Adam Goodes

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Adam Goodes : biography

8 January 1980 –

Goodes has started 2011 playing mostly in the Swans’ forward line. While his ball-winning is as good as ever, his goal-kicking has been quite inconsistent so far. In a match against that season, Goodes had a chance to win the game for Sydney with his team down by 2 points, but his shot at goal drifted to the left, losing the game for Sydney by only a solitary point.

Goodes played his 300th AFL game when the Sydney Swans tackled in the second semi-final, lost by 36 points. He became the quickest player (though not the youngest) in AFL history to reach the milestone, breaking 2003 joint-Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto’s record by 274 days. His late-season surge in form saw him selected in the 2011 All-Australian team, in the forward pocket. It is his fourth selection in the team.

In 2011, he started 2nd favorite for the Brownlow but finished 8th overall and won the 2011 Sydney Swans Best and Fairest beating home Josh Kennedy and Rhyce Shaw who tied for second.

2012

Adam Goodes broke the Sydney games record when he played his 304th AFL game for the Sydney Swans in its Round 5, 2012 victory over at Aurora Stadium in Launceston, Tasmania. He suffered a quad injury in Round 6, and was expected to miss up to six games with the injury.

Goodes guided his team to victory in the 2012 AFL Grand Final, defeating Hawthorn by 10 points.

Personal life

Goodes is of Aboriginal descent, and is active in the Sydney Indigenous community. He has spent time working with troubled Indigenous youth, including those in youth detention centres, along with his cousin and former teammate Michael O’Loughlin. His mother Lisa May is also involved in community work and works in a nursing home. Goodes and O’Loughlin have also helped to start an Indigenous football academy. In September 2009 they launched the Goodes O’Loughlin Foundation (www.go-foundation.org), a foundation aimed at empowering the next generation of Indigenous role models in all walks of life across Australia. Goodes and O’Loughlin co-Chair the Foundation, which focuses on education, employment and healthy lifestyles. Goodes took his mother to the Brownlow Medal ceremony in 2003.

Goodes’ brother Brett became a professional footballer in the 2013 AFL season. He has played for both the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL and the North Ballarat Roosters in the Victorian Football League and has represented Victoria in interleague matches. Brett later worked at the Western Bulldogs, and he was drafted by the Bulldogs as the no.4 pick in the 2012 AFL Rookie Draft at age 28.

Racism controversy

On 24 May 2013 in the opening match of the AFL’s annual Indigenous Round, a 13-year-old Collingwood fan abused Goodes by calling him an ‘ape’. After the game, Collingwood president, Eddie McGuire apologised to Goodes "on behalf of the Collingwood Football Club and on behalf of football". McGuire said that Collingwood had a "zero tolerance" policy towards racism, but also said that the girl, who also later apologised to Goodes, did not know that what she had said was a racist slur. News.com.au Goodes said that he was "gutted" and that he had "never been more hurt".

Five days later McGuire, a liberal white journalist, whilst hosting a breakfast radio program, racially vilified Goodes, by making an unprovoked on-air comment linking the champion footballer to the promotion of the King Kong musical that was about to open in Melbourne. McGuire apologised on air after making the reference, accessed 29 May 2013 however his actions were widely criticised. accessed 29 May 2013

Tribunal history

Season Round Charge category (level) Victim Result Verdict Ref(s)
2007 5 Charging Simon Godfrey () Guilty (early plea) Reprimand and 70.31 carry-over points
2008 2 Striking Matt Thomas () Not guilty (won at tribunal) – Herald Sun]
11 Rough conduct Adam Selwood () Guilty (early plea) Reprimand and 93.75 carry-over points Herald Sun]
13 Engaging in rough conduct (1) Clint Bartram () Guilty (early plea) One-match suspension
2012 3 Rough conduct Jacob Surjan () Guilty (lost at tribunal) One-match suspension and 80.75 demerit points