31-05-2025
Footy's biggest recluse Adam Goodes makes return to SCG for the Sydney Swans' 20-year AFL premiership reunion
AFL legend Adam Goodes made a triumphant return to the SCG on Saturday night as the Swans celebrated their 2005 premiership victory.
The code's most decorated Indigenous player joined his premiership teammates in marching from Swans HQ to the SCG ahead of the club's match with Adelaide.
The Swans were looking to bounce back from a dismal 53-point loss to Melbourne but instead endured a horror show.
Kept to one goal in the opening half, Sydney conceded 12-straight majors on the way to a 21.5 (131) to 5.11 (41) loss.
Former players, including Barry Hall, Michael O'Loughlin and Jude Bolton attended the match - but Goodes was the star that fans were most excited to see.
The two-time Brownlow Medallist has refused to have anything to do with the game after his retirement, which came after he was subjected to racist taunts and prolonged booing from the crowd during his last three seasons - especially his final year.
Goodes was called an 'ape' by a young Collingwood fan in an infamous 2013 incident.
Days later, then-Magpies boss Eddie McGuire suggested promoters of a King Kong musical in Melbourne ask the footy star to promote the show.
In 2015 he celebrated a goal against Carlton with an Indigenous-themed war cry that saw spectators target him heavily.
That year he refused to participate in a grand final motorcade for retired players, and has declined invitations to AFL events ever since - even declining an invitation to be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
AFL chairman Richard Goyder acknowledged that the AFL should have done better by Goodes after he rejected the 2021 invitation.
'The treatment of Adam in his final years at AFL level drove him from football,' Goyder said at the time.
'The AFL and our game did not do enough to stand with him at the time, and call it out.
'The unreserved apology that the game provided him in 2019 was too late, but, on behalf of our commission and the AFL, I apologise unreservedly again for our failures during this period.
'Failure to call out racism and not standing up for Adam let down all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present.
'We hope that there will be a time in the future when Adam will want to be connected to the game again.'
Fans were surprised and overjoyed to see a smiling Goodes watching on during Saturday's match.
'Sensational! So pleased to see all of them but particularly Goodesy,' posted one fan to social media.
'An absolute joy to see Adam Goodes,' replied another.
