Today I feel embarrassed by Australia.
I feel ashamed by what Australian media personalities and entire stadiums of AFL fans did to 2014 Australian of the Year and dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes in the final years of his career.
However while watching The Final Quarter, the documentary which revisits the unacceptable treatment directed at Goodes, I also felt proud.
You can watch The Final Quarter trailer here. Post continues after video.
I felt proud of the way Goodes handled himself during an unrelenting and insensitive three years of heightened racist slurs and vilification directed solely at him, and him alone.
He was calm, resilient and classy; something his opponents and attackers were not.
After a lifetime spent copping racial bullying for his Indigenous heritage, Goodes decided enough was enough in 2013.
After a 13-year-old girl’s sideline slur of “ape” during the AFL’s Indigenous round, Goodes spoke of his disappointment in an Australia that made it okay for a young girl to be socialised in an environment where this kind of racist attitude could so casually be vocalised.
Top Comments
Nothing worse than apologists for bad behavior
It's the usual suspects. Cannot admit that being white gives them an advantage and that non-whites experience some pretty poor treatment in this country.
Where are you reading that? I'm seriously asking.
By denying that Adam was subjected to racism is saying that.
I literally can not see a single comment that says he never faced any racism.
Should a 13 year old girl yell mean comments at the footy? No.
Should police then frogmarch her and detain her for several hours without a parent or legal representation present? No.
Should a 13 year old girls picture be put on the front page of the paper with the headline, “This is the face of racism”? No.
Was his treatment unfair? Yes.
Should the qualification for Australian of the Year be someone said a hurtful comment at you? No.
Overall, did making him Australian of the Year and his subsequent behaviour do him more good than harm? No.
Should racism be called out, yes
I think he was nominated Australian of the year for his sporting achievements. And he even said don't blame her, she is a child, children are innocent.
But yes it needs to be called out. I have 4 kids and none of them have ever said anything like that in their lives. That is nothing special, that is normal. Clearly she was being raised in a very toxic environment and wasn't taught right from wrong.
Is Les Grossman excusing disgusting racism and downplaying the achievements of a great man who has done extensive work in his community and deserves his award? Yes. Yes he is.
Well give him a Brownlow then, that would be appropriate. I think you could have given it Daniel Morcombes parents for the work they did on protecting children all around Australia rather than to an actor and I wasn’t down with giving it to Pat Rafter, who was a citizen of Bermuda at the time as far as tax purposes go.
The award has to have the respect of the community.