Indigenous AFL players considered threatening to walk off in the face of racism after watching The Final Quarter documentary about Adam Goodes earlier this year.
Two-time Brownlow medallist and Sydney Swans icon Goodes took a stand against racist crowds in 2013 and was effectively booed into retirement two years later.
Ian Darling documented the dark chapter of AFL history and made the film with Goodes’ blessing after watching him get relentlessly booed in the 2014 grand final.
There are more than 70 indigenous players in the AFL and after viewing a screening of the film together in Adelaide in February they immediately started brainstorming what to do if history repeats.
“There was a sense of everyone having let down Adam and wanting to make sure they never let down one of their brothers again,” Darling told AAP.
“It wasn’t the indigenous players’ fault in the slightest but there they were taking a sense of responsibility.
“Conversations were being had – Do we sit down (on the field)? Do we get the players of both sides going up to the sections that are booing and saying ‘We will walk off the field if you do it’.”
Darling praised the AFL’s support of the film which was seen by every club before it was publicly broadcast in July.
Goodes was named Australian of the Year in 2014 but Darling said this saga could “absolutely” happen again.
However, he believes the “glacial change” to making Australia a more tolerant society has begun.
“Already you can see the conversation in social media, it’s a very different conversation and the trolls and those being so negative have almost been, not shouted down, but factually controlled down,” Darling said.
“I think there will be some direct action from the AFL but as much as anything, in the stands you’ll get an instant response from people having the courage to tell someone to stop booing.
“Or if someone is booing themselves they’ll recognise it.”