Goodes famously won two Brownlow Medals and two premierships. Comments about his Aboriginality and race relations made after he was named Australian of the Year in 2014 were the forerunners to abuse levelled at him by opposition fans – particularly in Melbourne. The booing was the result of an attitude by some fans that, as an Indigenous champion, he was welcome to play the game and win Brownlows, but he had better keep his mouth shut while he did it. Top honour: Adam Goodes accepts his Australian of the Year award in 2014. Credit:Rohan Thomspon Every person who has seen the film, including Swans great Lance "Buddy" Franklin, say it is confronting and will leave the AFL with many questions to answer.

“It was difficult to watch, but the one thing I hope it does is educate people and then we can learn from this situation,” Franklin said. On top of deep-seated racism, the AFL also has to deal with fan violence in the stands. The violence most often involves fans of rival Melbourne clubs. It is never between, say, Carlton fans and Swans fans, or Lions fans and Crows fans. It is largely a Melbourne thing. The NRL does not have such problems, particularly when it comes to Indigenous players. That is not to say these issues don't exist at all in league but they are certainly less prevalent. Maybe I’m naive, and I can only talk from my own experience, but, having attended hundreds of league matches over the years in Queensland, NSW, Melbourne and New Zealand, I have never once heard a fan talk in a derogatory fashion about a player’s race, let alone boo them or yell racist abuse. Strong support: Sydney Swans fans back Adam Goodes in 2015 amid the booing scandal. Credit:James Brickwood

It’s the opposite: fans would be disappointed if Greg Inglis didn't perform his goanna try celebration. My experience is similar to that of supercoach Wayne Bennett. He has coached at the top level in Brisbane (including the old Brisbane Rugby League), Canberra and Sydney for more than 40 years. I asked him if he had witnessed anything like the Goodes issue. “I can’t say I have,’’ he said. “Maybe the odd moment here and there with the boys, but never anything serious. Nothing like what Adam experienced. Not in our game and not on my watch with the players. They were always highly respected by their peers and by their fans ... " Rugby league has always led the way. It was the first sport in Australia to appoint an Indigenous player as its national captain: Arthur Beetson in 1973 when the Kangaroos played France.

As a kid in Queensland in the '70s and '80s, I heard no one speak about Beetson’s colour. He was simply a legend of the state; a revered hero. That he was Aboriginal was inconsequential. Perhaps it is because Queenslanders, in particular, grow up with a larger Indigenous population. Pioneer: Arthur Beetson (right) meets Prime Minister Gough Whitlam prior to a Test for Australia in 1968. Credit:Staff Again, Mal Meninga is of South Sea Islander descent. His colour was a non-issue for fans. Mal was a god. Now he is an Immortal, alongside Beetson. As Goodes should be in his game in the eyes of all. Why were people in the stands even thinking about Goodes' race – especially the Collingwood fan who called him an “ape” in 2013?

Why, days later, was it in Collingwood president Eddie McGuire’s head to crack an on-air joke suggesting Goodes be used to promote the musical King Kong? These are questions the AFL has never been able to answer. The AFL has always been behind the NRL. Consider this: It was not until 1982 that the first Indigenous player pulled on a Collingwood jumper. His name was Wally Lovett and he played only one season and 15 games. Nine years after Beetson was captain of his country, the biggest then VFL club had its first Aboriginal player. Their second Indigenous player, Robbie Ahmat, was recruited in 1995 and played 25 games.