‘If Buddy thinks it’s racist, it’s racist’: Only person who matters in booing furore

AFL great Eddie Betts has spoken out about the Buddy Franklin booing furore after questions about it being racially motivated.

Eddie Betts says Buddy Franklin's opinion is the only one that really matters. Photo: Getty Images and Fox Footy

Indigenous AFL great Eddie Betts has explained there’s only one person who’s opinion really matters in the Buddy Franklin booing drama — and that’s Buddy Franklin.

The Swans superstar was targeted by Collingwood fans throughout the Magpies’ 11.11 (77) to 6.12 (48) win.

Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

While many believed it was either to do with the fact they wanted to try and get under the skin of the Swans’ best player or fight back after Sydney tried to rough up young superstar Nick Daicos, there was a bad taste left in fans’ mouths.

Some even questioned whether the booing was racially motivated by the Pies fans.

The footy world has all had its say with the Swans and AFL condemning the booing, the Pies apologising and standing alongside Franklin and every talking head in the sport having their say.

Even former Collingwood legend and coach Nathan Buckley said on SEN on Monday: “At worst, it’s ignorance and bigotry.

The only person to not really speak on the issue has been the man himself.

When doorstopped on the issue at training, Franklin said: “I’ve not got much to say, everything’s already been said so I’m not going to talk about it.”

Buddy Franklin is the only person who’s opinion matters. Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Wednesday, former Blues and Crows champion Eddie Betts said Franklin’s opinion is the only one that really matters.

“What everybody needs to understand about racism is that it’s not up for discussion,” Betts said. “If you haven’t been racially vilified or you don’t understand it or you haven’t felt it, the most important person in this is Buddy.

“And if Buddy thinks it’s racist, it’s racist. If he doesn’t think it’s racist, it’s not racist.

“So the most important person is how Buddy feels.”

Betts said that it was a lesson that people are still learning but believes the next generation are the ones who are going to make a change when it comes to race.

“The more conversations we have, the more we educate each other, the better we’re going to be as a nation,” Betts said. “But we’re on the right path.”

Asked if we should hear from Franklin to understand if or how it’s impacted him, Betts said: “It’s up to Bud if he wants to speak up but he’s just got to continue to keep playing good footy.

“Keep playing well for the Sydney Swans trying to get wins on the board for them and hopefully get a premiership with them. He’s an absolute superstar of the game,” he continued.

Eddie Betts has spoken out. Photo: Fox Sports

Four-time Hawthorn premiership winner Jordan Lewis also said that he believed Franklin not speaking out about it pointed to the fact he likely didn’t believe it was racially motivated.

Lewis, who won two of his premierships alongside Franklin, said be believed it was a reaction to the Swans trying to ruffle the feathers of second-year wunderkind Nick Daicos.

“I think it was the Collingwood faithful going ‘you’re going after one of our stars, we’re going to go after your stars’ — Papley being one, Bud being the other,” Lewis said.

“I think I’ve got a pretty good feel on when you go to a game and why stuff happens. I didn’t once think that this was racially motivated or anything. I just thought it was in the heat of the battle.

“If an opposition player was doing it to one of our young guns and really trying to ruffle his feathers, then that is a reaction that I would want from my home team.”

He added that it had been blown out of proportion and said as a friend and former teammate: “I don’t think it would have phased him one iota. And he would be one of those players that just wants to move on and that’s probably why he hasn’t come out and commented.”

Originally published as ‘If Buddy thinks it’s racist, it’s racist’: Only person who matters in booing furore