Adam Goodes declines Hall of Fame invitation

[Aussie in exile]

Why Adam Goodes declined hall of fame invitation

Adam Goodes was voted unanimously into the Australian Football Hall of Fame as part of its 2021 intake but has rejected entry.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

 

[Teal Leviathan]

From the article:

“There’s nothing, today, that excites me, or that makes me think I would like to be back in AFL circles. I have no interest. No interest whatsoever. My love for the game died inside of me in those final years of me playing.”

Goodes said this in 2019, and evidently he feels much the same way today. For a potential Hall of Fame player to feel that level of alienation from the sport is an indictment of both the AFL and the broader culture in which it is situated.

 

[RUNVS]

This thread is going to be a s**t show.

In saying that though I don't blame Goodes for how he feels. How he was treated in those final few years was deplorable. Every time he touched the ball he was reminded at how many people hate him just for the colour of his skin. That would wear anyone down.

 

[Leon]

This thread is going to be a sh*t show.

In saying that though I don't blame Goodes for how he feels. How he was treated in those final few years was deplorable. Every time he touched the ball he was reminded at how many people hate him just for the colour of his skin. That would wear anyone down.

Completely agree.

Goodes belongs in the Hall of Fame, he is a legend of the game.

I understand how he feels, hopefully one day in future he is able to accept the HOF Induction and is rightfully honoured for his amazing career.

 

[Sully90]

As he has the right to.

 

[Big Hotdog]

The AFL shouldn't offer the HOF invite for many years again to Adam. He has made his feelings clear as he has the right to.
It does no one any favor's continually revisiting this chapter if people are unable to move on.

 

[Engimal v3]

Like this post if you think I have big muscles

 

[Engimal v3]

On the topic of the HOF, 100% deserves to be in there. One of the best players of the 2000s and one of Sydney's greatest ever.

 

[box070]

Good on him. Don’t blame him

 

[Cotchins Hair Piece]

Fair enough, I wouldn’t want to go either. Being in a room with a heap of meat-heads who all rate themselves very highly. Gross.

 

[Doss]

Do not blame him in the slightest. The treatment he copped in his last three seasons was an absolute disgrace.

 

[Ok Boomer]

The fact that someone like Eddie McGuire can remain front and centre of various coverage of the game probably doesn't help either.

 

[Sterge]

Plenty of players dive, plenty of them in the modern game, and yet they do not get booed.

To play devils advocate for a second, plenty of Indigenous players have been subjected to racist taunts in the past as well and they never got or get booed. So why do you think Goodes was singled out?

 

[RUNVS]

To play devils advocate for a second, plenty of Indigenous players have been subjected to racist taunts in the past as well and they never got or get booed. So why do you think Goodes was singled out?

Goodes was more outspoken about it.

 

[chunkylover53]

To play devils advocate for a second, plenty of Indigenous players have been subjected to racist taunts in the past as well and they never got or get booed. So why do you think Goodes was singled out?

Because he was pretty aggressive with his language toward Australia and racism.

If you look at Eddie Betts, he's managed to call it out a fair bit but has remained pretty well-liked.

There's a clear difference in their approach imo.

 

[Sterge]

Goodes was more outspoken about it.

What about Nicky Winmar, I don't remember him playing unfortunately but was he Booed?
Eddie Betts has called out racism also.

 

[mr bagcroft]

That proves the posters point further? Lloyd was a sniper and a diver and he was never relentlessly booed like Goodes was.

Sure in big games or big moments he would've copped it - but Goodes absolutely copped it every time he went near the footy.

Goodes copped some racism, sure, unfortunately.
Also, there is a VERY big dick head pack mentality in Australia and at the football, one starts and the bandwagon is on for young and old. Dosent make it right, but its part of our culture that is a bit lacking still. However some didnt like his diving, thats a fair call too just like any other player.
I just dont like the presumption that "well they were all racists", I dont think you can or should just make blanket statements like that. Because thats not the case.
Hopefully we learn a lesson from it.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

The AFL shouldn't offer the HOF invite for many years again to Adam. He has made his feelings clear as he has the right to.
It does no one any favor's continually revisiting this chapter if people are unable to move on.

