AFL: Sorry about my war cry, but chill out

Adam Goodes. Photo / Getty Images

Adam Goodes says he's sorry if his war cry dance offended Carlton AFL supporters but critics of his celebration should take a chill pill.

The 35-year-old indigenous player produced the dance after kicking a goal in the second quarter of Sydney's 60-point win over Carlton at the SCG on Friday night.

The celebration provoked mixed reaction after it was performed in front of Carlton fans, some who clearly took umbrage.

Goodes' Wikipedia page was reportedly vandalised with monkey pictures, which were later removed.

Goodes said it would have been silly to do the dance, which he learned from the under-16 Boomerangs indigenous development team, in front of the Swans faithful as it was a war cry dance.

He said his team-mates and the Carlton players loved the dance, which he had hoped to perform for the Indigenous All Stars team but hadn't been able to for a variety of reasons, and felt the indigenous round was the appropriate time to unveil it.

"The indigenous All Stars game might not even happen again, so to do that war cry [on Friday night], that might be my only opportunity," Goodes said. "I was just grateful to be able to do it and for the right people to embrace it for what it was.

"And everybody else take a chill pill, understand what I was doing. If there was Carlton supporters offended by it, I'm sorry but it's a war cry, it's a battle.

Goodes said had he kicked his first goal at the other end, he had a dance planned representing a swan, and indigenous team-mate Lewis Jetta would also have done one had he kicked a goal.

"It was all about representing our people, our passion, and dance is a big way we do that. There was nothing untowards to the Carlton supporters. It was actually something for them to stand up and go 'cool, we acknowledge you, bring it on'."

Media personality and Collingwood president Eddie McGuire will reportedly contact Goodes to clarify comments he made on Fox Footy on Friday about the dance.

"To say that I was violently against it or thought it was violent or anything else, is nonsense ... that's just a complete fabrication," McGuire said on a Melbourne radio station.

Goodes said he felt sorry for McGuire if he had been offended. He hoped indigenous players from other clubs also planning to do something over the weekend would not be put off.

"If telling our people out there that you can't represent your culture or where you come from in a round that is specifically about acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, what we are saying?" Goodes said.

- AAP