Leaderboard

Has there ever been a team that has so consistently found new and creative ways to gut its supporters?

I'm sick of being labelled a racist because I don't like Adam Goodes. It's reverse racism in my opinion, of the people labelling me as such. I worship the feet of three fantastic and positive role models currently at our club - who happen to have Indigenous heritages - just as I did for Farmer, Wizard, even Jurrah before his fall. I equally dislike the antics of Petrie, Boomer, Riewoldt, Selwood and any number of theatrical, diving, ducking or sniping players, irregardless of their skin colour. I could give two hoots about Goodes being Australian of the Year (of all the sports personalities given the award, he's done lots of admirable work for the Indigenous community and promoting their cause) but I dislike his attention seeking, sniping and arrogant on field demeanour, capped off by his antics tonight. Just as Bulldogs and Tigers supporters disliked Nate Jones' overt goal celebrations this year. This does not make me a racist and, frankly, speaks volumes about the level of one's intelligence to label me as such. The fact that Goodes instantly cites racism as the reason anyone might dislike him is as braindead as Clark bringing up depression every time someone criticises him. It's nothing more than an attempt at deflecting from their character flaws and not owning up to some home truths. Manipulative and all too eager to place labels on others and play the sympathy card in an entirely-too-PC society.

Blend in? Are you kidding us? Australia's rich and legislated racist history surrounds the forced, coerced, and 'volunteered' "blending in" of people indigenous to this land. If Winmar had of just blended in, we wouldn't have grown as a sport and a fandom. The world is full of great stories about persecuted people who did great things by not blending in. I think he gets booed because he won AOTY, and behind that is a racist view of how he got that award - through imposed Affirmative Action. He is a great of the game on his last few matches and one hell of a better human being than the [censored] playing his 400th tonight he will be lauded by all and sundry. Even if you hate him for the right reasons (eyeroll), suck it up and give it up for a footy player that has done so much in his career.

It seems to me pretty pointless to say Adam Goodes is not a great of the game. His CV is outstanding. It seems to me pretty pointless to declare yourself not racist, too, because of course you can't tell: it's like taking it for granted you haven't got bad breath on the grounds that you haven't smelled it. I sat in the gate lounge at Tullamarine once, waiting for a delayed flight to Hobart, and could not help but hear a loud American in a pretty strong American accent holding forth to his friends about Tasmanian history and social customs. Quite a lot of I-assume-Tasmanians sat like me, just staring in silence and almost disbelief at the pontificating ignoramus. Some of us looked at each other and rolled our eyes, shook our heads, at the spectacle. How unaware can a person be? And, inevitably, the further he went in his confident explaining of it all, the more he got wrong and the more he displayed what in the circumstances can only be called a high level of unwitting arrogance and disrespect. He had no idea... On racism, I think Adam Goodes has the floor before the likes of us on this subject - at least until there's really good grounds for calling him factually wrong, or excessive in his vehemence, or in some other specific way unacceptable. Racism is a subject in which the minority racial groups must make the definitions and set the agenda - that's the only way it can be. Any other way and it's simply further ignorant and insensitive paternalism, or in other words, further racism. It's just stupid to suppose that comfortable white Australians understand the issue of racism against the Aborigines in Australia. We have to listen to the Aborigines. It's like supposing the Abbotts of the world are going to understand the life of someone living on welfare. I have a 34-year-old son on a disability pension. Last time he had to explain his medical circumstances (again) to Centrelink, the person interviewing him ended up in tears - but well-off and healthy Abbott targets people like my son. Sheer arrogant ignorance. If you have no experience of the abuse/misfortune, you are not in a position to make reasonable decisions. So if some of us are uncomfortable hearing what Adam Goodes says, I say fair enough - it's his turn and he knows what we have not had experience of. I don't think you can say there's anything especially radical about what he wants. A lot of dignity in the way he's taken on our game and become a champion at it, and now speaks fearlessly but without rabble-rousing. Australian of the Year. Fine man. What he speaks against is abuse, what he wants is respect - which I think he personally has well and truly earned and which in context of his people's history since white settlement is well and truly overdue. So I suggest some of the posts on here stink; let those who can smell it give you the word.

Adam Goodes gets continually/regularly booed because he is an arrogant, self centred [censored]. NOT because he is of indigenous heritage. If he was caucasian the boos would remain the same.

He will be when I run him over in Todd St.

I suspect neither you nor Dunstall have been subject to systematic racism throughout your whole life. It's no coincidence that it's always the white, heterosexual males who say things like this.

So happy for him. He's a great kid and has always done the right thing by the club, even when the club did not do the right thing by him. If anyone can come back from this, it's Trenners. Nothing would make me happier than seeing him succeed in a Melbourne jumper.

