RACISTS will boo Sydney Swans champion Adam Goodes (above).
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It’s has happened in the past, and sadly, as sure as night follows day, will happen again.
But we must also acknowledge that the entire chorus of booing isn’t related to him being Aboriginal – there’s a fair degree of noise coming from those who are nothing more than passionate football followers and they couldn’t care whether he was Aboriginal, Italian, Greek or Russian.
Perhaps some of these commentators and “theatre-going” celebrities who turn up at the occasional match should go to a few more games and see how supporters behave week-in, week-out.
Booing, although hardly the type of behaviour to encourage, is a pretty common.
Umpires get a solid round of it every time they enter and leave the ground or make a poor decision – at least in the eyes of one group of supporters.
Players who dish out a little “rough justice” will be heckled and booed by supporters for the rest of the game and, quite often, the next time they meet.
The banter between opposing supporters in the outer is part of what makes Aussie Rules so much fun. Being critical and witty about opposition players is part of attending an AFL game.
Part of the “theatre” of the game has been Goodes and, at the weekend, teammate Lewis Jetta, performing the “war dance” which finishes with a symbolic spear being thrown at the crowd. It’s great stuff – but can’t be looked at in isolation – nor without thinking there won’t be a reaction.
If you want to bring the crowd into the game, then expect a response.
Adam Goodes is a champion and deserves the plaudits of the football community. But for people to be claiming that booing Goodes is racist borders on the ridiculous.