Jason Horne-Francis has won the AFL’s “highest praise” after silencing his critics with arguably his career-best performance in Port Adelaide’s seven-point win over St Kilda on Friday night.
After hitting a career-high 11 clearances and a game-high 18 contested possessions in the victory over the Saints, Fox Footy’s Eddie Betts likened Horne-Francis to a young Patrick Dangerfield.
“Patrick Dangerfield has got that ability to be low, stay centred and then burst from the pack – it’s the highest praise you can give a young fella in the modern game and it’s well deserved,” Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon said.
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Opposition coach Ross Lyon weighed in on the booing saga that followed Horne-Francis to Marvel Stadium on Friday night, with the Saints boss adamant the tactic to put the teen off his game “clearly doesn’t work”.
“He was big! He had 10 ground balls – he was pretty powerful,” Lyon praised.
“I don’t want to get into the storm it is, right? There’s a couple of things people will do in a mob that they wouldn’t do as individuals so maybe check yourself and don’t do that.
“There’s a lot of mental stress on players.
“If you’re doing it to put him off his game, which I’d make an assumption you are, it clearly doesn’t work which is good for the kid.
“I watched Dave Chappelle last night and (he) spoke about people punching down on people – let’s not punch down on a 19-year-old.”
Betts said he had no doubt the Port youngster was shining bright following his return home to family and friends in South Australia.
“He was an absolute star today,” he said.
“He did it all today.
“His pace around the pack, around those stoppages – he burst out of it! It was like a Dangerfield game!
“He never goes to ground, he’s strong through the hips and breaks tackles.
“He’s coming of age.
“He’s like a bull.
“He goes straight through the pack like Paddy does.”
Horne-Francis was able to block out the boos that have plagued him since he announced his decision to depart North Melbourne after only one season as the club’s prized number one pick.
“He was a beast in there, and that’s what I love to see,” teammate Charlie Dixon said.
“He cops it from every which way and the kid just relishes it and just goes after the footy.
“All he’s worried about is playing footy – he’s a very happy kid and an amazing talent.
“And we are so privileged to have him on our team – he’s such a good kid.”
Fox Footy’s Nathan Buckley said the performance against St Kilda showed an aspect of his game he didn’t know the teenager possessed.
“He’s a big boy in his second year,” he said.
“What he did tonight was not what I’d scouted for him – we knew he was a high talent. We’d seen snippets of him out in the open, hitting targets, showing that outside skill.
“But what I saw tonight I didn’t know he had.
“He’s shown that real inside will to go second, third, fourth efforts.
“That capacity to get from the inside to the outside, and to do it consistently over four quarters – I think it’s the first four quarter performance he’s put together.”
Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon was full of praise for the way Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley had embraced Horne-Francis in his return home and provided him with added support.
“You’ve got to invest in your players … I think he’s done that with Jason Horne-Francis and we’re seeing the fruits of it now and what a number one draft pick can produce,” he said on Fox Footy Live.
The teenager’s performance was made more impressive by the fact Horne-Francis was once again targeted by fans who booed him relentlessly at Marvel Stadium.
“That’s embarrassing from the St Kilda footy club,” Lyon said.
“I don’t know why they’re doing it, their club’s flying.
“Everyone has paid their money, has the right to boo. I don’t like it.
“You are entitled (to boo), but sometimes the reflection is on you, and not the player.”
Saints great Brendon Goddard had said pre-game he’d be “very disappointed” if St Kilda fans engaged in the shameful booing that is growing week by week.
Port coach Ken Hinkley also spoke passionately in Horne-Francis’ defence pre-match.
“All I’ve asked is that people treat him with some respect … for people to say ‘you sign up for that’ – you don’t, actually,” Hinkley said on ABC Radio.
“I don’t want our best young talent to get scared off playing the game because of what happens outside the fence.”
Horne-Francis finished the match with 25 disposals, seven tackles, seven inside 50s, more than 460m gained and seven score involvements.