There is zero doubt that it is racist. Zero. "Unless it is well-founded" are you kidding? Think of the decades of research abotu bias, unconscious bias, racism and Australia. you are aware of this literature, aren't you? Because, it would be pretty daft to be talking about a subject in an unfounded way, wouldn't it? I'd be concerned about your thinking on this issue were you to be speaking from an - dare Ai say it - ignorant position. The "it can't be and if you think so, maybe you are" argument is, well, it is the equivalent of "I know you are, I said you are, but what am I?" My god. That sort of dodgy rhetoric is best left out, don't you think? And the war dance! Darling, sweetheart. Seriously. Who cares about a war dance. It is a dance FFS. A dance, from a man regularly racially abused, on the round that celebrates his race - a race that has been pushed into what will probably be a fatal decline. And we are a bit sensitive about hurt feelings of the crowd? Precious much? Maybe missing the point just a little? Lewis is a sniper but doesn't get booed. Fletcher is a spiteful jerk, but doesn't get booed. Selwood plays for frees constantly but doesn't get booed. Lindsay Thomas dives and gets booed. Whoops. There is no doubt this is about race, fueled by race, denied because of race and bubbling along because of race. Just got to get big enough to admit it.

Yeah, how dare he perform an indigenous war dance during a match that's a part of the indigenous round. You constantly prattle on about how certain players on our team need to harden up, yet the moment Goodes stands up to a section of the crowd that have been booing him from the start of the game up to that point in time, you say he needs to blend in??? I say good on him.

And I get called a pervert - can't work it out!

What the last five weeks have shown is that we are still a mile off the best midfields in the competition and when those sides get their tails up against us we can't stop them. Yes there were mistakes and individual errors which can be blamed for the second quarter onslaught, but the source of the problem was the domination of Port around the ball. Boak, Ebert and Gray got on top and just ran rings around us at the stoppages and the ball was pumped forward relentlessly. Our midfield has improved but it is still just emerging from third world and the top midfields just rip us to shreds. We were able to stop the Dogs' run on last week because we got back on top in midfield. Same with the Suns when they charged at us in Round 1. But they were sides with middle of the road midfields. Once Port's gun midfielders got their tails up, we couldn't stop them. Same with the Hawks, Freo and Swans against us. There's absolutely no excuse for our drop off in pressure. Going from a tight, low-scoring game where they really struggled to move the ball to an open uncontested free-flowing style which Port love all in the space of 30 minutes is just not acceptable. But until we can develop that first world midfield we will continue to get pumped by the top sides in the competition. I won't individualise too much but a mention has to go to Jack Watts. Is it possible he has become weaker over the years? I think so. He is probably in the top 5% of players on pure skill and ability but would have to be the weakest footballer I've ever seen at AFL level. I don't say this lightly either. Unbelievable to find such a contrast in a player.

Rohan Bail just played his last ever game for this club. putrid footballer. And again ee got beaten in the selection table..

Not only did we learn nothing from the GWS game, we just produced a carbon copy of it. Jack Watts - 0 tackles.. enough is enough. [censored] off and play netball, you're a disgrace to the jumper

Disgusting. Shameful. Pathetic. Gutless. Midfield "effort" was a disgrace. Apart from Brayshaw everyone in that midfield should be ashamed of that display. We didn't give a yelp after quarter time. Undid all the good work of last week. Just sick of it.

I thought it was great entertainment - he's got some nice moves. It was sort of like an individual "haka" and I loved it. Brightened up what was an otherwise totally one-sided game. I laughed at the way Bruce kept trying to talk Carlton up. The actual game was over half way through the first quarter. Goodes has had a fantastic career and he's always brought individual brilliance to our sport. We need more who can express themselves like Goodes. As for the booing - these things happen. There might be some racial connotations but I see it more as people seeing him as some sort of villain - and there's always a need for a villain. ... Here it is again for those who haven't seen it

An absolute champion of the game, his community, and Australia generally.

I cant watch it either, so im glad you have a degree also...........

I personally think Nathan Buckley would be a great fit for Carlton. I know he's got a few things on his plate at the moment, but I'm sure the AFL could just step in and assign him to the Carlton role without too much destabilisation or trouble to his existing club...

Well done, Cam Patterson. He and Hogan are forming a very handy duo at the moment.

By the way the performance of Hogan and Brayshaw is encouraging, Hogan continues to get his 2 goals a game.

Wonder how much Ryder was screwing up their gameplan, because they looked much better without him today. Kind of wish he'd played.

If Darwin's survival of the fittest theory applies to football,we're farked.

Garbage. Why does everyone automatically think they are the problem? Are you even watching?

All started with that idiot torp from Dunn.

I just got on Melbourne to win by over 15.5 points. Offering of $5.20 was too good to resist.

The funny part of it is you are the one making the biggest deal of it... Maybe if you just blended in.

I sometimes wonder if McGuire has a cocaine habit the way he just blabs on about rubbish he thinks makes perfect sense.

Paul Roos does not need or want the Carlton job. He wants a life style change once he finishes coaching and an involvement at the Dees during the season when he's not in Hawaii. Eddie is talking through his oversized cloaca.

