Adam Goodes
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Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes for Sydney Swans
Personal information
Full name	Adam Goodes
Date of Birth	8 January 1980 (1980-01-08) (age 28)
Place of Birth	Walaroo, South Australia
Recruited from	Horsham, North Ballarat U18
Draft	43rd overall, 1997 Sydney Swans
Height/Weight	194cm / 97kg
Position	Ruckman/Centre/Full Forward
Club information
Current club	Sydney Swans
Number	37
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1999-	Sydney Swans	230 (275)
¹ Playing statistics to end of Round 18, 2008 season.
State team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2008	Victoria	1 (0)
International team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2001	Australia	1 (3)
Career highlights
Most Outstanding achievement in AFL 2006 (The Deadlys) Brownlow medal 2003 (equal), 2006 Premiership 2005 Bob Skilton Medal 2003, 2006 All-Australian 2003, 2006 International Rules Series series Indigenous Team of the Century AFL rising star 1999

Adam Goodes (born 8 January 1980 in Wallaroo, South Australia¹) is an Australian rules football player and dual Brownlow Medal winner who plays for the Sydney Swans.

Goodes holds an elite place in AFL/VFL history as a dual Brownlow Medallist, premiership player and member of the Indigenous Team of the Century.

Early life

Adam attended primary school at Merbein West Primary School for some years. He attended secondary school in Horsham, Victoria and represented Victoria at under 16 and under 18 levels.

He began playing with the North Ballarat Rebels in the Victorian Football League where he was scouted by the Sydney Swans.

Early career

Goodes was drafted by the Sydney Swans into the Australian Football League as the No. 43 pick in the 1997 AFL Draft, 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.

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 resigned mid-season, and under interim (now permanent) coach Paul Roos, Goodes found himself playing more in the ruck. In the second half of that season, his form improved drastically, resulting in some of the best football of his career. But after injuring his knee twice in the ruck, Goodes moved to play on the wing to go 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 was to become 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 in the qualifying final.

At the end of the season, Goodes won the club's best and fairest award (the Bob Skilton Medal) and All-Australian selection for the first time. However, his greatest achievement was winning the league's highest honour, the Brownlow Medal, along with Collingwood's Nathan Buckley and Adelaide's Mark Ricciuto. This was the first time in history that the award was shared between three players. Adam Goodes attributes his great success to his long time mentor John Winter who has had a great effect on him.

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 didn't 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. Many expected Goodes to have suffered the dreaded posterior or anterior knee ligament damage, but he battled on. After this injury coach Roos announced that Goodes' rucking 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 stellar form in 2005, as did his team-mates, who won Sydney's first premiership since they won as South Melbourne in 1933. Goodes was used all around the ground, but mainly in the midfield. His great year was highlighted with a near match-winning 33 disposals in round 18 against Adelaide. Goodes caused headaches for many a coach, mainly due to his amazing mobility and skill for a man for his size. Goodes kicked a goal in the 2005 Grand Final, which was another great game for him.

2006 - 2nd Brownlow Medal

In Round 7 2006 Goodes played his 150th consecutive match, an amazing effort for the injuries he endured in his 2004 year. He has now played 191 consecutive matches². 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 became 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 club³. Goodes said of his performance, "I'd like to think with another couple of years in the midfield I could improve again."⁴. 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. Goodes turned on the style in the second half with his team coming agonisingly close (losing by one point). A pivotal moment came in the game at the 28 minute mark where Goodes chose to kick early into the 50-metre arc, a decision which may haunt him. If Goodes had run at least another 30 metres (which was possible) then he would have had an opportunity to score and tie the game or perhaps have put the Swans in front. It is unclear why Goodes did not run the extra few metres to consolidate the chance. Nevertheless Goodes had an outstanding season in 2006. Goodes is a revered player on and off the field with his friendly and approachful personality making him popular among fans. He is known as one of the greatest Indegenious AFL player of all time and at his best is nearly unstoppable. He's playing style is as a running midfielder and occasional ruckman who can have a large impact up forward as well as he kicked a career best 8 goals against Fremantle earlier this year and so is an extremely versatile and durable player as he played 204 of his 230 career games in a row. His trademark is his run and carry along with selling dumbies and is remarkably quick for someone so tall. His athleticism along with his run and pace makes him one of the most watchable players and kicks some great goals as well because of this.

Controversies

In 2007, Goodes was booked on video evidence for striking Melbourne's Simon Godfrey, but his striking charge was downgraded to a charge, and only escaped with a reprimand, thus making him ineligible for the Brownlow Medal that year.

In round two, 2008, Goodes was charged for striking Port Adelaide's Matt Thomas but was found not guilty of the charge; this is put down to the surfacing of the SCG which had hosted a cricket match earlier that month.

In round 11, 2008, Goodes was booked for high contact to the head of West Coast's Adam Selwood but only escaped with a reprimand. Therefore, for the second year running, Goodes was ineligible for the Brownlow Medal.

During the 2008 home and away season, Goodes was one of a select few AFL players subject to violent death threats from an unknown individual^{citation needed}. Others players included Carlton's Nick Stevens.

Goodes was finally suspended in round 13 for a head-front bump on Melbourne's Clint Bartram.

Outside interests

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 teammate Michael O'Loughlin. 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.

Goodes took his mother to the Brownlow Medal count in 2003.

References/Notes

1. ^ Footystats diary: Stab Kicks
2. ^ As at the end of the 2007 season
3. ^ Michael Cowley (2006-09-26). "It's all Goodes: Swan takes the Brownlow", Sydney Morning Herald. 
4. ^ Mark Robinson (2006-09-26). "Second Brownlow all Goodes", Fox Sports (Australia). 

External links

• Adam Goodes profile on the Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club
• Adam Goodes's statistics from AFL Tables