For the second time in a month, Port Adelaide young gun Jason Horne-Francis has been jeered whenever he’s gone near the footy.
And even more bizarre was the face it came at his home ground at Adelaide Oval.
The Power were left baffled late last month when Horne-Francis – the North Melbourne No. 1 pick that was traded to Port Adelaide in last year’s mega trade – was booed during the club’s 71-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG.
Magpies coach Craig McRae discouraged supporters from jeering players, while Port Adelaide counterpart Ken Hinkley was at a loss as to why the 19-year-old was getting such negative attention from the crowd.
Watch every match of AFL Gather Round LIVE & ad-break free in play on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Bombers rise up to sink Demons! | 01:53
The boos for Horne-Francis returned on Saturday night during his side’s clash with the Western Bulldogs.
Bizarrely, the South Adelaide product was jeered at his home ground.
“Jason Horne-Francis is on his home deck and is getting booed. This is crazy!” Power champion Kane Cornes said on AFL Nation.
With fans from all over the country descending on Adelaide for the inaugural Gather Round, there was a suggestion from some commentators that supporters of non-South Australian clubs were the ones booing Horne-Francos on Saturday night
Fremantle legend Matthew Pavlich urged supporters to be better.
“Let’s lead here and say let’s stop booing him,” Pavlich told Fox Footy. “Like, I don’t know why it’s happening, but let’s stop doing it.
“I know people say ‘that’s my right, I can do it’. But it seems very strange that fans are doing it here at the ground.”
Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis was left perplexed by the negative attention Horne-Francis attracted.
Draper stars as Essendon excel! | 01:15
“I don’t know why and I don’t personally like it and I hope it doesn’t become a trend,” Lewis told Fox Footy.
“He hasn’t done anything wrong. Usually that happens within a game if someone gets someone high or whatever it may be and the boos come, but it seems to be whenever he goes near the ball that it’s happening.”
Horne-Francis only had six disposals to his name at half-time predominantly playing close to goal.
But five-time premiership Hawk Dermott Brereton said he’d been impressed by the Power young gun.
“He hasn’t had many possessions, but he is looking pretty good,” Brereton told Fox Footy. “He looks like he is ready to take off.
“He’s had a couple of really good flies at the ball, hasn’t had many possessions in the forward half, but he’s looking really dangerous when he gets up there. He finds space.”
