Australian footballer confronts child who allegedly called him an 'ape' - and has her thrown out

Racism is a common enemy of our sport, week in week out players are taunted on their skin color, religion, race and what have we. over the years victimised athletes have devised means in which they can weather the abuse, most significant one in recent years is Ac Milan's Boateng walking off the pitch after being on the receiving end of this menace.

   

On Friday Adam Goodes was praised for his uncompromising reaction after a 13 year old girl shouted a racist remark to him during a game. The Sydney swans forward who is an Aboriginal australian was called an 'ape' by the girl as he ran past her and he responded by turning and pointing out the girl to security who escorted her from the Melbourne stadium.

'To come to the boundary line and hear a 13 year old girl call me an 'ape', and it's not the first time on a footy field that I've been referred to as a 'monkey' or an 'ape', it was shattering,' he told the Australian Broadcasting Cooperation.

                   

'That's what hurt me so bad...when I turned around, I just saw this young face and...it was just sad.That's why I had to leave the arena, it just broke my heart.'

Early on Saturday morning, Goodes took to his Twitter feed to announce that the girl had been in touch with him, apologising for her actions.

Speaking to ABC, Goodes explained just how damaging it was for him as an Aboriginal Australian to hear her words.

'I've had fantastic support over the past 24 hours,' Goodes said. 'I just hope that people give the 13-year-old girl the same sort of support because she needs it, her family needs it, and the people around them need it.'

'It's not a witch-hunt, I don't want people to go after this young girl. We've just got to help educate society better so it doesn't happen again.'

Adam Goode

'It's not her fault, she's 13, she's still so innocent, I don't put any blame on her,' he said.

'Unfortunately it's what she hears, in the environment she's grown up in that has made her think that it's OK to call people names. I guarantee she has no idea right now how it makes people feel to call them an ape.'

Prime Minister Julia Gillard described Goodes as 'someone we can all look up to'.


'His words and actions today displayed the highest levels of respect and fairness - qualities he carries on and off the field,' she said.Adam is a credit to his club, his code and the entire community.'

The girl, who is not being identified, told Channel 10 news she was sorry.

'I didn't mean it in a racist way and I'm sorry to the club and the AFL,' she said