Port Adelaide and Crows stars can’t get enough of Instagram

WHEN it comes to Instagram, Adelaide’s AFL players are all about three things — women, clothing, and their pets.

Who’s on Instagram ... and how much they like.

WOMEN, clothes and pets are what occupies Adelaide’s AFL players on smartphone photo sharing app Instagram.

And high rates of Instagram use among players are fuelled by a need for attention ... and may also drive players to distraction, a media expert says.

Jackson Trengrove is the biggest Instagram user among Port and Crows players.

Between January 1st and August 1st this year, he posted, commented on and liked more than 2100 public photos on Instagram at a rate of more than 10 interactions every day.

The Port defender beat out speedy Power player Jarman Impey by almost 800 interactions, with veteran teammate Kane Cornes third.

Dr Peter Pugsley, Senior Lecturer in media at the University of Adelaide, cautioned that Instagram overuse may have an adverse affect on people’s real lives.

“It’s the distraction of it, the constant need to think ‘well what can I do to get me noticed’,” he said.

“So you may be thinking not about your next AFL game, or your training, but ‘where can I go that will look interesting on this post’.”

Adelaide defender Matthew Jaensch and Port forward Chad Wingard were the fourth and fifth biggest Instagram users.

Everyone in the top five posted, commented on and liked more than five photos every day.

Dr Pugsley believes high rates of use reflect a need to self-promote.

“It’s about being seen, and if you haven’t got something to say, it’s about being one of the first to like something so it pops up with your name.”

Accounts showcasing fashion labels and pets were popular among the biggest users.

Melbourne clothing brand John St Elite was heavily liked by Trengrove and Tex Walker. Streetwear label District 5ive was popular among Port players Robbie Gray and Paul Stewart.

And an account apparently run by two dogs — ‘dreandjunior’ — was the user most liked by Jaensch.

For many players, wives and girlfriends were the focus of Instagram affection.

Crows player Brent Reilly gave the user “suedeloves” one quarter of his likes over the period, and his teammate Matt Crouch gave likes to “elliesymons” 31 per cent of the time.

Port’s Ben Newton gave 44 per cent of his likes to user “chelseajaydequilty” and his teammate Jared Polec gifted “alisonbick” 65 per cent of his like total.

Matthew Wright gave almost one out of every five likes to his partner Anna Seidler.

Her photos were also popular among his teammates.

Wright’s Crows’ teammate Tom Lynch gave more of his likes to photos of Ms Seidler than any other user. And Ms Seidler’s photos were also popular among Wright’s teammates Matthew Jaensch and Luke Thompson.

“There are a whole lot of relationships being played out through Instagram, these minor celebrities, or ‘YouTubers’,” said Dr Pugsley.

“They’re all liking each other’s posts on Instagram.”

Data was collected through Instagram by reviewing public posts by Adelaide’s AFL players as well as their likes and comments on public photos posted by users that players follow.

The numbers are conservative because they do not include comments and likes on photos posted by users with private profiles, and do not include photos by users that the players no longer follow.

AFL players have a torrid record with Instagram.

Last year Crows midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen received a rebuke from both his club and the AFL after posting a picture on Instagram of him holding a shotgun while on an off-season trip to Ireland.

And Carlton defender Josh Bootsma was sacked in June after he allegedly sent explicit photos to fans he had connected with on social media platforms, including Instagram.

Originally published as Port Adelaide and Crows stars can’t get enough of Instagram