Adam Goodes: Road to reconciliation passes through the footy field

Many marvel at football’s ability to cross the cultural divide and provide a common language.

James Packer Reconciliation

Does Australian football want a relationship with Aboriginal people, or does it not?

Nicky Winmar and Michael Long both asked the football community this question more than 20 years ago. The answer was an emphatic yes, despite the difficult conversations at the time.

Adam Goodes is today asking the same question. Not just of a football code but of a nation.

For many decades our nation has attempted to reconcile a divide between indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians. This journey of reconciliation has been a critical one and has made an important contribution to the identity of our nation.

However, despite almost 30 years of campaigns many indigenous Australians’ voices remain unheard. Many non-indigenous Australians, who have exercised an enormous amount of goodwill and support, have become disengaged from the process. Neither group can see an end in sight.

Australians have a deep desire for a unified nation. The slow path to reconciliation has left us weighed down by guilt and history.

As a nation we must renew our commitment for a shared future. This may be the gift of this week, a gift from Adam Goodes.

I have two observations about the events of this week.

The first is the debate about Goodes’s treatment by some rival supporters is not just about racism. It’s about unacceptable behaviour and language. It’s about civics and civility.

The person who yells racial comments is also the person most likely to be using other profanities and derogatory language. Civics and civility are basic human values. Going to the footy or another sporting event doesn’t give us a leave pass. We remain responsible for our behaviour and accountable to those around us.

As someone once said: if you walk past it, you accept it.

My second observation is I don’t think the debate is about Goodes. It’s about the relationship between the indigenous and broader Australian communities.

Goodes is an extraordinary man with a beautiful heart. A kind, empathetic, proud, strong and passionate human being. These are qualities that require admiration, not defence.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and Australian football have always shared a bond.

It is a bond shared since the traditional game of Marn Grook was played by the Djab Wurrung people — my people — in southwest Victoria to the present era, when one in every nine AFL players is indigenous.

Goodes epitomises all the wonderful characteristics of this relationship.

A proud Adnyama­th­anha and Narungga man, he has achieved more than any other indigenous player.

An 18-year career, Brownlow medals and two premierships with Sydney. He is truly a giant of our game and of his people.

If respect is earned through time and performance, then Goodes deserves to be honoured accordingly through the remainder of his career.

In my role with the AFL, I travel the country and understand the dynamic that exists throughout the indigenous community and within the AFL network.

I see the purity of the game played by young indigenous people from Bamaga to Bunbury and Fitzroy Crossing to Framlingham. I speak with indigenous elders about what the game means to our communities, inside and outside the boundaries. I mix with business leaders who marvel at football’s ability to cross the cultural divide and provide a common language not to be found anywhere else in our country.

I recently attended the historic meeting with Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten at a summit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders convened to resolve the next steps on the road to a referendum to recognise the first Australians in the Constitution.

As a proud Gunditjmara man (and Maltese man), I am honoured to walk with my countrymen and women in the struggle for recognition in our founding document.

I am also extremely proud of the many comments and affirmation that the AFL received for the work many — including our fans — have done over the past 20-odd years to create welcoming, safe and respectful environments — in other words, practical reconciliation.

This is the essence of what has been under scrutiny this week: the reputation of our great game and the character of our great country.

It’s a game shared, celebrated and played by all types.

A game we love. A game that transcends cultures.

A game that gives a voice, identity and imagination to millions of Aussies, black and white.

Jason Mifsud is AFL head of diversity.