Adam Goodes
Adam Roy Goodes is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League. Goodes holds an elite place in VFL/AFL history as a dual Brownlow Medallist, dual premiership player, four-time All-Australian, member of the Indigenous Team of the Century and representative of Australia in the International Rules Series. In addition, he has held the record for the most VFL/AFL games played by an Indigenous player, surpassing Andrew McLeod's record of 340 during the 2014 AFL season before having his own record surpassed by Shaun Burgoyne during the 2019 AFL season.
Known for his community work and anti-racism advocacy, Goodes was named the Australian of the Year in 2014. From 2013, his outspokenness on racial issues contributed to his being the target of a sustained booing campaign from opposition fans, causing him to take indefinite leave from the AFL and eventually retire from the game at the end of the 2015 season. The "booing saga" sparked a national debate about racism in Australia and became the subject of two documentary films, both released in 2019. That year, the AFL formally apologised to Goodes for not taking greater action to defend him against fan abuse.
Early life and family
Goodes was born in Wallaroo, South Australia, to Lisa May and Graham Goodes, with siblings Jake and Brett. Goodes' father is of English, Irish and Scottish ancestry; his mother is an Aboriginal Australian, and is one of the Stolen Generation.Goodes' parents were separated when he was four; his father moved to Mackay, Queensland, while Goodes moved between Wallaroo and Adelaide and Merbein with his mother.
Goodes preferred soccer as a boy, playing in South Australia. While at Merbein, he attended primary school at Merbein West Primary School in 1986, and it was there that he began to play Australian rules football as there was no soccer club for him to join. He moved with his family to Horsham, Victoria, where he played football at high school and represented at under-16 and under-18 levels. At age 16, he began playing with the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup. Goodes played in a winning premiership side with the Rebels, where he was scouted by the Sydney Swans.
Goodes took his mother to the Brownlow Medal ceremony in 2003 in which he shared the medal with Nathan Buckley of the Collingwood Football Club and Mark Ricciuto of the Adelaide Football Club.
Brett, who is four years younger than Adam, played 22 AFL games for the Western Bulldogs between 2013 and 2015.
AFL career
Early career
Goodes was drafted by Sydney into the Australian Football League as the 43rd pick in the 1997 AFL draft, Sydney's third round draft pick. He spent the 1998 season in the reserves competition, but broke into the first team the following year and went on to win the league's Rising Star Award.During 2000 and 2001, Goodes played in a variety of positions, developing his game but lacking consistency at times. He played every game during this period. In early 2002, however, his form had slumped, and it had been suggested that he may be dropped. However, coach Rodney Eade resigned mid-season and under interim coach Paul Roos, Goodes found himself playing more in the ruck. In the second half of that season his form improved immensely. After injuring his knee twice in the ruck, he moved to play on the wing and went on to win two Brownlow Medals.
2003−2007: Brownlow Medal success
In 2003, Goodes returned to the ruck position for significant parts of the year in what became his best season to that point. He played a critical role in the Swans' revival and eventual preliminary final game that year. In particular, his efforts were crucial in the Swans' win against Port Adelaide in the qualifying finals.At the end of the season, Goodes won the club's best and fairest award, the Bob Skilton Medal, and received All-Australian selection for the first time. However, his greatest achievement was winning the league's highest personal honour, the Brownlow Medal, alongside Collingwood's Nathan Buckley and Adelaide's Mark Ricciuto. This was the second time in the history of the medal that the award was shared between three players. Goodes attributed his success to his longtime mentor John Winter.
Goodes had a substandard 2004, much like his team, who only managed the semi-finals stage of the finals series. He did not repeat his efforts of 2003, mainly due to knee injuries, yet he still managed to play every game. The knee injuries were due to an awkward fall during the season while playing in the ruck against the West Coast Eagles. Many expected Goodes to have suffered a posterior or anterior knee ligament damage, but he battled on. After this injury, coach Roos announced that Goodes' rucking days were over and that he would be used in other positions. He played in the backline for the remainder of 2004.
