Collingwood AFL coach Nathan Buckley says he’d prefer it if his side’s fans had not booed Essendon’a Jobe Watson in Sunday’s MCG clash, but that’s just how Australian society operates.
Skipper Watson and his Essendon teammates and club officials are facing an investigation from ASADA over possible anti-doping code breaches and Collingwood’s fans gave the 2012 Brownlow Medallist plenty of attention from the cheap seats on Sunday, yelling abuse at every opportunity.
Watson, in his first game back after missing three matches with a broken collarbone, was one of his side’s better contributors with a 31-possession performance as the Bombers endured a dark day.
Collingwood won 20.13 (133) to 7.12 (54), pushing Essendon from fourth to fifth as the Magpies jumped from seventh to sixth after round 19.
It wasn’t the first time Watson had been booed all day long, as West Coast’s fans offered the same reception in round 14 at Patersons Stadium.
“That just happens in footy, doesn’t it,” Buckley said.
Buckley, who was often booed himself in his Brownlow Medal-winning days as a Collingwood player, says fans just like to get involved in the game any way they can.
“If you could be different, it would be great but there is something about our culture isn’t it?,” Buckley said.
“We cut down the tall poppies a little bit but Jobe Watson is a fantastic footballer.
“In the limited time that I’ve spent around him he’s a fantastic young man but that doesn’t stop the (fans of the) opposition side trying to have an involvement in the game and trying to put him off or put the opposition off.
“I teach my sons not to boo, just to cheer, so I’ll do it with two people and see how everyone else goes.”
Essendon coach James Hird said he didn’t hear any booing.
“He showed tonight what a good player he is to come back and have the touch he had and to lead his team,” Hird said.
“Unfortunately we didn’t have enough around him.”
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