Adam Goodes, a two-time AFL Premiership winner and former Australian of the Year, has rejected the AFL's honour of being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, as NITV reports.
It was confirmed, in a statement, by the AFL.
The Sydney Swans legend was the victim of racism and booed out of the game, forcing his retirement, during the past 18 months of his career. In one instance, the Adnyamathanha and Narungga man became a target after he had a young spectator thrown out of a match in a 2013 match for yelling a racial slur at him.
"The treatment of Adam in his final years at AFL level drove him from football. The AFL and our game did not do enough to stand with him at the time, and call it out," commission chair Richard Goyder said.
"We hope that there will be a time in the future when Adam will want to be connected to the game again. This is a decision for Adam and Adam only and we understand and respect his choice."
Goyder also repeated the AFL's unreserved apology, made back in 2019, to Mr Goodes for their failures during the end of his career where he was subjected to persistent racial abuse and booing from fans and the public.
This included a remark by former Collingwood president and former host of The Footy Show, Eddie McGuire, saying Goodes should promote the musical 'King Kong', just days after the Indigenous star was called an ape by the same fan who was thrown out in 2013.
Comment has been sought from Goodes and the AFL.