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For the American politician, see Adam Goode.
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Adam Goodes
Recognise Campaign Adam Goodes Presser.jpg
Goodes at a Recognise campaign press conference, 2014
Personal information
Full name Adam Roy Goodes
Date of birth (1980-01-08) 8 January 1980 (age 46)
Place of birth Wallaroo, South Australia, Australia
Original team North Ballarat Rebels
Draft No. 43, 1997 National Draft
Position(s) Utility
Career highlights

Adam Roy Goodes (born 8 January 1980) is a famous former professional Australian rules footballer. He played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Adam Goodes is well-known for his important community work. He also spoke out against racism. Because of his efforts, he was named the Australian of the Year in 2014.

Adam Goodes' Early Life

Adam Goodes was born on January 8, 1980, in Wallaroo, South Australia. His parents are Lisa May and Graham Goodes. He has two brothers, Jake and Brett.

When Adam was four, his parents separated. His father moved to Mackay, Queensland. Adam lived with his mother in different places. These included Wallaroo, Adelaide, and Merbein.

Adam started primary school in Merbein West in 1986. This is where he began playing Australian rules football. Later, his family moved to Horsham, Victoria. He continued playing football in high school. He even played at the under-16 and under-18 levels.

At 16, he joined the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup. Adam helped the Rebels win a championship. This is when the Sydney Swans noticed his talent.

Adam's younger brother, Brett, also played AFL. Brett played 22 games for the Western Bulldogs.

Adam Goodes' AFL Career Highlights

Adam Goodes was chosen by the Sydney Swans in the 1997 AFL Draft. He spent a year in the reserves team. In 1999, he joined the main team. He quickly won the league's Rising Star Award. This award is for the best young player.

In 2000 and 2001, Adam played in many different positions. He was still improving his game. By 2003, he had his best season yet. He helped the Swans play much better. They even reached the preliminary final. His strong play helped the Swans beat Port Adelaide.

At the end of 2003, Adam won the Swans' best player award. This award is called the Bob Skilton Medal. He was also chosen for the All-Australian team. But his biggest win was the Brownlow Medal. This is the highest individual award in the league. He shared the award with two other players. This was only the second time three players had shared the medal.

In 2005, Adam played a great game in the 2005 AFL Grand Final. He kicked a goal and helped his team a lot. The Swans won their first championship since 1933! Adam also became a life member of the Swans. This happened after he played his 150th game.

Adam Goodes
Goodes playing for Sydney in 2006

In 2006, Adam had another amazing year. He won his second Brownlow Medal. He was very proud of his performance.

Adam played his 250th game in 2009 against Geelong. Many people thought he was one of the best players that season. He scored 38 goals and had many disposals.

Adam played his 300th AFL game in 2011. This was against Hawthorn in a semi-final. He became one of the fastest players to reach this milestone. He was also chosen for the 2011 All-Australian team. This was his fourth time being selected.

In 2011, Adam won the Sydney Swans' Best and Fairest award again. He broke the Sydney games record in 2012. He played his 304th AFL game. He then played in his second championship win. The Swans beat Hawthorn in the 2012 AFL Grand Final.

Adam Goodes' Retirement

Adam Goodes 2012
Goodes during a lap of honour after winning the 2012 AFL Grand Final

Adam Goodes announced he was retiring in September 2015. This was after the Swans lost a semi-final game. He officially retired from the AFL.

Adam Goodes' Community Work

Adam Goodes is of Aboriginal descent. He is very active in the Indigenous community in Sydney. He has worked with Indigenous youth. This includes young people in detention centers. He did this with his cousin and former teammate, Michael O'Loughlin.

Adam and Michael also helped start an Indigenous football academy. In 2009, they launched the Goodes O'Loughlin Foundation. This foundation helps Indigenous role models in Australia. It focuses on education, jobs, and healthy living.

In 2017, Adam received a special award. The University of Sydney gave him an honorary doctorate. This was for his important contributions to Australian society.

In 2023, Adam Goodes signed an open letter. He supported the 'Yes' vote in the Indigenous Voice referendum.

Adam Goodes' Personal Life

Adam Goodes married Natalie Croker in 2016. They have two children. Their first child, Adelaide, was born in 2018. Their second child was born in 2021.

Interesting Facts About Adam Goodes

  • Adam's father has English, Irish, and Scottish family roots. His mother is an Aboriginal Australian. She is from the Adnyamathanha and Narungga peoples.
  • When he was a boy, Adam preferred soccer.
  • He started playing Australian rules football at school. This was because there was no soccer club to join.
  • Adam is one of only 12 players to win two or more Brownlow Medals. He is the first Aboriginal Australian to win two. He is also the first player to win two with a non-Victorian club.
  • Adam chose not to be included in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
  • He supported the 2020 Indigenous Football Week. This event helps young Indigenous soccer players.
  • A painting of Adam Goodes won the 2020 Archibald Prize. This famous art prize had never been won by an Indigenous artist before.

