After initially being tightlipped, coach Matthew Nicks now has a message for Adelaide fans opening theirs to boo opposition players.
Don’t do it.
The Adelaide Oval crowd was widely criticised for jeering Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor during last Thursday night’s qualifying final.
Quaynor was the target of a homophobic slur from Izak Rankine that led to a four-game ban for the Crows star.
Nicks, in his media conference after Adelaide’s 24-point loss to the Pies, refused to comment on the crowd behaviour.
The next day, Crows hierarchy, and also leadership group member Reilly O’Brien, branded the booing of Quaynor as disappointing, echoing the thoughts of Collingwood coach Craig McRae.
Nicks on Thursday intimated he should have addressed the jeering post-match.
“Yeah, in a post-game (media conference), it’s tough because we sit in a soundproof booth so we don’t really see much of it,” he told reporters.
“Looking back on it, our fans are passionate – I love our fans’ passion.
“But personally, I’m not a fan of booing.
“I would encourage our supporters (to) put your energy and your intensity behind us and our performance.”
The Crows meet Hawthorn and polarising forward Jack Ginnivan in a knockout semi-final on Friday night at a sold-out Adelaide Oval.
But Nicks, asked if he’d advise Crows fans not to jeer Ginnivan, replied with a smile: “I don’t need to comment around that.”
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