Adam Goodes

Adam Goodes is a retired player most recently playing for Sydney.

Adam Goodes (born 8 January 1980 in Wallaroo, South Australia) is a professional Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). Goodes holds an elite place in AFL/VFL history as a dual Brownlow Medallist, dual premiership player, four-time All-Australian and member of the Indigenous Team of the Century and has represented Australia in the International Rules Series.

Adam is well known for his Indigenous Australian heritage, and is prominently involved and associated with several Indigenous sport and community programs.

He was born in Wallaroo, to Lisa May (a Narungga child with Adnyamathanha ancestry) and Graham Goodes, with siblings Jake and Brett. His parents were separated when he was four and his father moved to Queensland while Goodes moved between Wallaroo and Adelaide (in South Australia) and Merbein (in Victoria) with his mother. While at Merbein, Adam attended primary school at Merbein West Primary School in 1986, and it was there that he began to play Australian Rules football. Goodes moved with his family to Horsham, Victoria where he played football at high school and represented Victoria at under 16 and under 18 levels. He began playing with the North Ballarat Rebels as a 16 year old in the Victorian Football League and played in a winning premiership side where he was scouted by the Sydney Swans.

Goodes was drafted by Sydney into the Australian Football League as the No. 43 pick in the 1997 AFL Draft, Sydney's third round draft pick. Goodes spent the 1998 season in the reserves competition, but broke into the first team the following year, and went on to win the league's Rising Star Award.

During 2000 and 2001, Goodes played in a variety of positions, developing his game but lacking consistency at times. He played every game during this period. In early 2002, however, his form had slumped and it had been suggested that he may be dropped. However, coach Rodney Eade resigned mid-season, and under interim (later permanent) coach Paul Roos, Goodes found himself playing more in the ruck. In the second half of that season, his form improved dramatically, resulting in some of the best football of his career. After injuring his knee twice in the ruck, Goodes moved to play on the wing, and went on to win two Brownlow Medals.