This raised the ire of his teammates,with Taylor Adams using the term ‘grubs’ on social media to criticise opposing fans booing an injured player.

Speaking on a podcast before last Sunday’s match,Ginnivan said that media scrutiny and the reaction of opposing fans had left him“emotionally and mentally drained.”

“It’s been a little bit of a hard experience,I guess,like I don’t want to throw mental health around lightly because it definitely has had an effect on me.” he said on theBall Magnets podcast with Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell heading into round 21.

Ginnivan later added:“A couple of weeks ago,I went home and just sort of had a few days off because I was so emotionally and mentally drained from everything that’s happened. And footy was becoming sort of a chore,I guess.”

Goodes,one of the most decorated players in the game,had been booed by opposing fans who claimed he was staging for free kicks. The booing became more intense and ferocious after Goodes called out a 13-year-old girl in the crowd who had racially abused during a match against Collingwood in 2013.

The AFL remained silent until issuing an apology four years after his retirement. Goodes,who was named Australian of the year in 2014,retired at the end of the 2015 season.

He has refused all invitations and overtures from the league since,including Hall of Fame membership,but remains a favourite at the Swans,attending theten-year reunion of the 2012 premiership team in May.

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