Adam Goodes
Encyclopedia
Adam Goodes is a professional Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

 player with the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

 in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 (AFL).

Goodes holds an elite place in AFL/VFL history as a dual Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

list, premiership player, four-time All-Australian and member of the Indigenous Team of the Century and has represented Australia in the International Rules Series
International Rules Series
The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...

.

Goodes is well known for his Indigenous Australian heritage, and is prominently involved and associated with several Indigenous sport and community programs.

Early life

He was born in Wallaroo, to Lisa May (a Narungga
Narungga
The Narungga are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands are located on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. The boundary of their traditional lands runs roughly between the towns of Port Broughton and Port Wakefield....

 child with Adnyamathanha
Adnyamathanha
The Adnyamathanha or Adynyamathanha are an Indigenous Australian people from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Adnyamathanha is also the name of their traditional language....

 ancestry) and Graham Goodes, with siblings Jake and Brett. His parents were separated when he was four and his father moved to Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

 while Goodes moved between Wallaroo
Wallaroo, South Australia
Wallaroo is a port town on the western side of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, 160 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns famed for their historic shared copper mining industry, and known together as "Little Cornwall", the other two being Kadina ...

 and Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

 (in South Australia) and Merbein (in Victoria) with his mother.
While at Merbein, Adam attended primary school at Merbein West Primary School in 1986, and it was there that he began to play Australian Rules football.
Goodes moved with his family to Horsham, Victoria
Horsham, Victoria
Horsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...

 where he played football at high school and represented Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 at under 16 and under 18 levels.
He began playing with the North Ballarat Rebels
North Ballarat Rebels
The North Ballarat Rebels are an Australian rules football club which play in the TAC Cup, an under-18 competition in Victoria, Australia.North Ballarat is one of four regional clubs set up as part of a plan by the AFL to have clubs set in all regions of the state.This was to help aid in player...

 as a 16 year old in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...

 and played in a winning premiership side where he was scouted by the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

.

Early career

Goodes was drafted by Sydney into the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 as the No. 43 pick in the 1997 AFL Draft
1997 AFL Draft
The 1997 AFL Draft was held at the conclusion of the 1997 Australian Football League season. A pre-season draft was also held prior to the 1998 season....

, Sydney's third round draft pick. Goodes spent the 1998 season in the reserves competition, but broke into the first team the following year, and went on to win the league's Rising Star Award
AFL Rising Star award
The NAB AFL Rising Star award is given annually to a standout young player in the Australian Football League. Since 2007 the winner has been presented with the Ron Evans Medal and was first awarded in 1993...

.

During 2000 and 2001, Goodes played in a variety of positions, developing his game but lacking consistency at times. He played every game during this period. In early 2002, however, his form had slumped and it had been suggested that he may be dropped. However, coach Rodney Eade
Rodney Eade
Rodney "Rocket" Eade is a former Australian rules footballer and the former coach of the Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League...

 resigned mid-season, and under interim (now permanent) coach Paul Roos
Paul Roos (Australian rules footballer)
Paul Roos is a former Australian rules football player and coach in the VFL and Australian Football League.Playing the majority of his career with Fitzroy, Roos was one of the teams greats, captaining the side for a long time and was acknowledged as its best player for several seasons, being named...

, Goodes found himself playing more in the ruck. In the second half of that season, his form improved dramatically, resulting in some of the best football of his career. After injuring his knee twice in the ruck, Goodes moved to play on the wing, and went on to win two Brownlow medals.

2003: Brownlow Medal success

In 2003, Goodes returned to the ruck position for significant parts of the year, in what became his best season so far. He played a critical role in the Swans revival and eventual Preliminary Final spot that year. In particular, his efforts were crucial in the Swans' win against Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...

 in the qualifying final.

At the end of the season, Goodes won the club's best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...

 award (the Bob Skilton Medal
Bob Skilton Medal
The Bob Skilton Medal is awarded to the Sydney Swans player adjudged the Best and Fairest over the home and away season. It is named after Bob Skilton, who won the award a record nine times from 1958 to 1968.-List of winners:...

