AFTER one of the most trying weeks of his storied career, Adam Goodes' ability to lead the Sydney Swans to a vital 44-point win over Essendon defies description, says his coach John Longmire.
Goodes finished with four goals from 15 possessions as the Swans dispatched the in-form Bombers by 44 points at a sodden SCG on Saturday evening.
Longmire said the club legend's efforts to cope with two separate racism controversies in the wake of the round-nine win over Collingwood had left him "exhausted" at times.
"I don't think any of us can really sum up how difficult it was for him," he said.
"We can think about it and try to put ourselves in his shoes, but the reality is you don't know. Everyone thinks he's bulletproof, but he's not, and that's the reality of it.
"I thought he was able to come to the footy club this week and use it to get away from a lot of things.
"Ultimately he was still the one who was dealing with it.
"We go home at night and think that we understand, but we really don’t.
"Adam wanted to focus on the footy, so we focused on the footy."
Goodes kicked four goals, including three across the pivotal second and third quarters to set up the win, which earned the Swans a top-four berth and stamped them as genuine chances to defend their 2012 premiership.
It followed his 30-disposal, 11-mark, three-goal game against Collingwood last week that was marred by a racist taunt hurled at him by a teenage girl.
The fallout from that controversy was compounded four days later by Magpies president Eddie McGuire, whose 'King Kong' gaffe left Goodes and the Swans bewildered and upset.
While Longmire was left in awe of Goodes' resilience, he wasn't surprised the champion was able to deliver when it mattered.
"Nothing much probably surprises me with 'Goodesy'," Longmire said after the match.
"There were times during the week when he was exhausted and … he was still pretty tired on Thursday and then he freshened up yesterday and felt really good today, which is a real credit to him."
