Matthew Nicks speaks after Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch embroiled in post-Showdown fan drama

Matthew Nicks says he fears for the future of close interactions between fans and AFL players after Matt Crouch was embroiled in a post-Showdown hat attack drama.

Adelaide senior coach Matthew Nicks says he is worried that footy could lose a “really positive side”, the opportunity for fans to interact with players at ground level, as Crows midfielder Matt Crouch is investigated for an alleged attack involving a Port Adelaide fan after the Showdown.

What had already been a memorable Showdown for all the wrong reasons, Power star Willie Rioli was racially abused on social media and Port’s ‘Thunda’ mascot was left with a blood nose after being punched prior to the fiery match, has taken another twist with an incident between Crouch and a fan investigated.

A spokesman for SA Police said the matter was under investigation by Eastern District Police, after they received a report at the end of the Showdown.

In footage circulated after the match, Crouch is seen confronting the Power supporter — who was yelling over the fence near the Crows’ race as they walked off the ground following the loss — flinging his hat off his head.

While it seems like a trivial matter, especially to warrant police resources being used, it is understood that the fan was sporting a ‘puffy’ eye when he spoke to Port staff following the Showdown.

Nicks said the 29-year-old Crouch “has our full support” and he was concerned about what an incident like that would mean for accessibility of players to fans.

“It is a hard one because I look at the positive and the negative, on the flip side of it the reason we allow fans so close to the players at the game is for those kids who just love footy and they have idols and heroes and they want to get amongst it and get selfies and that is the really positive side of our game that we love,” he said.

The video showing the alleged incident of Matt Crouch knocking off a football fans hat after the Showdown. Picture: 7NEWS

Earlier this year a Collingwood fan copped a one-year ban for making contact with a West Coast player as he went to get the ball after it went out of bounds.

Nicks said it would be the kids who would miss out if footy had to put any sort of distance between players and fans at games.

“That is the part I probably worry about (do they have to look at how close fans can be to players), is then what to we lose?” he said.

“From a positive perspective that interaction with fans and kids who just love footy and come down and spend time and meet some of them.

“Now days it is a selfie or getting their boots and if we put up barriers and fences we lose that and I don’t want to lose that because that is one of the best parts of footy.”

Originally published as Matthew Nicks speaks after Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch embroiled in post-Showdown fan drama