They shouted that Adam Goodes was racist. They referred to Sydney players only by female pronouns – implying, of course, that being female is to be laughable and weak. And when the Hawks led by a large margin in the last quarter, they started chanting, "Sydney take it up the a---, doodah, doodah".

My experience was not unique. Friends at other points in the ground heard Goodes called a "black dog". Others were heard saying, "That girl was right about you", referring to the incident last year when Goodes pointed to the crowd after he was called an ape. Another chimed in, "I can definitely see the resemblance."

When I complained to a security guard, he told me that all fans do it and there was nothing they could do. Another person who'd complained shortly before me had been told the same thing, and was visibly distressed.

While this is not the first time I've heard comments like this at AFL games, it was certainly the worst I've experienced personally.

Inevitably, after I described the incidents on Twitter, suggestions flooded in that I was being overly sensitive. More than a few said I needed to "harden up, princess". It's all part of the fun, they said, part of the game.