Across field and classroom: The activism of Adam Goodes and the role of Australian teachers in tackling racism

Comprised entirely of archival footage, The Final Quarter details the last three
years of Sydney Swans footballer and Adnyamathanha/ Narungga1 man Adam
Goodes’ highly celebrated career. The film follows a watershed when Goodes
was called an “ape” by a 13- year old, white female spectator during the 2013
Indigenous round – an annual event coinciding with National Reconciliation
Week that celebrates Aboriginal players and cultures. Upon hearing the slur,
Goodes stopped, gestured toward the Collingwood fan, and communicated with
security who escorted her from the stadium. Later, Goodes disclosed how deeply
hurt he was, not simply owing to the slur’s historical dimensions and a lifetime
of having dealt with racism but because it had been delivered by such a young
person. In a press conference the following day, Goodes clarified that it was not
the 13- year- old at fault but a culture that naturalizes racism.
Responses to the incident were fast with many key Australian Football
League (AFL) figures, including Collingwood President Eddie McGuire, publicly
declaring their support for Goodes, ostensibly reinforcing the AFL’s long- term
efforts to arrest racism as vested in Rule 35...