Rather than respond with any degree of justifiable anger, Goodes pointed out the girl to security and had her escorted from the stadium.
Goodes was gutted following the incident.”To hear a 13-year-old girl call me an ape … and it’s not the first time on a football field I’ve been referred to as a monkey or an ape … it was shattering,”
Goodes says he received a phone call from the teenager later, apologising for the remark, and has called for people not to blame her.
“It’s not her fault, she’s 13, she’s still so innocent, I don’t put any blame on her,” he said. “Unfortunately it’s what she hears, in the environment she’s grown up in that has made her think that it’s OK to call people names.”
The timing of the comment is especially upsetting as the match was in celebration of Indigenous players. The very weekend when we are supposed to be presenting a united front against racism we are reminded that these racist undercurrents continue.
The Swans ended up winning the game in a canter, outscoring the Magpies 15.12.10 to 8.7.55.
Images: Getty
