The Sydney Swans AFL captain Adam Goodes says the teenage girl who called him an "ape" during last night's game against Collingwood at the MCG needs support and counselling.
Goodes says if the girl wants to contact him and apologise for the racial slur he will talk to her and explain how hurtful it was.
He has called on people to stop abusing the 13-year-old Collingwood fan through social media, saying she is almost certainly not aware of what she has done.
The AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has offered the girl and her parents support and education from the league if they want it.
The incident was shown clearly on television when Goodes, who was near the boundary line wheeled around and pointed to a girl inside the fence.
Shortly after she was ejected from the ground by security staff.
Goodes says he's devastated by the abuse which came during the first match of the AFL's highly publicised Indigenous round.
He says the girl's actions took all the joy out of the Swans' big victory over Collingwood for him.
