West Coast Eagles defender Lewis Jetta reveals his part in Adam Goodes's Aboriginal war dance
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-16/w ... tion=sport
The AFL Indigenous round in 2015 has become known as the scene of one of the most controversial spectacles in AFL history.
Now Lewis Jetta has spoken out about the war dance performed by fellow Aboriginal footballer and friend, Adam Goodes, which prompted a torrent of abuse and by the end of the season had brought about the retirement of one of the greats of the game.
It was the AFL Indigenous round in 2015 and, for well over a year, Goodes had been the target of serial booing from fans, after calling out a member of the crowd for a racial slur.
The Swans were preparing to play Carlton in Melbourne and in the lead-up to the game Jetta, who was playing for the Swans at the time, hatched a plan with Goodes that whoever kicked the first goal would perform an Indigenous dance.
"Goodesy kicked a goal and tried to do it straight away," Jetta recalled this week.
The dance Goodes performed was a war cry created by a group of Aboriginal teenagers from the football development and leadership program, the Flying Boomerangs.
The members of the squad are the best young Indigenous players in the country and get the chance to represent Australia.
"It was just like any other celebration," Jetta said."He [ Goodes] was just proud to show he is Indigenous and proud to show the young guys that created it on TV how proud he was. In the Indigenous camp we practised with the Flying Boomerangs. They travelled overseas doing their war cry, so we thought if we kick a goal we will do that as well. I think all the Boomerang boys would be very proud of it. It is something they created to represent Australia overseas against other countries."
