Despite the pleas of the AFL, and a specific call-out from coach Ross Lyon, Adam Goodes found himself facing boos yet again when the Sydney Swans played the Fremantle Dockers at Perth’s Domain Stadium yesterday.
Earlier this week, Fremantle coach Lyon called on the team’s fans to show their support respectfully, saying that it’s “clearly inappropriate” to boo Goodes in the context of the past several months.
“If you choose to do that, you are putting yourself at risk [as to] how you’re viewed,” he added.
Nonetheless, when it came time for the game, small but vocal sections of the 40,000-strong crowd booed Goodes whenever he touched the ball, as has become sadly commonplace.
The Dockers ultimately won a nine-point victory over the Swans, but for Lyon, the win was marred by the behaviour of those who those to boo Goodes. He later told media:
I’ve been made aware of that situation, it’s disappointing personally. I can only speak for myself. I think this is really simple. Once Adam made it known that he was taking it in the context that he was – which he feels it’s racist, and his teammates – the AFL family would prefer everyone just cheered for their own (team) and left Adam alone.I’m still quite strong about it. I haven’t mellowed. I don’t think it’s for me to comment other than that the position is clear. Everyone puts their head on the pillow at night and deals with their own conscience. Mine’s pretty good with Adam Goodes and the Indigenous community at large.
Goodes himself, who recently took a break from the AFL to deal with the effects of the boos, has not publicly commented in the wake of this latest incident.
via Fairfax
Photo: Daniel Carson / AFL Media via Getty Images
