18 Australian football captains rally behind indigenous star Goodes
Xinhua, July 31, 2015 Adjust font size:
All 18 Australian Football League (AFL) captains have united behind Sydney Swans player Adam Goodes in a joint statement imploring fans to stop booing the indigenous star.
The 18 club leaders issued a statement on Friday, on behalf of their clubs and the 800 AFL players, declaring "enough was enough" and it was time the game's supporters stopped jeering Goodes, a former Australian of the Year who is an outspoken leader of the indigenous community.
Goodes, a dual Brownlow medallist (the league's most valuable player award) who plays for the Swans in Australia's premier Australian rules football competition, has been relentlessly jeered throughout the season.
Whether the booing is racially motivated or not still remains a topic of contention. Some fans claim their vocal protests are nothing to do with Goodes' skin color, just the way he plays the game. Many of the game's senior figures, however, believe the motives for the booing are more sinister.
But regardless of why opposition supporters target the 35-year-old, the captains issued an impassioned statement on Friday which was published in Melbourne's largest-selling newspaper, the Herald-Sun, as well as the AFL website.
"Enjoy the game, celebrate the success. But don't boo, jeer or taunt players because of who they are or what they stand for," they wrote.
"We're all human. We're all in this together. And together we can make a difference.
"We encourage supporters to demonstrate zero tolerance and report any behaviour which vilifies a person on the basis of their personal characteristics, such as race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. We would encourage every other fan to follow suit."
The debate was reignited this week after Goodes' indigenous teammate, Lewis Jetta, re-enacted Goodes' indigenous 'war dance' to chastise West Coast fans for their continuous booing of the Swans' legend on Sunday.
In their statement, the captains urged spectators to report any form of discrimination they saw in the stands.
Goodes took an indefinite leave of absence on Wednesday, and there are fears he may walk away from the game altogether.
The Sydney Swans' president Andrew Ireland said on Thursday that Goodes was fed up with the treatment he was receiving.
"Adam is sick and tired of this behaviour. It has been happening for too long and it has taken its toll," he said.
"We will give Adam all the time he needs. We will keep supporting him and he will return to the club whenever he is ready."
Two teams, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs, will also wear their indigenous strip - usually reserved for the AFL's Indigenous Round, which was played in May - this weekend to show solidarity for Goodes. Endi