Adam Goodes rejects AFL Hall of Fame honour after unanimous nomination

Former Sydney Swans premiership star Adam Goodes has reportedly rejected an offer to be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

The Herald Sun reported on Tuesday morning Goodes, now eligible for induction after being retired for five years, was unanimously nominated for induction by the hall of fame committee, but the 41-year-old has told the league he won’t be accepting it.

The three-time Swans best and fairest winner hung up his boots in 2015 after being subjected to racial abuse and vitriol in a nightmarish final stretch of a career that included two premierships, two Brownlow medals and four All Australian selections.

Stream selected Fox Footy shows on Kayo Freebies completely free this June including AFL 360, On The Couch, Bounce & more. No Credit Card. No-brainer. Register Free Now >

LISTEN TO THE LATEST EDITION OF THE FOX FOOTY PODCAST BELOW, OR TAP TO SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES OR SPOTIFY

Speaking on SEN Breakfast, Hall of Fame member and Essendon great Tim Watson said Goodes’ decision had taken him aback.

“I was surprised that he’d rejected it … he’s been retired for five years, I thought in that five years there might have been that repatriation that had taken place,” he explained.

“The damage that occurred at that time, I thought it might have eased on him mentally and he might have been able to repair some of those bridges between himself and the game and feel differently about his time and then just appreciated all the great things about the game that were delivered to him, that he earned for himself.

“We always say time is a great healer, I just thought that the time may have healed all those differences. Clearly, it hasn’t.

“It’s his right, it’s his entitlement not to accept an induction if that’s the way that he feels. I’m saddened by all that though. I’m sad that it cut him so deeply that five years on, he still feels like he doesn’t have a place in AFL football.”

Co-host, Melbourne great Garry Lyon, said only Goodes would be able to explain his fractured relationship with the game.

“You can only understand if you were able to speak to Adam personally … I’m really disappointed, not in him but for him that in his mindset he still doesn’t feel like he can receive the adulation that he deserves as a footballer,” he said.

Watson said Goodes’ rejection of the nomination wouldn’t take away from the stellar achievements he made over the course of his glittering 372-game career.

“He’s been one of the greats of the game and he always will be one of the greats as a game,” he said.

“It would be great if he accepted the induction into the AFL Hall of Fame because that’s where he belongs.”