Anyone trying to justify the booing as completely unrelated to Australia's under current of racism has rocks in their head.

In 2012 Mark Murphy was fined $900 by the tribunal for giving the Collingwood cheer squad the bird. Goodes' premeditated display of aggressive and menacing theatrics towards a section of the crowd was far more reprehensible and I expect to see him up before the tribunal this week.... ....unless different standards are applied to footballers according to their colour. And that would be racism, wouldn't it?

Goodes is booed because he was Australian of the Year and he didn't toe the party line and chant 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!' He said some truths that made s lot of people very angry to hear. An absolute champion of the game and a great of the modern era.

Spot on. Schwab let Jack down in his capacity as chairman of selectors, assistant coach and chief medical officer that year. Not to mention his failures when, as head of recruiting, he drafted him in the first place.

You are implying that every single boo he receives, which is literally thousands, are all directed at him because of his race?! Rubbish. Some, perhaps. Most, no. So i guess Ballentine gets booed because he is white? Same with Crowley etc. Plenty of other indigenous players playing tonight, Yarran, Jetta etc. Are they being booed? No.

I think everything that has happened to Jack proves the existence of the Melbourne incompetence 2009-2014. I'd bet anything that the pressure put on him is a contributor to the foot getting to the point that it did - I wonder how forthcoming he felt he could be about the state of his body when he thought the club was relying on him? Not to mention the fact that we (apparently) didn't even know he was injured when we tried to pack him off to Richmond. This is the first time in his career that I think the club has done the right thing by the guy, that's why I personally am so pleased for him and glad that the club has handled this in this manner, finally. Let's hope it's not too little too late.

This is what good clubs do...

Did anyone see this bizarre tirade on Fox post match tonight? McGuire interjected no less than 4 times between a heated debate between Hall and Maclure when discussing the next Carlton coach. Apparently the choice for Carlton is "obvious" according to Eddie, he says the AFL need to put Roos in place. Says he's the perfect coach for the AFL to assign to all the basketcase teams in the league, because they'll just keep forking out $1.5m a year for him to do it. Not sure what to make of this one but we know Eddie doesn't do anything without an agenda. Is he trying to destabilise us or was it just a veiled dig at the AFL bailing out the crap clubs? He wasn't even correct in saying the AFL are footing the bill for Roos.

Seriously who gives a [censored] what he did to celebrate a goal?

A highly motivated, driven, competitive sportsman/champion of the game. Blowing out a bit of steam. Storm in a teacup.

I'd say Trenners contract would be a decent amount to stay at the club, ie 100k + good amounts for match payments to help make up say 300k The best thing is he does not have to try and prove anything this year. Means he can be a bit more cautious knowing it is all about next year and that he is good for next year.

Good to see you're getting more "O" & less "B"!

If for some reason you arent fired up for the game, just watch this

Yes, I agree... in fact I think that the entire Swans team should be hauled up in front of some sort of tribunal for almost doubling the Carlton score... from what I could see, it looked as though quite a few of the Carlton supporters were very unhappy about that and the Swans just didn't seem to care at all!!

Yeah, blend in with the white crowd, don't be proud of your heritage. I don't know for sure, but I reckon Indigenous players would be very happy to be represented by Goodes, and they are represented by him - he's the chairman of the AFLPA.

Why can't indigenous people just assimilate? Blend in? Disappear? Just be whiter?? No one would boo if he just acted whiter...

Hmmmmm.... Thanks Allan McAllistair.

Goodes is an interesting footballer - talented, courageous, inspirational. Yet strangely, (almost perversely), he is respected at best, admired by few, and loved by not many at all (outside of Swans supporters). An almost uniquely polarising player - everybody seems to have a strong view about him, one way or the other. FWIIW, I see him as a prat - the fact that he is an indigenous prat, to me, is utterly irrelevant.

I'm being very honest here...l've watched footy for many years ..there has always been players from many nationalities playing our game and as Australia's population grows and becomes more diversified more nationalities will hopefully embrace our game. You admire certain skill sets that different players bring to the game and our indigenous players often bring that brilliance to the game that we all love. I am not a "booer" (Scully being an exception ) but I just don't like Adam Goodes. My observations ... Cowardly acts e.g Colin Garland SCG....and several others . I simply find him arrogant. Just my opinion. We are too quick as a "young nation" to label differing opinions as racist..,homophobic etc.....sometimes it's just simple......people don't like him & they boo. Who hasn't been to a game & heard Milne, Lindsay Thomas, Selwood, Buddy , Mitch Clark , Nick Riewoldt being booed. Don't agree with it...but it happens. Do we always have to be precious & pull out the racist line.....

I'm still angry at him for this:

Dear diary! Today on Demonland I bagged out Toumpas for the hundredth time and put a line through Trengove! After that I had a cup of tea and a lie down!! Productive day!! picket fence!