Why Michael O’Loughlin fears racism in Australian sport will never disappear – as Swans great maintains the AFL ‘let Adam Goodes down’ following his infamous ‘ape’ slur from young fan

AFL great Michael O’Loughlin has expressed fears that racism in Australian sport will never be completely eradicated.

He is also still devastated by what former Swans teammate Adam Goodes endured from footy fans in the twilight of his decorated footy career.

It followed Goodes calling out a young Collingwood supporter for calling him a ‘monkey’.

O’Loughlin, a premiership winner with the Sydney Swans in 2005, experienced racism first-hand at the age of 10 while growing up in Adelaide.

“The junior work was tough,” O’Loughlin said Fairfax Media.

O’Loughlin is also still devastated by what former Swans teammate Adam Goodes (right) had to endure from footy ‘fans’ in the twilight of his career after calling out a racist fan

Goodes was inexplicably kicked out of the game after verbally abusing a 13-year-old girl during a Swans match against the Magpies in 2013 for using an obnoxious racial slur

‘There was always the comment about skin color and who I was. It made me angry, made me more determined. It upset me, but I would try to fight, which is not the answer.

‘My mother and grandmother took me aside and said, ‘You will have a fight every day of your life if you want to do things this way.

‘See the football. Get the football. Play well and score goals. That’s how you move forward.’

O’Loughlin moved to Sydney and was rated ahead of the 1995 season, scoring 521 goals in 303 appearances before being inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Tireless previous work by fellow Indigenous figures such as Nicky Winmar and Michael Long ensured O’Loughlin was not often racially vilified on the pitch – but he pointed to rogue supporters as the ongoing problem, especially those desperate to ‘throw in their two cents’ ‘. ‘ among players.

He was also saddened by the racist abuse that former AFL star Eddie Betts’ children were recently subjected to while playing basketball in their backyard at home.

O’Loughlin felt it was another example of a recurring problem in Australian society.

The dynamic forward also remains adamant the AFL has ‘abandoned’ his former teammate Goodes.

Goodes was kicked out of the match after verbally abusing a 13-year-old girl during a Swans match against the Magpies in 2013 for using an obnoxious racial slur.

Two years later he retired under a cloud of controversy – and in 2019 the AFL apologized for his abhorrent treatment.

“I feel sad, I feel angry, I feel frustrated,” O’Loughlin said.

‘The game failed Adam. Absolutely let him down. And we are poorer for it.

‘It’s something I often think about. You have those moments when you just shake your head.

“Aboriginal people, we are tired of fighting to prove our worth. And it’s up to our non-Indigenous friends: when they hear and see stupid things that just aren’t there, they cry out.”