Geelong coach Chris Scott is optimistic that Adam Goodes will be treated with the respect he deserves by Cats fans when the Sydney star makes his return to AFL action at Simonds Stadium on Saturday night.
But Scott says the first priority for the Geelong players is to focus on competing as hard and as well as possible in a match which is crucial to the finals aspirations of both sides.
"The club's put in a lot of work in consultation with the AFL, the players' association and in particular the Swans to make sure that the issue is, one, recognised and acknowledged, but two, that we do everything we possibly can to encourage good crowd behaviour," said Scott.
Goodes took a week away from the sport after being relentlessly booed by opposition supporters - a response which the dual Brownlow medallist and Sydney believed was racially motivated.
"I think most reasoned people acknowledge that all the reasons for booing him in the past are different potentially to the reasons why you might boo him now," said Scott.
"There can be no excuse for booing him in the future."
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