Since the 2013 incident where Adam Goodes had a 13-year-old football supporter reported for racial vilification he has been labelled a bully by some.
His war cry in May 2015 against Carlton had him targeted as an instigator and provocateur.
Goodes has broken many hearts on the footy field. He ripped mine out in 2005 and every time he helped the Swans beat the Eagles, but I never felt the need to boo him.
Usually there is a reason for booing, a legitimised reason because of the history between the player and the supporters that goes something along the lines of "He left our club" or "He hurt our player". The reasons rarely get deeper than that.
It's highly unlikely that Goodes has slighted every club whose supporters are booing him.
If you are not racist, you generally never need to declare it out loud. Yet many opnions are qualified with this exact phrase.
Not every Aboriginal AFL player has had leadership thrust upon them and has used it to highlight systemic racism and so publicly stood up to it
I'd like to respond to a few repeated comments made to legitimise the booing. A symptom of racism is cowardice and many on social media have clung to these very thin excuses to legitimise their racist beliefs.
"It's not about race", they say. "If it was, why doesn't every Aboriginal player get booed?"
Because not every Aboriginal AFL player has had leadership thrust upon them and has used it to highlight systemic racism and so publicly stood up to it.
He's dirty and plays for free kicks .
Goodes has been reported five times, three of those back in 2008 (remember all the booing that year?) and has been suspended for a total two matches over his 365-game, 16-year career. There are far worse offenders and villains on the field.
"He's a bully for what he did to that 13 year old girl", is another criticism we're hearing towards Goodes.
Reporting the girl for racial abuse with no idea what age she was, then accepting her apology and calling for the community and AFL to support and council her does not qualify as bullying.
Routinely booing from a distance and not admitting why you are doing it, to the point where one of the greatest could retire, now that's bullying.
There are now calls for a show of solidarity from from across all codes and beyond the sporting arena to support Goodesy.
This weekend the Swans play the Adelaide Crows in Sydney. We wait to see how those on and off the field respond.
NITV News WA correspondent Craig Quartermaine is a rusted-on supporter of the West Coast Eagles.
