Ex-AFL star Tom Rockliff spat at after attending Carlton-Port game with son
An ex-AFL player had a very unsavoury end to his experience on Sunday that ended when Carlton fans spat in his direction.
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Former Port Adelaide player Tom Rockliff says he’s “very hesitant” to attend another AFL game as a spectator after an unsavoury end to his experience on Sunday that ended with Carlton supporters spitting in his direction.
After trailing the Blues by 50 points late in the second term, the Power launched an incredible second-half fightback, only to fall three points short of an Easter Sunday miracle.
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Rockliff, who won two best and fairests at Brisbane before finishing his AFL career at the Power, attended the match with his son Jack in the Shane Warne Stand. It was the first time the 208-game midfielder had attended an AFL match as a spectator in 16 years – and his first in the outer alongside his son.
Minutes after the game, Rockliff revealed on Twitter he had an unsavoury encounter with some Blues fans.
“What a way to be let down,” Rockliff wrote. “Carlton supporters spitting at me when I am walking home with my son is not on.
“Passion is great but let’s remember it’s sport.”
Proud of the boys.. they left nothing on the ‘G pic.twitter.com/1FBxXRS0cU
— Tom Rockliff (@rockwiz38) April 17, 2022
I admit I was cheering harder than anyone at the ‘G and pushed it - but there is a difference between cheering and being spat at https://t.co/lNIrSnMDyY
— Tom Rockliff (@rockwiz38) April 17, 2022
Speaking to foxfooty.com.au on Sunday night, Rockliff said the incident happened after he’d exited the MCG. He said it was a “horrible experience at the end” of a special day with his boy.
“I was cheering hard for Port Adelaide – you can probably hear it in my voice, my voice is gone – and I probably pushed the boundary (with my banter),” Rockliff told foxfooty.com.au.
“I’ve got no issue with anything that gets said. But after it’s said and done and you walk out getting spat at, it’s pretty disrespectful – not only to me, but it leaves a sour taste in my son’s mouth as well.
“I’ve always been at the footy and he’s been up in the stands with his mother watching and the first opportunity that I got to take him to the MCG – the colosseum of AFL footy – and for him to leave with that experience is really disappointing.
“It’s not Carlton’s fault, to be honest, just those specific supporters that thought it was a good idea. They were very quiet in the second half but wanted to have a crack after the game, which is disappointing.
“They were very verbal inside the ground (during the first half) and I just covered up my son’s ears, but when you get a little saliva spat at you – whether it was deliberate or not, I would say it was deliberate and whoever it was would say it wasn’t deliberate – it’s not a great feeling.”
Rockliff said he didn’t want to “marginalise” the Blues or their fans, but added it was clear some AFL supporters needed to be more respectful at games.
“At the end of the day Carlton won the game. My four-year-old overall had a great experience, he’s got his first flag he’s been able to wave after Port Adelaide kicked a goal – and they kicked a lot in the second half – but to take that away from him on the walk home was really disappointing to say the least,” he said.
“You want people to go to the footy now and have fun, we know crowds have been down. But when you’ve got people acting like that, it’s not a great feeling to walk away from the game. If your team wins, fantastic. If your team loses, it loses. There’s no need to put your saliva anywhere near anyone else.
“I just want everyone to have a good experience when they go to the footy. People want to get into ex-AFL players or former footy people that have been at clubs and say ‘you don’t sit in the nosebleeds or in the crowd’ – well I took my son today to the crowd and, I tell you what, I’ll be very, very hesitant to do it again.”
Rockliff said he was “so proud” of Port Adelaide’s comeback.
“They had every reason to fall away and lose by 100 points, but they found a way to get back into that game and got within three points,” he said.
“Carlton were the better team on the day, but Port Adelaide should still be very happy with that performance.
“What a great game of footy – that’s what we should be talking about, not me when I was walking out of the game.”
Originally published as Ex-AFL star Tom Rockliff spat at after attending Carlton-Port game with son
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