Adam Goodes: AFL wasn't 'quick enough to act' on booing, says Tanya Hosch

Ben Madden

Adam Goodes: AFL wasn't 'quick enough to act' on booing, says Tanya Hosch image

AFL General Manager of Inclusion and Social Policy, Tanya Hosch, believes that the football industry didn't handle the treatment of Adam Goodes as well as they could have.

Hosch began at the AFL in 2016, so wasn't involved in the Goodes booing situation, but was involved in writing the AFL's apology, responding to The Final Quarter documentary.



The documentary, made by award-winning filmmaker Ian Darling, focuses on Adam Goodes' last three years in the AFL, and the controversy that divided the public.

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Speaking on SEN, Hosch said that the documentary has helped the AFL reflect on how they handled the controversial situation. 

“I think it's clear that what happened during Adam's last three years of playing, I don’t think this industry covered itself in glory,” Hosch said.

“I don’t think the industry was quick enough to act.

“I recognise all the challenges and I recall the debates at the time because I was working with Adam through the Recognise campaign so I was following what was going on, but certainly it remains unfinished business.

“I think that what this documentary has done has actually given us an opportunity to reflect and I think that was really important for us to do."

Hosch also highlighted the importance of the AFL joining with the 18 clubs on the statement.

"The most important thing is that we had 18 clubs and the AFL coming together on some really substantial words, much more substantial apology than what Gil (McLachlan) was able to offer in the annual report on his own after Adam retired from the game.

"I don't think this is the end, I think this is the first step in a broader conversation that we need to continue to have, in terms of 'what would we do if it happened again, what have we learnt from this, and what are we going to do together to put things in place to try and make sure something like this never happens again'.

The Final Quarter documentary will air on Channel 10 later this year.

Ben Madden