Racism or other: what’s with the vitriol towards Adam Goodes?

The public sphere remains inflamed with criticism of Sydney Swans player Adam Goodes two days after he was booed during the Sydney Swans vs West Coast Eagles game in Perth on Sunday.

Two fans were ejected in Perth for racial abuse in Sunday's match between West Coast and Sydney. (AAP) Source: AAP

The conversation on social media around the crowd booing of Sydney Swans player Adam Goodes throughout a game against the West Coast Eagles in Perth on Sunday is still going strong.

Some tweets described him as having an "attitude" and others were more racially explicit.

Fellow sportsmen also voiced their opinions with former Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Griffin McMaster tweeting a view Wednesday that while soon deleted prompted outrage from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Griffin McMaster tweets his opinion about Adam Goodes (Supplied) Source: Supplied

Writer and Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander woman Nakkiah Lui responded: "Hey @griffinmcmaster I don't believe you personally told me that you're sorry".

Media personality Adam Spencer weighed into the furore: "Entirely hypothetically @griffinmcmaster precisely to where would you 'deport' an Indigenous Australian - you incalculable m****".

The noise followed media brouhaha that erupted in May after the Andyamathanha and Narungga man celebrated a goal by performing an Indigenous war dance that some deemed threatening, leading him to wonder if the criticism was spurred from racial bias.

"If we're telling our people out there that you can't represent your culture or represent where you come from, in around specifically acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, what are we saying?" Mr Goodes told national media in May.

But those who were critical of Goodes in July were saying the booing Sunday was not motivated by racism.

Others disagreed.

Channel 9 presenter David Campbell agreed on Tuesday that racial prejudice underpinned the crowd attack.

Other supporters asked what propelled dislike towards Goodes if race was not the issue.

Gamilaroi man Luke Pearson, a social justice worker and founder of rotating Twitter account Indigenous X, said that Goodes' critics were fooling themselves.

"Some people seem to think that in order for it to be classed as racially motivated they would need to hate him 'just for being Aboriginal' and that any flimsy excuse automatically removes any racial element," Mr Pearson told NITV News.

"They either don't realise the blatant double standards at play, or they don't care.

"Too many white Australians want to be able to be racist without being called racist." 

Wiradjuri woman, author and social commentator Anita Heiss believed the cricitism on social media was a reaction to Goodes' inner strength arising from a history of Indigenous disempowerment following European colonisation.

Goodes was named Australian of the Year in 2014 for his contribution to the Go Foundation, which aims to improve education of Indigenous Australian children, and his work to counter racism.

Follow Andrea on Twitter @andreasbooth