Mr Maher said he was sad Goodes \u2013 \u201ca champion player and proud Aboriginal man\u201d \u2013 was facing what he\u2019s facing today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI very, very much hope Adam does play on, but I\u2019ve got to say, I can understand it if he doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be a great loss to football. It would be a great loss for the cause of reconciliation,\u201d Mr Maher said.<\/p>\n
His comments came as the mother of the 13-year-old girl outed by Goodes during a game for calling him an \u201cape\u201d, spoke to the media.<\/p>\n
“It’s all stemmed from what he did to Julia,” the girl\u2019s mum Joanne told Fairfax.<\/p>\n
“He probably should apologise because maybe he should have picked his target a little bit better.<\/p>\n
“She’d only turned 13 five days beforehand. She was technically still 12. She had no idea what she was saying.”<\/p>\n
Joanne said Goodes “shouldn’t take things to heart as much as he does” because being “badgered” on the football field was part of being an AFL footballer.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think he should retire, he should man up and just take it if he wants to play the game,” Joanne said.<\/p>\n
LISTEN to Kyam Maher on FIVEAA Breakfast here:<\/strong><\/p>\n