ABSTRACT
Introduction In July 2013, Australia’s Channel 7 television station screened a discussion between two topical sport stars. On one side of the sofa was Australian Football League (AFL) Sydney Swan and dual Brownlow Medallist, Adam Goodes. Next to him was Manchester United FC’s multiple title-winning defender, Rio Ferdinand. Together with a convivial discussion on career achievements, the publication of their autobiographies and the quirks of their respective codes, the players addressed the serious issue of racism in football. In this regard, the experiences of both players are highly significant. Two months before the television interview, Goodes, who is Indigenous, had been racially vilified by a 13-yearold white, female spectator during a match. Subsequently, Eddie McGuire, the president of the Collingwood club, likened him to a new Melbourne theatre production of King Kong, in an intended ‘joke’, during a popular morning radio talk show. Ferdinand’s younger brother, Anton, was the recipient of a racial slur from an opponent, John Terry, during a match in 2011. The following year, Ferdinand, in response to perceived inaction to racism by the football authorities in England, was influential in the decision by many players to refuse to wear T-shirts promoting the work of anti-racist organization, Kick It Out. Central to the discussion between Goodes and Ferdinand was the lasting effects of these episodes and the implications not only for themselves but also for their families.
