ADAM Goodes is out of Saturday’s critical clash with the Adelaide Crows at the SCG but Swans chairman Andrew Pridham says he won’t be booed out of the game.

“I doubt it very strongly that Adam has played his last game,” Pridham told the Daily Telegraph.

“I wouldn’t think he’s the sort of person who would go out that way. He’s not in a great place and is very up and down about the whole thing.

“If he did (retire) it would be an absolute tragedy and a disgrace. If it does happen people will look back in this moment in 50 years time and view it as a stain on the game and the nation that it could even get to this.”

JOHNATHAN Thurston will perform a traditional Aboriginal war dance this weekend as NRL superstars rally to support embattled Sydney Swan Adam Goodes.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal some of league’s top indigenous athletes, including Thurston and South Sydney skipper Greg Inglis, are planning indigenous dances as the controversy surrounding Goodes splits a nation.

And supporting the move is rugby league’s top Aboriginal official, ARL Indigenous Council chair Linda Burney.

Speaking on Wednesday, Burney labelled the Goodes booing furore “bloody ugly” and urged NRL players of all colours to “shake a leg” in support of the 2014 Australian of the Year.

“It think it’s a great initiative and I am happy to support it,’’ the reigning Dally M medallist told The Daily Telegraph.

“I’ll show my respect for Adam, indigenous athletes and all the indigenous people with a little move on the weekend if I’m lucky enough to score.’’

Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner has condemned the booing of Sydney champion Adam Goodes, describing the "vilification" of the AFL great as "despicable behaviour" which aimed to silence an anti-racism advocate.

In his strongest statement yet on the issue, Dr Tim Soutphommasane​ said Goodes was being treated like a "pantomime villain" by AFL fans and it was hurting not only the code but damaging the country as it allowed people to believe they can "hound someone who speaks out about racism into silence".

He said the negative treatment of Goodes was racially motivated and due entirely to his strong stance against racism and his support of Indigenous causes.

His comments came as the Swans announced Goodes would not be lining up for the club in their clash against Adelaide on Saturday at the SCG. No time frame has been placed on Goodes' return to the field.

In a speech titled "Combating Racism, Reclaiming Patriotism" delivered at the Australian National University in Canberra on Wednesday night, Dr Soutphommasane said the booing of Goodes had gone too far.

"The vilification has got to stop. Because it is doing damage – not just to the game of AFL but also to our society," Dr Soutphommasane said.

AFL players will urge fans to "call out" racist behaviour at the football as Sydney confirmed Adam Goodes would not play against Adelaide this weekend.

The players have also resolved that anyone who continues to boo the dual Brownlow medallist should be branded racist. 

The position follows a two-hour meeting with some of the game's most influential footballers on Tuesday night, the first 30 minutes of which was devoted to Goodes who has taken temporary leave from the game.

The players are poised to unite in a social media stand and take other avenues supporting Goodes. While some on-field gestures or actions remain on the table, the players have ruled out more drastic game day protests – such as a collective sit down or walk off – in games in which Goodes is booed.

Adam Goodes is taking indefinite leave from Sydney as the extent of the emotional toll from the escalating booing controversy has taken on the player came to light on Wednesday with his withdrawal from Saturday's clash with Adelaide.

The Swans have taken the extraordinary step of giving Goodes extended leave, so concerned are they for the dual Brownlow Medallist, who has been at the centre of a race storm for more than two years.

No time frame has been placed on when Goodes will return to the club, raising further speculation as to whether the Swans' games record holder may have played his last match.

Adam Goodes is not only being racially vilified by spectator jeering, the dual Brownlow medallist is a victim of bullying, according to a workplace lawyer.

Andrew Farr, partner and workplace relations lawyer with Lander & Rogers, told Fairfax it would be difficult for any athlete to prosecute a legal case, but the example of Goodes was a glaring and serious workplace health and safety matter.

"Clearly there is a significant racism issue in the behaviour of the supporters here, but the behaviour of supporters in that pack-mentality approach is also serious bullying of Adam Goodes," Farr said.

"This is bullying in the common way that we understand bullying in a workplace. It's unreasonable, it's designed to intimidate him and to harass him. It's designed to belittle him.

"This is a hostile environment in which Adam has to play sport and that's creating a clear workplace health and safety issue for Adam."

He urged the AFL and the AFL Players Association to recognise that the jeering was also an issue of bullying..

The "orchestrated and contagious" vilification of Adam Goodes and excuses being made to justify it demonstrate a collective emotional void and ingrained racism, according to one of Australia's foremost experts on sport, culture and society.

David Rowe, of the University of Western Sydney, claims the Goodes shame shows we are stuck with the attitudes of 1993 when, after Nicky Winmar reacted to racist abuse, former Collingwood president Allan McAlister said he had no problem with Aboriginal people "as long as they conduct themselves like white people".

