Adam Goodes is both a champion AFL footballer and a divisive cultural figure.

He’s a proud Aboriginal man whose passion for his people set AFL crowds against him during the 2015 season.

He’s a former Australian of the Year who was criticised by some of the nation’s most prominent media personalities for campaigning on the issue of race.

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And now, having barely had time to scrub the mud off his footy boots following his post-season retirement, the Labor Party is reportedly trying to draft him into their parliamentary team.

Earlier this year, Goodes told NITV he was “definitely not interested in party politics, definitely not interested in stepping into that arena”.

Asked in September about a future in politics, Goodes told News Corp he didn’t identify with any particular party and vaguely stated he hoped his career highlight was “yet to come”.

But if he decides politics is the best way to advance reconciliation, he won’t be the first former sports star and entertainer to have made the transition. Indeed, in the current parliament, the Libs have former Aussie tennis great John Alexander on their side.

Here, The New Daily offers a list of others who have turned their celebrity into a political career. As you will see, some achieved glittering success while others swiftly became a laughing stock, or worse, a jailbird.