The Final Quarter - Back to lesson

Reviewing The Film

Name Class

Teacher Preparation
It is strongly recommended that teachers watch The Final Quarter
documentary in full before showing it to students. There are many themes,
concepts, and events that teachers need to be aware of and comfortable to
discuss with students to ensure students are supported. Given the content,
it is also important for teachers to communicate with parents and
guardians of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students before playing
the film and/or engaging with the teaching and learning resources. For
further information and resources to support your understanding of these
themes and concepts, please refer to the Teacher Content Information
below and supporting factsheets.

Learning intentions:

Students will...

… be familiar with the context and continued significance of The Final

Quarter film, as well as with the context of race relations and
reconciliation in Australia
... understand the key themes and purpose of the film
… be aware of other people’s reactions to the film
… know how to respond constructively to the themes in the film and be
sensitive towards the emotional responses of themselves and others
… understand that they may have strong reactions to the film and know
where to go to find support.
Success criteria:

Students can...

… recognise the significance of The Final Quarter film within the context
of Australia today
… identify and describe key characteristics of Adam Goodes
… respond constructively and sensitively to the themes in the film
… identify and find supports to help understand any information and
emotions experienced during or after watching the film.

Teacher content information:

This lesson will be centred around the acclaimed 2019 documentary The
Final Quarter. This film explores the detrimental treatment of AFL star
Adam Goodes and the media and community responses. An Aboriginal
player, and number 37 for the Sydney Swans, Adam Goodes was singled
out for verbal abuse, booing and jeering by spectators from a range of
clubs during the last three years of his career in 2013 - 2015, until he
retired from the game.

Because he was one of the most acclaimed players in the AFL, Adam
Goodes already had a high media profile, but this went to an
unprecedented level when he was named Australian of the Year in 2014
and began campaigning for Indigenous causes.

This led to bitter debate in the media, sustained booing from AFL
spectators, and a controversy that divided the nation.

Goodes was subject to significant negative commentary, which many

people considered racist.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commentators such as actor Jack

Charles and journalist Stan Grant publicly broadened the issues of the
treatment of Adam Goodes by relating the incidents to historic and
systemic racism against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and
the contemporary lived experience of such treatment.
The failure of the AFL to act quickly in response to the booing of Adam
Goodes, and to identify the behaviour as racially-based was the topic of
further media discussion. Immediately prior to the launch of The Final
Quarter, in June 2019 the AFL and all 18 AFL clubs unreservedly apologised
to Adam Goodes:

"Failure to call out racism and not standing up for one of our own let down
all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present. Our
game is about belonging. We want all Australians to feel they belong and
that they have a stake in the game. We will not achieve this while racism
and discrimination exists in our game.”

Adam Goodes’ reaction to The Final Quarter

Adam Goodes did not play a part in making The Final Quarter but supports
the film.

Adam Goodes says: “The Final Quarter is an independent film that tells the
story of what happened during the last three years of my career, before I
retired in 2015. It’s made from archival sources and although I didn’t play
a part in making it, I’ve given the film my support. As confronting as I
have found the film, I look forward to the conversation it will help
generate.’’

Additional Information
The Final Quarter is free to all schools and sporting clubs across Australia.
To register to watch the film click here. We highly recommend that all
lessons are delivered after students have seen the film in its entirety. Our
Watching the Film lessons are designed to support you in facilitating this
process.

You may find the following resources useful:

What is AFL? Aussie Rules Explained

AFL says Goodes mistakes must never be repeated
Adam Goodes opens up in tell all interview with Anh Do
Racism
The Final Quarter revealed an undercurrent of racism that still exists in
Australia today. These education resources aim to confront racist
behaviours and attitudes that continue to be passed down through social
structures and systems. While it is important to acknowledge that some of
these attitudes are inherited from our nation’s policies and colonial history,
it is the responsibility of the individuals that make up our national
community today to break this cycle. The following resources address the
reality of racism in Australia (and how it is targeted towards Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Peoples, in particular) and how we can take the
necessary steps to do better.

2018 Australian Reconciliation Barometer

Twelve charts on race and racism in Australia
Racism. It stops with me

For an introduction and resources for talking about racism in schools see:

How do you talk to kids about racism? - The Conversation

Let’s talk race: a guide - Australian Human Rights Commission
Tackling Racism in Australia
Take Action Against Racism - Narragunnawali

Cultural Safety and Respect

Some non-Indigenous people are fearful of approaching content relating to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Providing an
environment that is culturally safe is an important first step. This safe
space allows cultural issues and expressions to be shared freely, whilst also
minimising the risk of racist responses and improving feelings of being
listened to, respected and made to feel welcome. Using appropriate
language, acknowledging histories and perspectives and practicing deep
listening can all go a long way to creating cultural safety. To learn more,
refer to these resources:
 A guide to respectful and inclusive language and terminology
Cultural Safety and Respect in the Classroom
Facilitating Culturally Safe and Respectful Film Screenings and
Discussions

Important: Because many of the things you will be discussing in this

lesson involve personal experiences and feelings, it's a good idea to work
with students to set some ground rules for sharing ideas and feelings. Use
this factsheet to guide you: Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues. It is
important that teachers subtly monitor the welfare and wellbeing of
students during this lesson and for a couple of weeks afterward to make
sure they are feeling safe and able to cope with the content raised in this
lesson.

These lessons have been created in partnership with

Shark Island Productions