"If you consider the history of this country, what has happened to Indigenous people and the continuing massive problems that exist, to suggest that you can be completely oblivious to the collective feelings of the Indigenous population is truly remarkable," Rowe said.

"It shows to me a real lack of sympathy or empathy. It shows real anger towards Goodes because he won't just take it. He won't be a nice quiet Aboriginal boy who's grateful to be a footballer."

RICHMOND will wear its Dreamtime footy jumper on Friday night against Hawthorn in support of Adam Goodes, who has taken the drastic step of taking leave from the game.

The Sydney Swans on Wednesday announced their dual Brownlow medallist would not play against Adelaide this weekend and would return to the club “whenever he is ready’’.

The Swans are unsure if Goodes will play again. A source close to Goodes told the Herald Sun last night: “He really isn’t in a good headspace.’’

As the national storm surrounding the booing of Goodes deepened, it’s been revealed the champion’s concerns focus on his family and the impact the furore is having on his club.

Swans boss Andrew Ireland said the furore had taken its toll on Goodes.

“We are working with Adam and those close to him and supporting him through what is a really difficult time,” he said.

“Adam is sick and tired of this behaviour ... it has been happening for too long and it has taken its toll. We will give Adam all the time he needs (and) we will keep supporting him, and he will return to the club whenever he is ready,’’ said Ireland.

BEFORE putting your email address and Twitter handle beside a column you must accept you are inviting strong disagreement and trenchant criticism as well as affirmation.

But the response to Tuesday’s column which debunked the alibis used by those mindlessly booing Adam Goodes was particularly deflating.

Not because those booing Goodes do not have a right to disagree. Because in most cases clumsy attempts to defend the vilification of Goodes on one of the fashionable grounds — he’s a “dirty’’ player, he’s “divisive’’, “everyone gets booed’’ – betrayed far darker motives. There was, from many, a startling ignorance about what constitutes racism — perhaps understandable given the man ejected from a game in Perth for telling Goodes to “Get back to the zoo’’ believed this was just banter.

“Now let’s clarify,’’ wrote one correspondent. “(A girl) called him an ape. Not black, white or yellow. Just ape.’’ Yes, JUST ape. Then there were those who insisted Goodes failed in his role as Australian of the Year which was, presumably, to make us feel warm and cosy and not to confront us with harsher truths.

A torrent of ill-informed drivel becomes hard to read. Or in the case of Alan Jones blaming Goodes for “playing victim’’, hard to listen to. No wonder Goodes has taken time away from training to cope with the sickening backlash.

I suspect he will return. It should be unthinkable that a good person could be run out of the game this way. Even more so that some would blame Goodes for his exile.

Swans chief executive Andrew Ireland has ruled out Adam Goodes prematurely retiring from the game but admitted yesterday he was unsure when the Sydney veteran would return to football as he battles with the emotional stress associated with his repeated booing.

The dual-Brownlow medallist has been granted indefinite leave and will miss Saturday’s match against Adelaide at the SCG amid concern the widely condemned crowd behaviour would drive the great from the game.

However, Ireland, while unsure when the former Swans co-captain would return, said the 35-year-old would not be retiring.

“We haven’t set a time. He just needs space and he is with friends and others close to him,” Ireland said.

“We’ll see how he feels after the weekend, monitor it and respond once we know. The team is disappointed he’s not there on Saturday (and) they’re disappointed in the circumstances as he’s a favourite player within the group.

“The reality is that Adam has always just wanted to play footy.”

Indigenous football star Adam Goodes will not play this weekend, amid an inflamed debate on whether crowd booing directed at the two-time Brownlow ­medal­list is purely motivated by racism.

The Sydney Swans player’s decision to take an unspecified length of leave came as accus­ations flew that Goodes was “playing the victim” and the coach of powerhouse club Geelong warned his supporters they would be seen as bigots if they booed Goodes at his next scheduled match.

Goodes’s decision to sit out Saturday’s clash against Adelaide in Sydney means the furore is set to continue amid speculation about whether the player could retire early from the AFL.

Sydney Swans chief executive Andrew Ireland said last night it was unclear how long Goodes would remain on the sideline during “a really difficult time”. “Adam is sick and tired of this behaviour,” he said.

“It has been happening for too long and it has taken its toll.”

Geelong coach Chris Scott, a successful player in his own right, put his team’s supporters on notice yesterday, calling on them to show some leadership if Goodes returned for the team’s scheduled clash on Saturday week.

“The reality is now, whether we like it or not, booing indigenous players and specifically Adam Goodes has a racist overtone, so on that basis it should stop,” Scott said. “Unless you have been out of earshot for the last couple of days you wouldn’t be doing it (booing Goodes) unless­ you want to confirm to the whole world that you are a bigot.

“Adam has come out and said it is affecting him and he considers it has a racist element to it.

“On that basis, if you go ahead and boo him from now on you’re ­accepting that people are assum­ing that you are doing it for reason­s based on race.”