Collingwood Fans Boo Jason Horne-Francis in Victory over Port Adelaide

Magpies Cruise to a 71-Point Victory

Collingwood fans have been called out for booing Port Adelaide young gun Jason Horne-Francis. The Magpies dominated the Power to cruise to a 71-point victory and give their fans plenty to cheer about.

Unfounded Disapproval?

But it was unclear why the Collingwood faithful continued to voice their disapproval of 19-year-old Horne-Francis. Horne-Francis arrived at Port Adelaide in last year’s trade period after a messy exit from North Melbourne following one season at the Kangaroos. It will be expected to hear North Melbourne fans boo the talented teenager when they meet later this year, but not other fan bases.

Horne-Francis’ Game

Horne-Francis had just 15 touches and gave away six free kicks on a dirty day. Host of Seven Network’s Armchair Experts Georgie Parker, who played for Collingwood’s AFLW team, questioned the actions of the fans.

Double Standard

In response to a comment, Parker noted the double standard by Pies fans who called out opposition supporters for booing polarising youngster Jack Ginnivan. The majority of fans agreed with Parker, with one labelling the booing, “disgusting and despicable” and others saying it was typical of Collingwood fans. There were some who said the booing was fair game, while an interesting theory involving Nick Daicos was also speculated.

The Nick Daicos Theory

Horne-Francis and Daicos were widely considered the top two talents in the 2021 draft class with North Melbourne ultimately choosing Horne-Francis with the prized No.1 pick. Daicos was tied to Collingwood as a father-son selection, but the bid didn’t come until pick No.4. “Presume it’s because JHF was touted as No.1 draft pick over Daicos,” one fan said. “The only possible reason I can think of is JHF was the other big name kid in the draft in ‘21 and there was all the talk about who was better. Seems an odd reason,” another added.

Coaches Weigh In

Coahces Ken Hinkley and Craig McRae both weighed in on the issue. “He’s got some attention on him. He’s had that all summer and he’s had that for the last 12 months,” Hinkley said. “Melbourne maybe don’t like him as a town, I don’t know. That’s all I can suggest it can be because he didn’t play for Collingwood.” Hinkley stopped short of trying to discourage fans from booing his emerging midfield star. “I don’t see a need for it,” Hinkley said. “Discourage? It’s not my job to do that. I just don’t see a need for it.” McRae made his feelings about booing known last season when Magpies livewire Jack Ginnivan drew the ire of opposition fans and reiterated his stance.

Backing Daicos

Meanwhile, the Pies coach expects Daicos to attract plenty more taggers but has backed his young star to handle the extra attention after his influential role on Saturday. Daicos brushed off opponents Lachie Jones and Sam Powell-Pepper and kicked a goal that would make his mercurial father proud in the Magpies’ 21.9 (135) to 9.10 (64) victory at the MCG. The 20-year-old booted two majors from a game-high 32 disposals as a nine-goal run by the home side broke the game open before halftime. “Nick’s a great player, an emerging talent, so we’ve got to embrace it,” McRae said. “This is just the natural progression of a player that’s an emerging talent.”

Magpies Dominate

Brody Mihocek kicked three goals before being substituted out with a dislocated finger and Jamie Elliott was among five players who kicked two each as the Magpies posted their biggest score since 2018. Collingwood dominated contested possession (+57) and clearances (+13) and even won the tackle count (+18) in a sign of their intense pressure around the ball.

Credit: https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/collingwood-fans-called-out-for-booing-port-adelaide-young-gun-jason-horne-francis-disgusting–c-10151372

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