SYDNEY Swans great Adam Goodes says he is "incredibly disappointed" he gets booed in Melbourne and has no idea why it happens.
Dual Brownlow medallist Goodes was booed by some spectators in the MCG crowd whenever he touched the ball in the Swans' match against Hawthorn last Saturday.
"It doesn't affect me whilst I'm playing, but it affects my family, my partner and friends who are at the game and they are just trying to understand why," said Goodes at the launch of the AFL Indigenous Round in Sydney on Tuesday.
"I don't know why. You'd have to go around and ask all those Hawthorn supporters, the people who come to the ground, what their problem is with me.
"I look at it after the game, and to think it's still happening is incredibly disappointing."
Meanwhile, Goodes has paid tribute to the indigenous stars of the 1990's for taking a stand against racism in the AFL.
An incident between Essendon's Michael Long and Collingwood ruckman Damian Monkhorst in 1995 was the catalyst behind what has now become the AFL's racial and religious vilification policy.
The Magpie big man racially abused Long in the first ever Anzac Day encounter between the two clubs, leading to a complaint from the Bomber to league officials.
Goodes believes without the courage of men like the 1993 Norm Smith medallist his own footy journey would have been far different.
"People like Michael Long, Gilbert McAdam, Robbie Ahmat, Scotty Chisholm, and Nicky Winmar, of course, have taken a stance, and it's made it so much easier for the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballers to come through without that stress," Goodes said.
"For us to go out there and feel equal and run around and just play footy, it's a blessing in this day and age.
"You only have to look back 20 years and it wasn't so easy for these trail blazers."
On-field racism has all but been eradicated in the AFL thanks to pioneers like Long, and the younger generation of indigenous players like Goodes and Lance Franklin, among many.
"What we've created now is a working environment where everyone can come to work and not worry about your sexuality, your race, your beliefs, and that's a working environment everyone should be able to enjoy," Goodes said.
"I'm so thankful and grateful for guys like Michael Long for standing up for what they believe in, and Nicky Winmar, because if they didn't do that, would we have seen Buddy (Franklin) or myself running around today?"
Goodes gets the chance to run out against Carlton on Friday night at the SCG to kick off Indigenous Round in Sydney for the first time.
The Swans will wear a specially designed guernsey created by Goodes' mother, Lisa Sansbury.
"It's just a huge honour, and Mum still finds it hard to believe that we get to run around wearing her guernsey design, so she's very chuffed," Goodes said.
Lewis Jetta, Adam Goodes, Lance Franklin with former Swans star Michael O'Loughlin. Picture: AFL Media
