Ken Hinkley lets rip after Port Adelaide star Jason Horne-Francis after was BOOED v Western Bulldogs

Ken Hinkley has launched an impassioned plea for fans to show more respect for Jason Horne-Francis after the boo boys targeted the young Port Adelaide star on Saturday night.

The 19-year-old Horne-Francis endured a rough debut season in the AFL in North Melbourne last year, as the No. 1 draft pick struggled to justify his reputation as the star of the future.

The South Australian opted to return home over the summer, with Port Adelaide happy to give him a chance, but his slow start to top-flight football saw fans and sections of the media write him off.

And during the Powers’ victory over Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, loud boos were heard aimed at Horne-Francis from some fans at Adelaide Oval.

Following his party’s victory, a fed up Hinkley took matters into his own hands, urging critics to back off.

The 19-year-old was booed by spectators during Port Adelaide’s victory over the Bulldogs

“Jason Horne-Francis is 19, part of it really annoys me, with the way people treat him,” he said.

‘It irritates me. He will never play four quarters every week. He is 19 years old, if you treat my 19 year old son the way some people have treated him… I would be ashamed of my performance if I were those people.

‘I think it’s really unfair. The boy made a brave decision to come home.

“Let that boy play footy. He’s 19. The boy is doing his best, he’s doing his best, he’s 19, don’t treat him like he’s 28 and treat the boy with some respect.’

Todd Marshall started a pair of late clutch goals to inspire his AFL squad for a 14-point comeback over the Western Bulldogs.

Marshall’s double strike in the space of three minutes in the final term on Saturday helped the Power triumph 10.10 (70) to 8.8 (56) on a drenched Adelaide Oval.

Hinkley reminded Horne-Francis critics that he is only 19 and should be given more respect

The Bulldogs, with Cody Weightman scoring four goals in his first AFL game of the season after overcoming a groin injury, were eight points ahead 10 minutes into a frantic final term.

But Marshall then converted two set shots, including a remarkable 45-yard effort when he was boxed in on a boundary line, to put the Power in front.

The home side kicked the last four goals of the game in front of a crowd of 45,115.

“Our boys and the Dogs were up all night and going pretty hard, we both had turns at different times,” Hinkley added.

“Luckily for us, we were very strong during the game and very tough around the footy that it swung the game our way.”