Dr. Gonzo

So basically A&TSI's are over-represented and the statistics don't actually confirm abuse or neglect has occurred. I'd be interested to see their definitions as well as case studies because from anecdotal evidence I've seen in media reports there are still forced removals happening unrelated to abuse or neglect.

I think that may have been the case in the past though these days I'm not so sure it is as much of an issue. I guess something to remember is that you can't really try and lump all indigenous people or communities into the one basket - they use to be hundreds of nations before the continent was colonised by the British and even then it would be like trying to say all Australians or Victorians (or even Melbourne supporters ) can be lumped into the same group. It is clear there is going to be a variance of opinion in most groups however on the whole I don't think the indigenous community would be too concerned with Goodes being seen as a spokesperson for them although you'd have to ask them.

Our record against the other finalists in 1990 indicates it was a better chance than the other years.

Some things are more important than footy od - there is room in the world to discuss a variety of issues. In the wider scheme of things footy is just entertainment, some would even say a distraction from the real issues. Bread and circuses as the Romans called it.

He was sitting near me at the top of the old Ponsford Stand at the 2000 GF - couldn't believe someone who had sat in the first row for every game since I could remember couldn't get a better seat!

I agree, can't wait to see him on Monday. I'd just like to say also, this kid gets me genuinely excited to go to the footy again! Even after the Hawks game I wanted to go the Footscray game just to see him play.

I quoted this earlier in the thread - great minds hey

Neitz and Schwarz are club greats. Hogan will be a great of the game.

It's related to footy through the Goodes booing/goal celebration and indigenous round. If you don't want to read it, don't open the thread.

Good of you to acknowledge that there may be more to the situation than you previously thought. With regards to the child abuse in indigenous communities, I am not aware of the situation enough to properly comment, however I will quote again from a recent John Pilger article; I also wonder if child abuse is the real issue, why is the government not sending the military in to close down catholic churches? From my reading, child abuse is no more endemic in indigenous communities than the rest of the community (I have friends who work in DHS and some of the stories I've heard are truly horrifying, most from anglo communities in regional areas). It seems to me these things are related more to poverty than race.

Seriously? You don't see the discrepancy between a parent putting their kids up for adoption willingly and those who have their kids taken from them by force? Issues borne of poverty not race.

Kids are still being removed from their parents, the Stolen Generations hasn't stopped. The NT intervention and the planned WA closure of remote communities leading to displaced people. These are acts of genocide under the law. http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-secret-country-again-wages-war-on-its-own-people

To quote the great philosopher, Chris Rock;

Come on, did none of you learn anything following the GWS and Hawks losses? We were poor on the weekend but we'll bounce back.

I can't "like" these posts because apparently I've reached my daily quota but they certainly made me laugh.

Holy [censored].

When the government of the nation thinks its OK to send the military in to police indigenous communities, when people who live in remote communities on land their ancestors have lived for thousands of years are derided by the PM as making "lifestyle choices", when the PM and government deny the genocidal history such as occurred following the release of the Stolen Generations report, when the PM and government run scare campaigns against indigenous Australians stating that they'll claim peoples backyards following the Mabo/Wik decisions, when nothing is done to address the rampant poverty and racism in indigenous communities which leads to things like higher rates of abuse, imprisonment, suicide/self harm, preventable diseases etc etc - is it any wonder most otherwise "normal" Aussies react the way they do? These things flow down from the top.

Did Goodes orchestrate the over the top response from security? Did Goodes orchestrate the channel 7 cameras to focus in on the incident? Or the papers to put the girls photo online? Give me a break.

Haha exactly stuie- love it or leave it hey?

Plenty of players do, extremely few of them get booed to the level Goodes was against the Hawks Plenty of players do, extremely few of them get booed to the level Goodes was against the Hawks He was reacting to a racist comment in the heat of the moment. I would be astonished if he had time to even really analyse who the person was who yelled the comment before turning and pointing them out let alone weigh up the pros and cons of doing so and whether the person who did so was a male or female and how old they were Why should he accept the apology? McGuire said an idiotic and racist thing and should be held to account. He shouldn't be let off just because it's going to affect his public image as a media personality and Collingwood President This is the crux of it - he says things white Australia finds uncomfortable and would rather have swept under the carpet. Yeah, if you're good at playing sport and can entertain the masses with ball tricks you may make it but for the vast majority of Indigenous Australians they still live in conditions comparable to apartheid South Africa. Apparently "vilifying" white Australia by pointing out acts of genocide since settlement is worse than the actual genocide itself. Crazy logic.

Hodge got booed after elbowing someone in the head. Goodes gets booed because....

That's because Australians and the Australian government still live in denial about the genocide that occurred and still occurs. Until it is confronted and dealt with it will keep being brought up. While it is continually denied by the "white blindfold" revisionists it will continue to be a divisive issue.

Exactly mate - perhaps you should meditate on this and really have a think about why other indigenous players don't get booed as Goodes does.

We knocked Collingwood out of the finals in 88 and 89 and would have done it again in 90 had we played them. They beat us by 10 goals earlier in the year but they did that in 89 also and we did them in the Finals. We also beat Essendon twice in 1990 (Easter Monday and at Windy Hill), beat WCE twice (Friday night at the G and at Subiaco in round 20 in a spiteful game) and beat Hawks twice in successive weeks (round 22 and the EF). That was our year if we'd played the Pies instead of the Eagles in the finals we would've won and gone on to win the GF. The thing with the Northey years is, like the Daniher years, we always blew easy H&A games which cost us a double chance. This is what really destroyed our chances for a flag is losses to bottom teams during the season (such as two losses to the Blues in 2006).