Eddie McGuire Says Booing At AFL Games Needs To Stop After Anzac Day Match Controversy

The sacred Anzac Day match between Collingwood and Essendon was marred yesterday when fans at the MCG booed Magpies star Scott Pendlebury as he accepted the Anzac medal.

The game was already controversial due to what some fans called questionable calls from the umpire which led to Collingwood beating the Bombers by four points.

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said: "I think the Bombers were so pent up at the end of the game that they were going to boo anything.

"I don't think it was personal at Bucks, I don't think it was personal at Pendles. I don't think it was personal at the Collingwood Football Club. I think it was just pent up emotion. We have to stop it though.

"Because what happened to Gary [Ablett], what happened to Adam Goodes, we don't need that stuff."

Shortly after Pendlebury accepted his medal, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley slammed the negative crowd.

"Shame on anyone that booed a champion," he said.

"I'd just like to acknowledge that we are blessed to have an opportunity to play on this day.

"Thank you to the AFL, thank you to the Essendon Football Club and we as a football club are very proud of the opportunity to represent on this day."

Reactions to the booing have been split, with some people arguing it's free speech and others saying it has no place in the sport, especially at the Anzac Day match.

One person wrote on Twitter: "They're booing the umpires, anyone who doesn't realise that is a flog."

Another replied to that post, saying: "Mate, the general booing is fine, it's pent up frustration, but during Pendles' speech was dead average, coming from a Dons fan...he has no control over the umpiring."

A third added: "Weak fans blame umpires and sad supporters can't recognise a good game. Embarrassing from Essendon fans."

However a fourth retorted: "Are our AFL Players, Clubs & Coaches getting too precious? It's a contact sport! FFS"

People have started likening the moment to Gary Ablett Jr being booed by fans during Geelong's match against Hawthorn, all because he liked, then unliked Israel Folau's controversial and homophobic social media post.

It also harks back to Adam Goodes being jeered at by hordes of fans every time he approached the ball in 2015.

Featured Image Credit: Fox Sports

Topics: SPORT, Entertainment, Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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