Adnyamathanha/Narungga man Adam Goodes (b. 1980) is a former champion AFL footballer who played 369 games with the Sydney Swans. Recognised as one of Australia's great footballers, he is a dual Brownlow medallist, a four-time All-Australian member of the Indigenous Team of the Century, and has represented Australia in the International Rules Series. With his cousin and fellow AFL football star Michael O'Loughlin, Goodes established the GO Foundation in 2009 to provide educational opportunities and mentoring for the next Indigenous generation. Awarded Australian of the Year in 2014, he has challenged endemic racism both on and off the field. After his early retirement in 2015, following repeated on-field heckling and a lack of support from the AFL, he co-founded the Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium, which helps First Nations businesses work in long-term nation building projects.
Goodes' pride in his cultural heritage and the dignity of his stand against racism inspired Alan Jones, a self-confessed Swans supporter, to paint this dual portrait for the Archibald Prize in 2014. 'I have enormous respect for the strength and integrity he shows both on and off the field. Adam is an amazing athlete but also so much more than that: he is a son, a brother, an extremely proud Indigenous Australian … and a great role model in so many ways.'
Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2015. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Alan Jones/Copyright Agency, 2024
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