Footballer Adam Goodes may not have appeared on an ABC panel last night, but he was the centre of debate following a comparison between the discrimination suffered by Indigenous people to the jokes directed at redheads.
Debate over the 35-year-old's indigenous war cry led discussion on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday, three days after Goodes celebrated a goal in the Swans' win over Carlton.
It was sparked by a red headed questioner, who seemingly compared the treatment of her family as redheads to that of Goodes as an Indigenous man.
“Do you think Adam Goodes' display of the war dance in front of families at the football match was divisive?" she asked.
"And do you think that he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder in trying to raise the race debate?”
The question sparked a fierce reaction on social media, with Twitter users leaping to Goodes’ defence.
The question was also met with overwhelming support from panellists, including Anthony Albanese.
The Labor MP said people needed to “chill out” over the actions of the dual-Brownlow medallist, who performed the traditional dance during the AFL’s Indigenous round.
“He is a great model for young Indigenous people and that's what he was symbolising there,” he said.
Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also threw his support behind Goodes, saying Australians should be proud of him.
“I thought his explanation was totally legitimate, in that he had been mentoring some younger players,” he said.
“This had been something he had been teaching them, working with them on, to indicate the pride in their culture. Maybe there was adverse reaction from the crowd that you would probably get at a football match, no matter which match you are playing at.”
Panellists pointed out instances of racism that Goodes has faced, both prior to and in the wake of his performance, while Indigenous elder Uncle Jack suggested that “we're making a mountain out of a mole hill”.
The actor and activist also dismissed suggestions that Goodes was too sensitive towards racism, saying Australia had a particular brand of racism towards indigenous people.
“Australia itself is uniquely racist against Aboriginal Australians, and I can't put it any more succinctly than that,” he said.
“That's my observations, that's the observations of many Aboriginals here in Australia and that's how it is. There is a long journey for us to undertake, and this is just - get used to it that - there is no scripting on a football oval.”
