Wayne Carey slams AFL over Collingwood booing Buddy Franklin as video shows Swans fans booed him too
Footy great Wayne Carey accuses the AFL of a shocking double standard for slamming Collingwood fans who booed Buddy Franklin – as video emerges of Swans supporters doing the exact same thing
- Compared Franklin to the Goodes booing scandal
- Said AFL didn’t act when other star players were booed
- Video shows Swans fans guilty of the same offence
Collingwood fans have been panned by the AFL for berating Sydney Swans champion Lance Franklin last weekend – but now footage has surfaced showing Sydney fans doing exactly the same.
Prior to joining the Swans in 2014, Franklin played 182 games and won two premierships with Hawthorn.
Footage has now been posted of Swans fans booing Franklin during his time with the Hawks.
“It’s hilarious that they’re coming out and Collingwood trying to do it when it’s been happening for ages,” said the Collingwood fan who posted the video.
Franklin was booed by Sydney Swans supporters when he played for Hawthorn. He has now been booed by Collingwood fans in the MCG, sparking controversy in the AFL
Meanwhile, AFL great Wayne Carey has criticized the AFL for cracking down on Franklin’s booing, believing the league is trying to avoid a repeat of the Adam Goodes racism storm.
Goodes became the most prominent star to be booed at the end of his playing career, eventually retiring early due to the treatment he received from AFL fans.
His treatment came after he got rid of a young Collingwood fan who shouted racial slurs at him during a match in 2013.
‘What an overreaction that buddy call is.. What about Jack [Ginnivan] and Jason [Horne-Francis] in the past 2 years for example .Gil [McLachlan, AFL CEO] on the front foot only because of Adam ?? Not the same!! Everybody calm down.. leading the news surprise,” Carey posted.
Player booing has become a divisive point in recent years.
Collingwood star Jack Ginnivan was booed by the SCG crowd when he was injured in 2022, while Port Adelaide recruit Jason Horne-Francis was booed at multiple games after leaving North Melbourne for his home team.
The AFL did not intervene with either player.
Carey believes the spotlight is on Franklin’s booing because he is Indigenous, pointing to the booing of Jack Ginnivan and Jason Horne-Francis where the AFL failed to intervene – in stark contrast to the furore surrounding Adam Goodes’ booing
Franklin lines up for a shot on target at the MCG in the game against Collingwood over the weekend as Magpies supporters booed him
Goodes was eventually expelled from the AFL by relentless jeers from AFL supporters, which he claimed was racially motivated
The Adam Goodes booing scandal in the AFL took place from 2013 to 2015 and was the result of continued booing of Goodes, a prominent Indigenous Australian footballer, by fans during matches.
The jeers were related to his outspoken opposition to racism and support for indigenous rights.
The jeers were widely seen as racially motivated and became a national controversy, with Goodes taking time off from the game due to the toll it took on him.
The AFL eventually took action to address the issue, including implementing an Indigenous round and increasing education about cultural awareness and respect for Indigenous players.
Collingwood Football Club previously released a statement apologizing to Franklin for the jeering.
“We apologize to the Sydney Swans and to Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin,” the statement credited to Collingwood captain Darcy Moore, CEO Craig Kelly and McRae said.
“The club does not support booing, especially for champions of the game.
“Yesterday was the first time we played the Swans at the MCG in ten years – it was an opportunity to respect a champion of the game and we fell short.
“Buddy is a great Australian football. What he has achieved on the field over a long period of time demands a lot of respect.”