forward to eliminate it in our society," Goodes told Fox Sports yesterday.

"We all have a big part to play in that, not just the people who are vilified, but the people out there that see it, hear it, casually talk about racism.

"And for us to have those discussions and try to eliminate racism in our community, we all have a major part in it."

A player with the Sydney Swans since 1997, 34-year-old Goodes is the ninth indigenous person to receive the Australian of the Year award and was also one of the five winners of The Australian's Australian of the Year award.

Goodes has played with the Swans in two premiership victories and was twice awarded the Brownlow Medal for best and fairest player of the season.

Off the field, he has worked to strengthen the indigenous community, establishing and co-chairing the Goodes-O'Loughlin Foundation with his cousin and past teammate Michael O'Loughlin, which aims to help indigenous youth achieve though education, employment and healthy lifestyle.

His struggle against racism gained the spotlight last May when Goodes turned a racial slur, in which he was called an "ape" by a 13-year-old spectator, into an opportunity to increase awareness of discrimination in the community.

Tony Abbott said Goodes's commitment to fairness and equality in football and the community made him an idol. "He was an inspiration to millions of Australians, he stands for excellence in sport and decency in our national life," the Prime Minister said.

Bill Shorten described Goodes as "a role model not just for indigenous Australians but also for all Australians" while NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said Goodes's actions had helped continue the fight against racism.

"His stand against racism last year brought the issue into the national spotlight and helped educate all Australians that racism in any form shouldn't be tolerated," Mr O'Farrell said.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said Goodes had brought much honour to the AFL.

"Adam Goodes has been a brilliant player of our game for 15 years but his work off the field as a leading member of our community, seeking to assist and inspire young people, has truly defined him as a great Australian," he said.

This year's Young Australian of the Year is Paralympic swimmer Jacqueline Freney, 21, who won gold in the eight events she contested at the London Paralympics. Freney is the most successful athlete ever at a single Olympic Games.

Fraser government federal minister for Aboriginal affairs and founding co-chair of Reconciliation Australia, the 72-year-old Fred Chaney, was named Senior Australian of the Year.