) and All-Australian selection for the first time. However, his greatest achievement was winning the league's highest honour, the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

, along with Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

's Nathan Buckley
Nathan Buckley
Nathan Charles Buckley is a former professional Australian rules football player, commentator and coach, best known for his time as captain of the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

 and Adelaide's Mark Ricciuto
Mark Ricciuto
Mark Anthony Ricciuto is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League...

. This was the second time in the history of the medal that the award was shared between three players (the first time was in 1930). Adam Goodes attributes his great success to his long time mentor John Winter.

2004–2005

Goodes suffered an indifferent 2004, just like his team the Swans, who only managed the Semi-Final stage of the Finals series. He did not repeat his heroic efforts of 2003, mainly due to niggling knee injuries, yet he still managed to play every game. Those knee injuries were due to an awkward fall during the season while playing in the ruck against the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...

. Many expected Goodes to have suffered a posterior
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...

 or anterior knee ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...

 damage, but he battled on. After this injury, coach Roos announced that Goodes' rucking
Ruckman (Australian rules football position)
In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...

 days were over, and that he would be used in other positions. Goodes played in the backline for the remainder of 2004.

Goodes returned to form in 2005, playing mainly in the midfield. His year was highlighted with a near match-winning 33 disposals in round 18 against the Adelaide Crows
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....

. Goodes played well in the 2005 Grand Final, kicked a goal and gathering 20 possessions as the Swans won their first premiership since 1933. He was also awarded life membership of the Swans after playing his 150th game during the year.

2006: Second Brownlow Medal

In Round 7 2006 Goodes played his 150th consecutive match, an amazing effort for the injuries he endured in his 2004 year. By the end of the 2007 season, he had played 191 consecutive matches. Goodes returned to the Ruckman position in 2005 and 2006, but only occasionally around the ground, and not in the centre bounce where his knee injury occurred.

In 2006 Goodes had another extraordinary year and once again won the Brownlow Medal. He came into the count as a heavy favourite and he is only the twelfth player to have won two or more Brownlow Medals, the first Aboriginal to win two and the first player to win two with a non-Victorian club. Goodes said of his performance, "I'd like to think with another couple of years in the midfield I could improve again.". Goodes had a poor performance in the first half of the 2006 Grand Final versus the West Coast Eagles in a repeat match of 2005. However, he turned on the heat in the second half with his team coming agonisingly close (losing by one point).

At the end of the year he was once again selected in the All-Australian team.

2007–2011

Seasons 2007–2008 saw Goodes drop off in form which was inevitable due to the high standards set during 2006 but was still instrumental in Sydney's finals campaigns in 2007 and 2008. He was hit with Brownlow Medal-threatening suspensions and charges during both years, and 2008 saw Goodes miss games through suspension and/or injury for the first time since 2000. His 2007 season ended incredibly strongly for him as he received 16 of a possible 18 votes in the last six games of the year.

Goodes played his 250th game in 2009, against Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...

. Adam was arguably one of the best players throughout the 2009 season, having to help out in the forward line because of Barry Hall's mid season departure. He finished the season with 38 goals and averaged 21 disposals. From 2006–09 Goodes amassed 84 Brownlow votes which equated to 21 per season, easily a winning tally in years gone by considering he had drawn 22 votes during 2003's success. Interestingly 2009 was between 2007–2009 Goodes played career best football in the eyes of some critics and perhaps even better than 2003 or 2006 as evidenced by a career high 8 goal haul against Fremantle in 2008 and more accurate goal kicking when thrust into the forward 50. Goodes played some breathtaking football in 2009 in what was a relatively disappointing season in which the Swans finished 12th and failed to make the finals for the first time in 6 years. He also polled three Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

 votes in the round 7 match against Geelong which Sydney lost by 51 points.

His mark against Hawthorn in round 2 2009, running goal directly from a centre square bounce against Richmond in 2008 and incredible snap goal against Collingwood in round 21 2009 has led to some believing he was more worthy a recipient of the Brownlow medal in 2008 or 2009 in particular than in 2003 or possibly even 2006.

