Collingwood, Sydney and the AFL respond to supporters booing Lance Franklin

Collingwood coach Craig McRae and skipper Darcy Moore have apologised to Lance Franklin as Sydney and the AFL joined them in urging supporters to show more respect at games.

Lance Franklin was booed by the Collingwood crowd

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Collingwood has apologised to Lance Franklin after its bans booed the Sydney champion as the MCG jeering prompted an united response from the Pies, Sydney and AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan.

Sydney referenced the booing saga that saw dual-Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes driven from the game in 2015 when it said it was disappointed “some people have not learned from the past”.

McLachlan said on Monday “we don’t accept excessive booing as part of our game” after previously admitting he was too slow to condemn booing of Goodes.

Franklin was jeered by Collingwood fans at the MCG and while he took it in his stride the AFL and clubs desperate for it not to turn into a competition-wide trend in what is likely his final season.

Lance Franklin of the Swans was booed every time her got the ball

It comes ahead of a round where Jason Horne-Francis will face former side North Melbourne and Tom Stewart will face Richmond for the first time since a four-match ban for his collision with Dion Prestia.

Swans board member and indigenous star Michael O’Loughlin told the Herald Sun he was crestfallen and angry about the “disgraceful” booing of Franklin after watching his great mate and premiership teammate Goodes retire from the game because of similar crowd reactions.

On Monday Pies captain Darcy Moore, coach Craig McRae and chief executive Craig Kelly apologised for the behaviour of its fans.

“We apologise to the Sydney Swans and to Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin,” they said in a statement.

“The Club does not support booing, particularly champions of the game.

“Yesterday was the first time we played the Swans at the MCG in a decade – it provided an opportunity to respect a champion of the game and we fell short.

“Buddy is a great of Australian Football – what he has achieved on the field over a long period of time demands a high level of respect.

“We hope the next time we get the chance to witness a champion of the game we treat them with respect, the same respect we ask for when it comes to our players and our champions.

Sydney said it was “extremely disappointed by the repeated booing” of Franklin and called on fans to call out poor behaviour including booing immediately.

“Lance is a champion and his contribution to the AFL should be celebrated and respected. Fans are the lifeblood of our game and have the right to cheer loudly at the football.

But booing isn’t a right – it’s offensive – and players should not be subjected to it in their workplace. We have been here before and sadly it seems some people have not learned from the past.”

O’Loughlin said he was shattered to have to explain to his teenage son why Franklin was booed and made clear he was worried there were racial overtones.

“Listening to it was disgraceful. I am not sure why you would boo a legend of the game,” he told the Herald Sun.

“You have the last couple of opportunities to watch a great player in action and I can’t for the life of me get it. I don’t know what the reasoning behind it is but it’s absolutely not on and I am very disappointed.

Lance Franklin and Darcy Moore have a chat.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders people need the rest of Australia to join in to help stamp this out. We can get up and talk and say how disappointed we are but it’s got beyond a joke. We are tired, we are physically and emotionally tired. You hear Eddie Betts talk about it, you hear countless other people talk about it. I don’t know the reasons why. I am putting two and two together and coming up with an answer.”

McLachlan made clear excessive booing was never acceptable regardless of the reason.

“All players have the right to be treated respectfully on-field. We want everyone to go to a game and express themselves, the passion for the contest and the voice of the crowd is what sets our competition apart, however we don’t accept excessive booing as part of our game,” he said.

“Jason Horne-Francis is an emerging star of our game, Lance Franklin is an all-time great. Our view applies equally to both. In fact, no player should be targeted in that way.”

Buckley said on Monday the Pies fans could easily be misconstrued if they continued to boo rival players.

“I love the Collingwood faithful, but I’ve got a message (for them),” Buckley said.

“Your team is the toast of the town and they’re handling themselves on and off the field with class and poise. So, let’s try and fall into line on the other side of the fence.

“At best, it was a begrudging acknowledgment of the sustained brilliance Franklin has brought against Collingwood and at worst, it’s ignorance and bigotry.”

AFL Fans Association president Ron Issko said on Monday telling fans they could not boo was likely to be counterproductive.

“The AFL Fans Association view is that as fans pay to go to the footy they have a right to cheer and boo as long as the booing is not racially vilifying anyone. As the players put on the entertainment and give us the best game in the world, perhaps we think twice about booing and respect all players and in particular the champions of the game.”

Fellow Collingwood great Tony Shaw said he found the booing of Franklin boring and embarrassing.

“Booing Buddy by pies supporters I think was based on booing a champion because he was playing against our club,” Shaw said on Twitter.