Critics have hit back at a controversial documentary about the booing of AFL star Adam Goodes, describing it as ‘fake news’ and just not very good.
Former federal opposition leader turned NSW One Nation MP Mark Latham did not watch The Final Quarter on Thursday night and responded to a tweet from actor Sam Neill to explain why.
‘Fake News movie that didn’t even bother to ask those of us who booed him why we did it,’ Latham wrote.
‘Stager, 13YO demoniser, Pollie on a footy field, Attacked our great country. Reason enough.’
Latham was referring to Goodes describing a 13-year-old girl who called him an ape during a 2013 indigenous round match against Collingwood as the ‘face of racism’.
Goodes had also said the ‘innocent girl’ did not understand what she was saying.
Critics have hit back at a controversial documentary about the booing of AFL star Adam Goodes, describing it as ‘fake news’ and not very good. Goodes is pictured with wife Natalie
Entertainment reporter and social commentator was left unimpressed by the documentary
The former Swans star, who was named Australian of the Year in 2014, became the target of a sustained campaign of booing from opposition fans, causing him to take indefinite leave from the AFL and retire at the end of the 2015 season.
Social commentator Peter Ford said of The Final Quarter, which appeared on Channel 10: ‘Goodes doco isn’t very good. Flawed premise.’
‘Just a highlights reel of the lowlights with sad music woven in and a determination we must consider ourselves a bunch of racists. Hopefully the cinema release one will be better.’
A Daily Mail Australia reader poll rejected The Final Quarter’s premise that booing Goodes was racist, with more than 60 per cent of respondents saying it was not.
Geelong legend and former Footy Show star Sam Newman had previously caused a storm after he criticised the documentary on Twitter.
‘Criticising someone from another race – doesn’t make you a racist,’ Newman wrote.
‘The groveling doco by Sharks**t Productions ”The Final Quarter”, should be ”The Last Straw”. Adam Goodes initially was booed for taunting Carlton fans. Racist? So be it. #racism #fakenews.’
Newman responded to the airing of the film on Twitter: ‘Heartfelt thanks for enlightening comments by my fellow Australians on Goodes doco.’
‘Would love to have been part of conversation, but wasn’t allowed. Glad I could help 10’s flagging ratings. Keep comments coming, please.’
The much anticipated television premiere of the documentary has sparked an explosive reaction from fans, former players and high profile personalities in support of the AFL legend.
Social media went into uproar with an outpouring of emotion after The Final Quarter aired on Thursday night.
‘Criticizing someone from another race – doesn’t make you a racist,’ Newman wrote on Twitter last month
The examination of the racism, bullying and abuse the indigenous dual Brownlow Medallist copped in his final three seasons sparked a wave of emotions ranging from admiration, shame and anger to sadness, regret and disappointment.
Some viewers said Goodes was booed by opposition fans not for his race, but for his actions on the field.
The debate continued on air afterwards with a special edition of The Project hosted by Waleed Aly, where he was joined by AFL officials, former players, indigenous leaders and journalists.
Aly weighed into the debate by capping off the program with a question that left viewers pondering.
Eddie McGuire was criticised for suggesting on-air in 2013 that Goodes be used to promote King Kong the musical. On Friday he said on radio The Final Quarter gave him ‘a bit of a kicking’
‘It seems that what began as personal torment for Adam quickly became a national controversy,’ said host of The Project Waleed Aly, pictured with wife Susan Carland
‘It seems that what began as personal torment for Adam quickly became a national controversy,’ he said.
‘The question now really is whether it can become a productive national conversation. And the answer to that question rests with each of us.’
Public reaction to The Final Quarter included admiration for the way Goodes handled himself during the turmoil to fury over controversial comments made at the time by high profile personalities Sam Newman and Eddie McGuire.
McGuire, who is also Collingwood president, was criticised for suggesting on-air in 2013 that Goodes be used to promote King Kong the musical.
He used his breakfast radio show on Friday to address The Final Quarter, saying the program gave him ‘a bit of a kicking’.
