Speaking in the lead-up to the Swans’ clash with Port Adelaide during the AFL’s Indigenous Round, Goodes said it was simply in the nature of Aboriginal people to take an interest in one another.
“It goes beyond just football. If I see an Aboriginal person walking down the street, I’ll stop and have a yarn and just catch up with them and find out where they’re from,” he said on Tuesday.
“That’s what we do as people; we welcome people into our family and our group and you always go out of your way to say hello to each other.”
Goodes, who was joined by Port Adelaide’s livewire forward Daniel Motlop via video conference, said that aspect of Indigenous culture transferred easily to the world of AFL football.
“We share a common passion and that’s to play football, but to be able to share some time outside football and share some quality time together, whether it be on Indigenous camp, going fishing, going on bushwalks or whatever it might be, it really helps build a stronger connection between us all,” he said.
Goodes said he had been racially taunted “a couple of times” during his career while Motlop said he had never been vilified on the basis of his skin colour.
The Swans’ dual Brownlow Medallist praised the work of the AFL and the pioneering role of past indigenous stars – Nicky Winmar, Michael Long and Maurice Rioli among them – in fostering the current environment of understanding.
“For me and a lot of the younger players coming through, it is a lot easier for them and players are more aware of how it does hurt people when they criticise their race, religion or beliefs,” Goodes said.
“You can see the benefits in how many Indigenous players are playing at the moment. They’re not just little forward pockets or back pocket players – they’re superstars of the game.
“That’s based on how much effort and time the AFL and the players’ association have put into helping develop our game and helping develop our football clubs for the cultural awareness for Aboriginal people.”
Goodes said he would welcome the responsibility of nurturing any young Aboriginal players drafted by the club.
“I don’t think when our recruiters go out there, they go ‘we need a couple of Indigenous players’ or ‘we need a couple of other players’,” he said.
“It’s all about the draft and when you can pick blokes up in the draft [but] I’d always love to have a few more brothers up here, especially a few younger ones.
“I’ve always been under Mickey O’s wing, which has been great for me, and it’d be great to have a couple of younger boys under our wings to help them through the pressure and hard times of footy and help develop them into great footballers.”
