Chris Scott has challenged Geelong supporters to show leadership in the Adam Goodes controversy and make a statement of empathy and understanding by resisting the urge to boo Allen Christensen when he returns to Simonds Stadium with the Brisbane Lions on Saturday.
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While insisting he would never lecture his club's fans, the Cats' coach said he would be "embarrassed and shocked" if supporters jeered Goodes when the Swans play in Geelong the following weekend.
For Scott, a complicated situation has a simple answer - Goodes and other indigenous players believe there is a racist element to the booing, and on that basis it should stop.
"I might be naive, but I'm very confident that this is the end, very confident," Scott said on Wednesday. "We want Adam Goodes playing the game - he's going to make it harder for us in a couple of weeks, I understand that, but it's good for footy.
"In my opinion it's done. Because unless you've been out of earshot in the last couple of days, you wouldn't be doing it. Unless you want to confirm to the whole world that you are a bigot."
Christensen, who played in a premiership in his and Scott's first season with the Cats in 2011, requested a trade last year for personal reasons. He said this week he expected to be booed in his first game back in Geelong and accepts it would not be racially motivated, but Scott hopes for a different reception.
"On one level I respect the right of supporters to express themselves as they see fit - within the boundaries of good taste. But I would ask our supporters to remember that Allen Christensen left our club for personal reasons - we'd love to still have him here, and I think on some levels he'd still love to be playing with Geelong.
"There is a little bit of a precedent in Gary Ablett's situation - he came back to play at Geelong as a champion of our club, but one of the greatest players of all time, and I was really proud of the way our supporters treated him. There's an opportunity to do that again.
"Now will they, won't they? We're not going to be devastated, and I think Allen's already said he won't be devastated if they do boo him. But we have a preference, and that's to treat our ex-players with respect."
Scott said expecting fans to stop booing at games altogether was "way too much to ask", but an "ugly situation" had galvanised the AFL community and should have left everyone with a clear understanding that booing indigenous players - and specifically Goodes - has a racist overtone so should stop.
Scott believes the issue has gone beyond people reserving their right to jeer Goodes and claiming it has nothing to do with race.
"Adam's come out and he's said it's affecting him, and he considers there's 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're doing it for reasons based on race."
