Adam Goodes has run a few clinics in his 15-year career with the Sydney Swans but none will be as memorable as the one he held on Sunday with music superstar will.i.am.
will.i.am, the front-man for the Black Eyed Peas, is currently touring Australia and was happy to head to the SCG to hang out with Goodes, Lewis Jetta, Tony Armstrong and more than 100 young Indigenous footballers.
The visit was part of will.i.am’s endeavour to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to discover more about Australia’s own football code.?
"It’s a huge honour to have Will here today not only as a football Club, but as Aboriginal people, to have Will here who wants to learn about our culture, [who] wants to see our people and interact with our people it just shows us that people from everywhere in the world want to experience our culture," Goodes said.
Earlier this year the Swans signed American basketballer Alex Starling as an international rookie, and the man who bought us party classics such as Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling and Let’s Get it Started, showed that he too could be more than capable of taking the field in the red and white.
Will.i.am showed impressive form in front of goal and successfully challenged Goodes in 30 metre sprint.
"I learned so much today. My first kick of the football actually knocked someone down but I would like to play a game one day, I’d love to give it a go. My speed and agility, I think I’d score," will.i.am said.
"This game is like a combination of a bunch of sports in the states … it’s like the ultimate game really and that’s why I want to give it a shot."
Though the Swans may not gain a new talent from will.i.am’s visit, Australian football has certainly gained a new international spruiker.
"I take pride in travelling and learning new things and then going home and telling people about things they probably aren’t [used to]," will.i.am said.
"So playing [AFL] a few times then going to London or Brazil and telling people that I collaborated and had fun with footy [is what I’ll be doing]."
