Football personality Sam Newman has attempted to clarify his position on Adam Goodes after viewing The Final Quarter documentary.
Newman is a central figure in the documentary, with a rant delivered on The Footy Show at the time featuring heavily in Ian Darling's film.
''If you're going to provoke people by the gesture of spear-throwing at a crowd, you better not be surprised if you get what you wish for and that's a reaction," Newman said in 2015.
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''It is on you as an Australian of the Year to unite and placate people, not to divide and be a provocateur."
Newman has come under fire since the release of the film and revealed on Twitter on Tuesday that he has watched it and clarified his position on the issue.
"Viewed The Final Quarter. It’s an expose on Adam Goodes as a sportsman and his stance against racism. Goodes has my wholehearted support in this endeavor (sic)," Newman wrote.
"That wasn’t my issue. I was critiquing the line between his playing style and booing."
Viewed The Final Quarter. It’s an expose on Adam Goodes as a sportsman and his stance against racism. Goodes has my wholehearted support in this endeavor. That wasn’t my issue. I was critiquing the line between his playing style and booing. @theFinalqtr
— Sam Newman (@Origsmartassam) June 18, 2019
It's a slight softening of his immediate take following the release of the film, in which he had a swipe on social media at the filmmakers.
"Criticizing someone from another race - doesn’t make you a racist. The groveling doco by Sharkshit Productions ‘The Final Quarter’, should be ‘The Last Straw’, Newman wrote.
"Adam Goodes initially was booed for taunting Carlton fans. Racist? So be it. #racism #fakenews"
Criticizing someone from another race - doesn’t make you a racist. The groveling doco by Sharkshit Productions ‘The Final Quarter’, should be ‘The Last Straw’. Adam Goodes initially was booed for taunting Carlton fans. Racist? So be it. #racism #fakenews
— Sam Newman (@Origsmartassam) June 9, 2019
The filmmaker also revealed that Newman had given him an angry phone call following the backlash to his role in it.
"Sam called up. He wanted to know why he was in the film. I made it very clear we wanted to simply show the conversation that happened during that period," Darling told Channel Nine's Sports Sunday.
"It was really important that everyone who had a voice was represented and people added to the conversation in so many different ways and Sam played an important role in that conversation."
