This footage from Ian’s Darling’s sports documentary The Final Quarter depicts the Sydney Swans’ AFL Grand Final victory over Hawthorn in 2012. A celebratory montage spotlights champion footballer and First Nations leader Adam Goodes, an Adnyamathanha and Narungga man, who scored three second-half goals – sparking a comeback after the Swans were trailing behind by 20 points.

The underdog win is memorable for being Goodes’s 304th match for Sydney, breaking his club’s AFL games record. The pure joy of the moment is crystallised by shots of 99,683 cheering fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and a slo-mo grab of Goodes leaping into the air post-win. Intercut with this exultant moment is Goodes’ interview with Fox Footy, where he discusses the experience of being an Indigenous player in the AFL. In the context of the wider documentary, the clip cements Goodes as a sporting legend and creates a bittersweet contrast to subsequent footage.

The documentary follows the final three years of Goodes’ football career, which were marked by national debate and intense public scrutiny. The tumultuous period saw Goodes speaking out about racism in the AFL, performing an on-field war dance, and being named Australian of the Year in 2014. He was also accused of staging for free kicks, and experienced episodes where he was called racist slurs and booed by spectators.

Using only archival footage from the era, the filmmakers aimed to present the events as they happened and were reported, hoping to prompt reflection on Goodes’ treatment. Before the film premiered at the Sydney Film Festival in 2019, 18 AFL clubs issued a public apology to Goodes.