Stan Grant reveals that Adam Goodes’ racism ordeal has put the footy star off the game he loves for GOOD – and says his family will always come first
- Writer of the Australian Dream documentary says Goodes won’t return to AFL
- The film features raw interviews with Goodes who was subjected to racial abuse
- His career came to an end in 2015 amid racial taunts and booing on the field
The years of racial taunts suffered by Adam Goodes has put the footy star off the game for good, according to prominent journalist Stan Grant.
The writer of The Australian Dream says the Sydney Swans player won’t return to the sport in any capacity after he was subjected to racial abuse in the final years of his career, which ended in 2015.
Goodes, 39, cemented himself into the Swans at just 17 but Grant believes he’ll be switching his focus to family and leaving the game behind for good.
Adam Goodes (pictured with wife Natalie) left the Sydney Swans in 2015 after he was subjected to racial abuse on the field
‘I know that from my perspective, I see someone who is living a life that he wants to live and making the choices the he wants to make,’ Mr Grant told the Weekend Australian.
‘And hanging around football after you’ve finished playing it is not something that’s particularly important to him.’
The latest documentary that premiered last week features raw interviews with the former Brownlow medalist where he speaks out about the tumultuous final years of his career.
‘Getting away from everything really did empower me with the strength to come back. But I knew it was going to be over,’ Goodes says in the film.
‘I didn’t need to subject myself to this arena, where it gave people the opportunity to show their racist attitudes towards me.’
Goodes played for the club for 17 years before he was booed and heckled with racial slurs during games
The film has put Goodes under the spotlight which Mr Grant believes will take toll on the player.
‘It must be awful to be the subject of discussion. Surely you just want to enjoy the small pleasures of life,’ he said.
Goodes and his wife Natalie Croker have recently welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Adelaide, who was born in June this year.
Mr Grant said that people would want to see the Swans star make a return to the sport and be celebrated for his illustrious 17 year career.
Goodes and his wife Natalie Croker (pictured) have recently welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Adelaide, who was born in June this year
During a game in 2013, Goodes was called an ‘ape’ by a 13-year-old Collingwood supporter.
Goodes described the girl as the face of racism and called for her to be removed from the match.
In the wake of the incident Goodes received an onslaught of abuse and booing for his final three seasons at the club.
Stan Grant, (pictured left) writer of The Australian Dream, believes the Sydney Swans player won’t return to the sport after retiring in 2015
In The Australian Dream, he said that the football field that was once a home to him, became something he dreaded walking out on.
‘It (the football field) actually became a place I hated to walk out on to,’ Goodes said.
‘It’s fun, and a laugh for you, you can boo me and feel happy about yourself because you’re part of the crowd that did that. But deep down, there were people in that crowd booing me because of my Aboriginality.’