Former number one overall AFL Draft pick Jason Horne-Francis has opened up on the boos that have plagued the early days of his AFL career.
The Port Adelaide midfielder has been booed by opposition fans since he controversially requested a trade from North Melbourne, the club that drafted him, at the end of last year to his native South Australia.
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As the boos piled up during the Power’s Gather Round win over the Western Bulldogs, coach Ken Hinkley hit back in a staunch defence of the 19-year-old, saying he was “really annoyed” by the treatment Horne-Francis receives from crowds.
Speaking in an interview with The Age’s Caroline Wilson, it was revealed that Horne-Francis went into the coaches’ room to tell Hinkley how much the public defence meant to him.
“After that game I wanted to go and thank him for everything he said to me during the game and what he did after the game,” Horne-Francis said.
“A lot of people saw him come up and speak to me and I’m glad people saw that.
“He’s like a dad to me and people saw that.
“This has been a rollercoaster year for me and for the club, but that was a proud moment for me, and it made me happy.”
Horne-Francis said that the booing confounded him, and that it was a struggle to deal with.
“I don’t think many players like it when they get booed,” he said.
“I try not to take it in, but I do hear it.
“With all the pressure on the outside I can let it get into my head a little bit.
“I understand the North supporters’ side of it. I was a young kid and I made the courageous decision to come home, and they are understandably disappointed.
“I’m just a bit confused about Collingwood, Sydney and Bulldogs supporters … why they would boo me.
“My dad always said to me he hoped I wouldn’t go number one in the draft … I’m seeing what he meant now.”
Horne-Francis said his mental health had declined so far as a result of the treatment he had copped from the crowds that he told stepfather Fabian that he felt like giving up on the code.
North Melbourne president Sonja Hood said she had struggled with the impact that her club’s supporters had had on Horne-Francis, calling it “mob bullying”.
“I’m baffled about it,” Hood said.
“I don’t like it. I don’t understand where it comes from.
“It’s this massive pile-on where we’re really trying to identify and target someone as a villain and he’s just not.”
Horne-Francis said he had spoken at length to both club psychologist Amanda LeCouteur and Hinkley about the support he has at Port Adelaide and opened up on the now-famous image of Hinkley speaking to him in a close embrace in the pouring rain post-match.
“I’ve been speaking a lot to Amanda, the club psychologist, about letting things get to me and getting down on myself,” he said.
“Both Ken (Hinkley) and (midfield coach) Josh Carr have said to come to them any time during a game if I need to talk to them.
“Ken told me the other night that he knew I wasn’t having a big game, but I could have a big quarter.
“To be honest I was so happy we’d won, but I didn’t think I’d been anything special until Ken came up to me.
“And I didn’t realise he’d said anything at his press conference until someone told me and I had a listen and it meant a lot to me.”
Speaking to media after the match, Port Adelaide coach Hinkley said he was “really annoyed” by the treatment Horne-Francis receives from crowds.
“Jason Horne-Francis is 19,” he said.
“Some parts really annoy me about the way people treat him. It’s annoying me.
“He’s never going to play four quarters every week. He’s 19 years old. If you’re treating my 19-year-old son the way some people have treated him, I’d be embarrassed by my performance if I was those people.
“I think it’s been really unfair. The kid made a courageous decision to come home. Let the kid play footy. He’s 19.”
Horne-Francis said Hinkley told him he was proud of him, and had pushed through his frustration to help win the game for Port.
While his commitment and effort can at times be questioned in the public eye, Horne-Francis spoke of how much losing impacts him, calling Port’s Showdown loss earlier this year “heartbreaking”.
“Ever since I was young all I wanted to be was an AFL footy player. I want to make Mum proud of me,” Horne-Francis said.
“She gave me so much. Both Mum and Dad have given up so much to help me and I don’t want to let them down.
“And Port has just been so welcoming. I’m just really fixed now on helping to get this team where I think we can be.”