Adam Goodes Quotes

  • "Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to trust yourself."
  • "It's not about where you come from, it's about where you're going."
  • "You can't let success go to your head or failure go to your heart."
  • "Don't let the noise of other people's opinions drown out your own inner voice."

Statistics

Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles  H/O  Hit-outs
Led the league after finals only
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T H/O G B K H D M T H/O
1999 Sydney 37 20 19 12 190 66 256 90 16 186 1.0 0.6 9.5 3.3 12.8 4.5 0.8 9.3
2000 Sydney 37 22 40 22 228 67 295 98 28 115 1.8 1.0 10.4 3.0 13.4 4.5 1.3 5.2
2001 Sydney 37 23 34 17 260 69 329 120 26 96 1.5 0.7 11.3 3.0 14.3 5.2 1.1 4.2
2002 Sydney 37 22 21 17 268 82 350 111 68 125 1.0 0.8 12.2 3.7 15.9 5.0 3.1 5.7
2003 Sydney 37 24 20 13 304 127 431 142 52 299 0.8 0.5 12.7 5.3 18.0 5.9 2.2 12.5
2004 Sydney 37 24 9 10 205 131 336 116 31 103 0.4 0.4 8.5 5.5 14.0 4.8 1.3 4.3
2005 Sydney 37 26 23 14 319 130 449 145 60 116 0.9 0.5 12.3 5.0 17.3 5.6 2.3 4.5
2006 Sydney 37 25 25 13 381 140 521 170 84 5 1.0 0.5 15.2 5.6 20.8 6.8 3.4 2.05
2007 Sydney 37 23 9 9 298 166 464 134 77 31 0.4 0.4 13.0 7.2 20.2 5.8 3.3 1.3
2008 Sydney 37 21 29 14 229 130 359 95 63 22 1.4 0.7 10.9 6.2 17.1 4.5 3.0 1.0
2009 Sydney 37 22 38 17 294 175 469 134 72 23 1.7 0.8 13.4 8.0 21.3 6.1 3.3 1.0
2010 Sydney 37 24 44 41 322 159 481 177 58 6 1.8 1.7 13.4 6.6 20.0 7.4 2.4 0.3
2011 Sydney 37 24 41 32 320 191 511 144 87 17 1.7 1.3 13.3 8.0 21.3 6.0 3.6 0.7
2012 Sydney 37 19 37 19 217 115 332 103 56 4 1.9 1.0 11.4 6.1 17.5 5.4 2.9 0.2
2013 Sydney 37 12 20 9 133 81 214 60 25 1 1.7 0.8 11.1 6.8 17.8 5.0 2.1 0.1
2014 Sydney 37 20 30 12 175 91 266 81 32 1 1.5 0.6 8.8 4.6 13.3 4.0 1.6 0.0
2015 Sydney 37 21 25 13 208 119 327 118 48 1 1.2 0.6 9.9 5.7 15.6 5.6 2.3 0.0
Career 372 464 284 4,351 2,039 6,390 2,038 883 1,197 1.3 0.8 11.7 5.5 17.2 5.5 2.4 3.2

Honours and achievements

Football

Brownlow Medal votes
Season Votes
1999 —
2000 —
2001 5
2002 2
2003 22
2004 4
2005 7
2006 26
2007 20
2008 21
2009 17
2010 13
2011 19
2012 2
2013 4
2014 —
2015 1
Total 163
Key:
Green / Bold = Won

Team

  • AFL Premiership (Sydney): 2005, 2012
  • McClelland Trophy (Sydney): 2014

Individual

  • Brownlow Medal: 2003 (tied with Nathan Buckley and Mark Ricciuto), 2006
  • Bob Skilton Medal: 2003, 2006, 2011
  • All-Australian: 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011
  • AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award: 2006
  • Herald Sun Player of the Year Award: 2006
  • Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year Award: 2006
  • Australian Representative Honours in International Rules Football: 2001, 2010 (C)
  • Indigenous All-Stars Representative Honours: 2003
  • Sydney Swans Captain: 2009–2012
  • Sydney Swans Leading Club Goalkicker Award: 2009–2011
  • AFL Rising Star Award: 1999
  • AFL Rising Star Nominee: 1999 (Round 2)
  • Indigenous Team of the Century (centre half-back)

Other awards and recognition

See also

  • List of VFL/AFL players to have played 300 games
  • List of VFL/AFL records
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