Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell tells fans to leave rival players alone

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell has weighed in on whether he thinks the booing of rival players has a place in the AFL.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell says he would prefer Hawks fans to avoid booing opposition players in all situations. Picture: Daniel Carson / Getty Images

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has asked the club’s supporters not to boo rival players in any situation as he laments the treatment of premiership teammate Lance Franklin.

Mitchell, who was not afraid to get under the opposition’s skin during his 329-game career, said he understood that passion drove some fans to try to do the same, but he thought the booing of Franklin on Sunday was disrespectful.

The Sydney and Hawthorn legend was met with jeers from Collingwood fans each time he touched the ball in Sydney’s 29-point loss at the MCG, prompting the Magpies to release a statement from captain Darcy Moore and coach Craig McRae on Monday calling out the behaviour.

Lance Franklin was booed by Collingwood supporters on Sunday, sparking a major debate in football over whether the crowd behaviour was acceptable. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

Mitchell applauded Collingwood’s handling of the incident and said he wanted his club’s fans to uphold the same standards asked of Magpies supporters.

“People love sport, people go to the game, they’re passionate and they love it … there’s a passion that you don’t want to take away from supporters, but then I don’t understand why you would boo Buddy Franklin, he’s been a champion of the game,” Mitchell said.

“He’s kicked 1000 goals and he’s brought some of the great moments of our sport over such a long period of time, personally and to the whole game as a collective.

“I thought Collingwood as a club handled the statement well, and certainly from a Hawthorn perspective I would hope that we’re not going to be heading down that path to anyone in that situation.

Sam Mitchell and Franklin were teammates for nine seasons and played in Hawthorn’s 2008 and 2013 premierships. Picture: Joe Castro / AAP

“So for the Hawthorn fans out there, I’d prefer that we didn’t boo please.”

Mitchell said morale at Hawthorn remained high despite a heavy loss to Fremantle in Perth on Saturday that has left the Hawks at the bottom of the ladder on percentage with a 1-7 record.

Fremantle and coach Justin Longmuir had thrown some unexpected challenges at the Hawks and their coaching team struggled to respond in the game, he said.

“I think Freo coached really well, they scouted us well … I think they did some things we weren’t as prepared for in the coaches’ box,” he said.

“We just didn’t have the tools in the kit bag to be able to adapt during the game.

“Centre clearances were seven to one in the first quarter but we were losing on the scoreboard, and you shouldn’t be able to lose that amount of territory … once they got their game going we didn’t have enough tools in the kit bag to get momentum back at any stage.”

Mitch Lewis and Harry Morrison did not join main training on Tuesday, but Mitchell said he was not concerned by the duo’s fitness ahead of playing Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.

Originally published as Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell tells fans to leave rival players alone