He should have a standing offer that he can accept at anytime.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

There is one thing. Chris Judd did way worse than Goodes ever did (eye gouging, chicken wings etc) and he was never booed for every possession he had in the final few years of his career. Racists are only using Goodes diving as a cover for their own racism, to legitimise their booing. Maybe they even tell themselves thats why they booed, who knows, but there are plenty of players who have done way worse than Goodes and they were never booed.

Labelling everyone who booed Adam as a racist is absolutely bullshit. it does nothing but diminish what racism actually is.

Lindsay Thomas who is indigenous got boo' d every time he touched the ball......was that because people were racist? No. Its because he staged for free kicks often enough for it to be a stigma for him. Exactly what Adam was doing in the last few years of his career.

What about Eddie Betts? He calls out racism almost weekly. Does he get booed? No, because he's not a shitful player.

Were there people who acted like *******s who joined in out of racism? Of Course, there are always assholes in life. But to label everyone who boo'd him is just a cop out, why doesn't anyone else who gets routinely boo'd get the protection that Goodes seemingly gets?

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Goodes copped some racism, sure, unfortunately.
Also, there is a VERY big dick head pack mentality in Australia and at the football, one starts, the bandwagon is on for youung and old. Dosent make it right, but its part of our culture that is a bit lacking still.
I just dont like the presumption that "well they were all racists", I dont think you can or should just make blanket statements like that.
Hopefully we learn a lesson from it.

I think you can make that statement though. The boo’ing was called out for having a racist basis, and something that hurt Goodes as a result. At that stage any decent person should have stopped. Not stopping just indicates that at a minimum you’re completely insensitive and blind to your own racist biases.

 

[projectv]

In a similar line of thought, it sucks that you can't have an honest discussion around the end of his career (flopping/diving) without someone accusing you of having ulterior motives for being critical of him.

I agree with you that Adam Goodes did flop and dive a lot. But there are many players in the game who flop and dive way worse than Adam Goodes. And they don't/didn't get booed every time they touch the ball. Why is that?

 

[owen87]

Not stopping just indicates that at a minimum you’re completely insensitive and blind to your own racist biases.

Still no.

Stop trying to tie the two together.

Insenstive =/= Racist.

 

[MVille Swan]

The reality is one of the greatest players to ever play the game was run out of the sport because of the way he was treated.
It's just something that can't be undone. It can't be fixed. Sure, other players have been vilified but that doesn't make it
any better. It was just terrible. That a bloke who played 356 games, and who is actually a really decent, likable chap felt he
couldn't go on any longer and had leave the game like that.

 

[Underarm]

So nobody could dislike him, based on ....HIM? right, solid logic champ !!!
I like Goodes by the way, never an issue with him, champ of the game and seems a nice guy.
Opinons like yours being all high and mighty and awfully presumptious, I will always have an issue with !

If it was just Hawthorn orWest Coast sure. He beat them in Grand finals, and you could see why there could be some light hearted booing at those games throughout his career.

But it was every club. Every supporter base. There was nothing Goodes did to offend the other groups of supporters above and beyond what other players did at the time. Except call out racism on a consistant basis.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

If it was just Hawthorn orWest Coast sure. He beat them in Grand finals, and you could see

But it was every club. Every supporter base. There was nothing Goodes did to offend the other groups of supporters above and beyond what other players did at the time. Except call out racism on a consistant basis.

Not correct.

Lindsay Thomas was getting boo'd every time he touched the ball around exactly the same time, easily within 1-2 years of Adam. No one called this out as racism? Why? North Didn't beat anyone on a Grand final?

So was Hayden Ballantine.