Australian sporting star may quite following racist attacks

Australian Indigenous sporting star, role model and former Australian of the year Adam Goodes is reportedly considering retirement from the Australian Football League (AFL) following a spate of racial taunts directed towards him.

Ever since 2013, opposition supporters have regularly booed Goodes away grounds while Australian conservative commentators have said he brought the issue on himself because he "picked" on a 13-year-old girl for calling him a gorilla while playing at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In May, Goodes received criticism for dancing his indigenous war cry, directed towards the opposing teams supporters in celebration of kicking a goal.

"It's a war cry dance, so it would be silly to do it to my own supporters," Goodes said at the time. "It's a dance that I haven't been able to perform with the Indigenous All Stars. I haven't had an opportunity to show that passion, and that pride about being a warrior and representing my people and where I come from."

"There was nothing untoward to the Carlton supporters. It was actually something for them to stand up and go, 'yep we see you, and we acknowledge you - bring it on'.

"My teammates loved it, the Carlton players loved it."

The controversy flared up once more during Sunday's Aussie Rules match against the West Coast Eagles at Subiaco Oval in Perth where Goodes was subjected to a torrent of abuse from the opposition's supporters.

Goodes's Indigenous team-mate Lewis Jetta imitated the 35-year- old when he performed a war dance at a section of the Subiaco Oval crowd.

As part of the routine, Jetta threw a make-believe spear at the crowd in an aggressive manner.

Jetta said he was sick of the boos constantly directed to Goodes, saying the war-dance was in support of his team-mate.

"He's a superstar of the game, a superstar for the Swans, fans should show more respect for what he's done for the game," Jetta said. "All this booing stuff needs to be thrown out the window."

Fairfax Media reported last week that Goodes - twice awarded the Brownlow Medal for being the best player in an AFL season - is contemplating retirement due to the effect the booing is having on his team-mates.

It is not known if he will play again on Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground against the Adelaide Crows after his team gave him a couple of days off.

The AFL chief executive Gillion McLachlan denounced the constant booing of Goodes during Saturday's match, however she stopped just short of calling it racist.

Australia's political leaders have also come out in support of the star, deploring the racist undertones by fans during recent AFL matches.

An Australian indigenous leader said the nation should take on the dance in the same fashion as New Zealand have taken on the " Haka" - or Maori war-dance. Endi