‘It’s very confronting and it’s heartbreaking to be involved in it in a negative way,’ McGuire said on Triple M’s The Hot Breakfast.
‘I encourage people to watch this documentary. What you have to do in these situations is you have to front up to things. It’s an eye-opener. And if that’s the bottom line, it’s been a worthwhile exercise.’
A documentary on indigenous AFL legend Adam Goodes sparked an outpouring of emotions
Former teammate Jude Bolton has slammed the AFL over how it handled the saga at the time
McGuire also said plans were underway for Goodes to talk at his son’s school.
‘I hope it gives us an opportunity to – if it’s applicable to Adam – to get Adam back into the game,’ he told his listeners.
‘I really want to open up and talk about things and be open to a solution. We want people to understand… and look after indigenous footballers.’
There was also widespread anger at opposition fans, who booed Goodes for 17 games straight in 2015, which forced him to take leave from the game and retired just weeks later.
‘Hang your heads anyone who booed Adam Goodes. Weak as,’ one man tweeted.
The controversial end of Adam Goodes’ career began in 2013, where he publicly called out a 13-year-old girl who called him an ape during an Indigenous Round match against Collingwood
Social media reaction to the documentary sparked a wave of emotions, ranging from admiration and anger to sadness, regret and disappointment
Another fan tweeted: ‘At the start of#TheFinalQuarter I was full of admiration for Adams strength! By the end of it I was heartbroken and disgusted that he, who was SO strong, had been broken down so aggressively that he couldn’t play the game he loved and ended up fearing the relentless abuse.’
The Sydney Swans urged fans watching the documentary to share a photo of a ‘We Stand With Adam’ sign, along with the hashtag.
The social media post was not only shared by thousands of fans but also rival clubs, including Carlton and Brisbane.
The Australian Wallabies rugby union team also shared the post.
Adam Goodes and his wife Natalie recently welcomed their first child, daughter Adelaide
Outspoken senator Mark Latham weighed into the debate with some controversial comments
The AFL appealed to fans to send though its views, weeks after it issued an unreserved apology to Goodes over the turmoil he experienced at the time.
Former Swans teammate Jude Bolton slammed the AFL on how the governing body responded to the controversy at the time when he appeared on post-documentary edition of The Project.
‘The overarching sort of feelings and emotions during that film was just the immense sadness, but then just the extreme anger,’ he said.
‘[The AFL’s] silence was deafening and I think that’s the biggest regret.
‘The biggest issue is they didn’t inject themselves into the conversation.’
This post by the Swans on Thursday night was shared by thousands of fans and rival clubs
Bolton took to Twitter afterwards to pay tribute to Goodes.
‘Hope many got to see and sat there with an open mind and reflected upon what sort of country we want Australia to be,’ he tweeted.
‘Doesn’t get any easier to see what Goodesy endured. He did it with grace and dignity. The boos lasted for too long, his legacy… longer.’
There was also regret and disappointment from former players and members of the media, wishing they’d done more to support him at the time.
‘Looking back now as a past Indigenous player, I felt that if I had my time again, I would’ve done something about it,’ former player and Brownlow Medallist Gavin Wanganeen said.
Adam Goodes was repeatedly booed by St Kilda fans in one of his last AFL games in 2015
Current players posted their public support for Goodes on Wednesday night.
‘What an amazing and powerful story! Adam is an amazing role model and leader!,’ GWS veteran Phil Davis tweeted
Teammate Dylan Buckey added: ‘Adam Goodes Film is such an eye opener.. shows that we all need to be educated on indigenous culture and it should start in our schooling from a young age.’
Late on Thursday night, filmmaker Ian Darling said he hoped viewers watched his documentary with an open heart and mind.
A second documentary, The Australian Dream will premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 1, where Goodes revisits the 2013 incident where he publicly called out a teenage Collingwood fan after she called him an ‘ape’ during the Indigenous round.
Channel Ten aired a special edition of The Project following The Final Quarter documentary