Adam Goodes’ stand against racist AFL supporters is inspirational, Adelaide’s indigenous match winner Jared Petrenko says.
Petrenko says he has copped racist abuse from fans while playing in SANFL ranks.
“I have heard other players of other cultures cop it as well,” Petrenko told reporters on Monday.
The Crows forward, saying he’d never been racially abused in the AFL, praised Goodes’ dignified stance over the weekend.
“He is a great person and a great leader to all cultures really. Everyone can look up to him,” Petrenko said.
Goodes told of his hurt at being racially abused by a 13-year-old girl during Friday night’s match against Collingwood at the MCG.
“To see someone stand up and point it out and say it’s not alright, I think that is just inspirational really,” Petrenko said.
“Racism is racism … I hate it. So people can hopefully learn from incidents like this and we can all move forward and stamp it out.”
The Goodes controversy coincided with the AFL’s indigenous round celebrations, with Petrenko being Adelaide’s sole indigenous player against North Melbourne on Sunday.
The 23-year-old kicked the match-winning goal with 16 seconds remaining as Adelaide stole a one-point win.
“I couldn’t stop shaking for close to an hour after the game,” Petrenko said.
“All the boys were like that. It was the greatest win I have been involved in. That is why you play footy, for moments like that.”
Adelaide came from 39 points down to defeat the Kangaroos and rise inside the top eight for the first time this year.
“If we lost, we could have been 12th … it’s a big difference,” Petrenko said of the seventh-placed Crows, who host fourth-placed Fremantle on Saturday.