MELBOURNE will look at doing something to support Adam Goodes, according to coach Paul Roos.
Speaking at AAMI Park on Thursday, Roos said the Demons would discuss how they go about getting behind the two-time Sydney Swans premiership player and dual Brownlow Medal winner, who was again booed last weekend.
Goodes has since taken time away from the game, but clubs have since said they will show their support in various ways towards the 365-game champion.
“The players had a really good chat [about it]. I was in contact with Mark Brayshaw from the [AFL] coaches association yesterday (Wednesday), so I’m not 100 per cent sure what it’ll be,” Roos said.
“I know the industry as a whole – players, coaches and administrators and the AFL – have been 100 per cent supportive, so I think that’s a very good outcome for Adam.
“One of things that I spoke about with Mick [O’Loughlin] is that I hope Adam understands that there is an enormous amount of support out there and hopefully this is just a minority of people, who have some rather unusual views.”
“Regardless of what clubs do … from Adam’s point of view, the industry is 100 per cent supportive and I think that’s the most important thing to come out of this week.”
Roos said he hadn’t spoken to Goodes since the booing happened against the West Coast Eagles at Domain Stadium last Sunday, but had left a message for the 35-year-old.
“[I haven’t spoken to him], not directly. I rang and left a message the other day and I spoke to Mickey O’Loughlin last night, just to make sure he was going OK,” he said.
“He’s doing it tough – and I don’t want to put words in his mouth – because I haven’t spoken to him directly, but I think there is enough noise coming out of Sydney.
“I text Andrew Pridham, Andrew Ireland and John Longmire the other night, just to get a feel [on how Adam is going] and to congratulate them on how they were handling the situation.
“Those that know him are just trying to wrap their arms around him and support him because we all know what sort of character he is and what sort of person he is, despite all the garbage that’s been written about him in the media.”
Roos said he wasn’t surprised that the situation had impacted Goodes.
“Not now I’ve read some of the editorials about it,” he said.
“That’s probably the most surprising thing and that gives me a greater sense of why Adam would be feeling the way he is. Because clearly, in Australia at the moment, we haven’t overcome some of the issues that we thought we’d overcome.
“That’s probably from some of our highest profile people, which is quite sad.”
Roos said it was the fans that were booing Goodes – not the players, coaches or administrators.
“I suspect the majority of fans who are calling in [talk back radio] are the ones that are actually booing him, so it’s not surprising at all,” he said.
“There is enough noise to suggest now and it’s a very complex issue, because to say that we’re booing him because he stages for free kicks and he whinges – well, he’s been playing for 17 years. So he’s only just started staging for free kicks or only just started whingeing?
“What happens, when people look internally at themselves, they start lashing out at other people. It’s easier to ring up talk back [radio] and justify why you’re doing it, rather than sitting there going ‘gee, maybe this is a bit more of an issue than I thought it was, because he has been playing for 17 years and I actually didn’t boo him for the first 15 years. I only just started booing him after the MCG incident and after he started being Australian of the Year’. So that doesn’t wash with me that theory.
“I understand that there would be some people that jumped on the bandwagon … it’s quite complex, but you would like to think now it’s been fairly and squarely put on the [table]. I think if you boo this week, it’s pretty obvious what your thoughts are.”