Goodes returned to form in 2005, playing mainly in the midfield. His year was highlighted with a near match-winning 33 disposals in round 18 against the Adelaide Crows. He played well in the 2005 Grand Final, kicked a goal and gathering 20 possessions as the Swans won their first premiership since 1933. He was also awarded life membership of the Swans after playing his 150th game during the year.
In Round 7, 2006, Goodes played his 150th consecutive match, a notable effort with the injuries he had in 2004. By the end of the 2007 season, he had played 191 consecutive matches. He returned to the ruck position in 2005 and 2006, but only occasionally around the ground and not at centre bounces where his knee injury occurred.
In 2006, Goodes had another notable year and again won the Brownlow Medal. He came into the count as a heavy favourite and became the twelfth player to have won two or more Brownlow Medals, the first Aboriginal Australian to win two, and the first player to win two with a non-Victorian club. Goodes said of his performance, "I'd like to think with another couple of years in the midfield I could improve again.". Goodes had a poor performance in the first half of the 2006 Grand Final against the West Coast Eagles in a repeat of 2005. However, he turned on the heat in the second half with his team coming close.
At the end of the year he was once again selected in the All-Australian team.
2007–2011
Seasons 2007 and 2008 saw Goodes drop off in form, but he was still instrumental in Sydney's finals campaigns. He had Brownlow Medal–threatening suspensions and charges during both years. In 2008, he missed games either through suspension or injury for the first time since 2000. His 2007 season ended strongly for him, as he received 16 of a possible 18 Brownlow Medal votes in the last six games of the year.Goodes played his 250th game in 2009, against Geelong. He was arguably one of the best players throughout the 2009 season, playing in the forward line because of Barry Hall's mid-season departure. He finished the season with 38 goals and averaged 21 disposals. From 2006 to 2009 he received 84 Brownlow votes, which equated to 21 per season, easily a winning tally in years gone by considering he had drawn 22 votes during 2003's success. From 2007 to 2009, he played career-best football in the eyes of some critics and perhaps better than 2003 or 2006 as evidenced by a career-high eight goals against Fremantle in 2008 and more accurate goalkicking when in the forward 50. Goodes played some high-standard football in 2009 in what was a relatively disappointing season in which the Swans finished 12th and failed to make the finals for the first time in six years. He also polled three Brownlow Medal votes in the Round 7 match against Geelong, which Sydney lost by 51 points.
In 2010, Goodes averaged about 20 disposals and two goals a game, having been at the forefront of Sydney's revival. They finished the season in fifth position. Having started the season at centre half-forward and providing a target inside 50 for much of the year, Goodes was shifted into the midfield with success. He finished sixth in the Bob Skilton Medal and was named in the initial 40 player All-Australian squad but not in the final side. He was also named captain of the International Rules squad to play in Ireland in October.
After a strong 2009 season and an occasional move to half-forward, Goodes was selected last but managed to sneak into the 2009 All-Australian team on the interchange bench.
Goodes started 2011 playing mostly in the Swans' forward line. While his ball-winning was considered as good as ever, his goal-kicking became somewhat inconsistent. In a match against that season, Goodes had a chance to win the game for Sydney with his team down by two points, but his shot at goal drifted to the left, losing the game for Sydney by a solitary point.
Goodes played his 300th AFL game when the Sydney Swans tackled in a second semi-final, losing by 36 points. He became the quickest player in AFL history to reach the milestone, breaking 2003 joint-Brownlow Medalist 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. This was his fourth selection in the team.
In 2011, Goodes started as the second favourite for the Brownlow but finished eighth overall, and won the 2011 Sydney Swans' Best and Fairest, beating Josh Kennedy and Rhyce Shaw, who tied for second.
2012−2015: Career twilight and retirement
Goodes broke the Sydney games record when he played his 304th AFL game with a strong contribution in the Swans' Round 5, 2012, victory over at York Park in Launceston, Tasmania. He suffered a quad injury in Round 6 and was expected to miss up to six games. Goodes played in his second premiership when Sydney defeated Hawthorn in the 2012 AFL Grand Final.Goodes announced his retirement from the AFL after the 26-point semi-final loss to in 2015. Goodes declined an invitation to be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. This rejection was widely seen as an indication by Goodes that the AFL had acted insufficiently to curb racism.