In 2010, Goodes averaged about 20 disposals and 2 goals a game having been at the forefront at Sydney's revival. They finished the season in 5th position. Having started the season at CHF and providing a good target inside 50 for much of the year, Goodes was shifted into the midfield to great success. Goodes finished 6th in the Bob Skilton Medal and was named in the initial 40 man All-Australian squad but not in the final side. He was also named captain of the International Rules squad to play in Ireland in October.

After a stellar 2009 season and an occasional move to half forward, Goodes was selected last but managed to sneak into the 2009 All-Australian team on the interchange bench.

Goodes has started 2011 playing mostly in the Swans' forward line. While his ball-winning is as good as ever, his goal-kicking has been quite inconsistent so far. In a match against that season, Goodes had a chance to win the game for Sydney with his team down by 2 points, but his shot at goal drifted to the left, losing the game for Sydney by only a solitary point.

Goodes played his 300th AFL game when the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

 tackled in the second semi-final, lost by 36 points. He became the quickest player in AFL history to reach the milestone, breaking 2003 joint-Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

list Mark Ricciuto
Mark Ricciuto
Mark Anthony Ricciuto is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League...

's record by 274 days. His late-season surge in form saw him selected in the 2011 All-Australian team, in the forward pocket. It is his fourth selection in the team.

In 2011, he started 2nd favorite for the Brownlow but finished 8th overall and won the 2011 Sydney Swans Best and Fairest beating home Josh Kennedy and Rhyce Shaw who tied for second.

Media profile

Goodes has made several Television advertisement appearances. In 2006, he appeared along with Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...

 in an advertisement for Campbell's chunky soup. In 2007 he appeared, along with teammates in the Barry Hall
Barry Hall
Barry Hall is a former Australian rules footballer. Hall is considered to be one of the best forwards of the modern era, being named All-Australian, leading his club's goalkicking on nine occasions and captaining the Sydney Swans to their 2005 AFL Grand Final victory...

 Hall series of commercials for the AFL in Sydney. In 2009, he featured in the official advertisement for the AFL, receiving the ball from Chris Judd
Chris Judd
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

 while striding out in front of horses on a horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 track as well as an advertisement for Powerade
Powerade
Powerade is a sports drink manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in 1988, its primary competitor is PepsiCo's Gatorade...

.

Personal life

Goodes is of Aboriginal descent, and is active in the Sydney Indigenous community. He has spent time working with troubled Indigenous youth, including those in youth detention centres, along with his cousin and former teammate Michael O'Loughlin
Michael O'Loughlin
Michael Kevin O'Loughlin is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who played his entire Australian Football League career with the Sydney Swans....

. His mother Lisa May is also involved in community work and works in a nursing home. He and his good friend Michael O'Loughlin have just helped to start an Indigenous football academy. In September 2009 they launched the Goodes O'Loughlin Foundation (www.go-foundation.org) a foundation aimed at empowering the next generation of Indigenous role models in all walks of life across Australia. Adam and Michael co-Chair the Foundation, which focuses on Education, Employment and Healthy Lifestyles.

Goodes' brother Brett is a semi-professional footballer who has played for both the Port Adelaide Magpies
Port Adelaide Magpies
The Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...

 in the SANFL and the North Ballarat Roosters in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...

 and has represented Victoria in interleague matches. Goodes took his mother to the Brownlow Medal ceremony in 2003.

Tribunal history

Season Round Charge category (level) Victim Result Verdict Ref(s)
2007 5 Charging Simon Godfrey
Simon Godfrey
Simon Godfrey is a former Australian Rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Demons.Godfrey was recruited from Box Hill and debuted for the Demons in 2000, selected at number 14 in the draft...

 
Guilty (early plea) Reprimand and 70.31 carry-over points
2008 2 Striking Matt Thomas  Not guilty (won at tribunal)
11 Rough conduct Adam Selwood
Adam Selwood
Adam Murray Selwood is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League.-Career:...

 
Guilty (early plea) Reprimand and 93.75 carry-over points
13 Engaging in rough conduct (1) Clint Bartram
Clint Bartram
Clinton "Clint" Bartram is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. Currently playing for the Melbourne Football Club, Bartram was recruited from the Geelong Falcons after growing up in Leopold...

 
Guilty (early plea) One-match suspension

External links

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