“Footy’s great, mate, but if I’m only known for that, I’ve failed,” Adam Goodes, dual Brownlow medallist and Sydney Swans icon, declared in a rare interview last week. The man who was recently immortalised with a bronze sculpture outside the Swans’ Moore Park base continues to be a champion off the field, using his platform to tackle racism head-on.
In an emotionally charged interview with former England and Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand on the WeAre8 Youtube channel, Goodes opened up about his personal life, career experiences, and his goals post retirement. He didn’t shy away from the hard truths of his journey, displaying the same courage he showed on the footy field.
One can’t talk about Goodes without discussing his passionate pursuit against racism. It’s something that’s been a pervasive part of his life, from the schoolyard to the elite level of AFL.
“For me, it has happened all the time, whether it be school, whether it be at the football teams that I played, and even at the elite level on and off the field, it was just part of my life,” he admitted. A reality that would make most bitter, Goodes instead chooses to use his experiences to educate others about the impacts of racism.
“The best advice I got from my mum was she told me when people call you names, if they’re being racist to you, you just walk away. Be the bigger person, walk away. I learned later in life that when I had the confidence, and more importantly, I became articulate, I could actually confront it in my way,” Goodes shared, a note of determination resonating in his words. His calling out of racism doesn’t stem from a desire for confrontation, but rather to create understanding: “…how it’s used, and more importantly, how it makes us feel.”
The former Swans star also touched upon the heavy loss of his mother, who passed away last year. Her removal from her family as part of the Stolen Generations was a haunting specter throughout her life, a fact that Goodes confessed “broke his heart.”
“It just breaks my heart to think that she was living in fear her whole life that someone could knock on the door and take her kids away at any moment if she wasn’t doing the right thing by us kids,” Goodes said. This personal loss has been a driving factor behind Goodes’ work in advocacy for Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
On a lighter note, Goodes revealed that he’s come full circle in his sporting life. After retiring from AFL seven years ago, he’s back to playing the sport he enjoyed before his AFL journey began – soccer. “I retired (from the AFL) seven years ago, I’m playing football again – I’ve played football for the last six years and just loving it,” he said.
There’s no doubting that Goodes, as a footballer, brought a lot to the AFL. But as he continues to use his platform to advocate against racism and for reconciliation, it becomes clear that his legacy is much more profound. A proud man, a loving father, and an advocate for change – Goodes is far from done making his mark.
