Isaac Quaynor speaks over treatment from Adelaide Crows fans, Adelaide Crows issue statement, Craig McRae slams behaviour after Collingwood def Adelaide, result, reaction

Collingwood star Isaac Quaynorhas opened up on the relentless booing he was subjected to by Adelaide Crows fans on Thursday night during the Magpies’ 34-point win on Thursday night.

“Not amazing, but it is what it is,” Quaynor said.

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“ I’m always so locked into the game and I don’t really notice it.

But obviously it’s there and the boys (teammates) notice it.

“I think everyone’s a bit confused by it but I obviously understand why they’re doing it. Whether or not I agree with it is obviously a different question. Hopefully that’s it for that.”

Quaynor said he did not believe there were racial undertones to the Crowds crowd behaviour.

It comes after Quaynor was the Magpies player on the receiving end of Izak Rankine’s homophobic slur in the Round 23 Adelaide-Collingwood match last year.

“I’m sure I can speak on Izak’s behalf that we both want to move past this,” he said.

“People make mistakes. I’m sure he’s learnt from it.”

Adelaide, meanwhile, has responded after Collingwood coach Craig McRae hit out at Crows fans

In his press conference on Wednesday, Crows coach Matthew Nicks asked for fans to “be respectful”. Instead, the parochial home crowd targeted the Pies defender.

“Quaynor (is being) booed every time he gets the football,” Fox Footy caller Mark Howard noted in the first quarter on Thursday night as Quaynor often found the footy.

“The Adelaide Football Club asked the supporters not to do it after the last qualifying final. Unfortunately, they’re continuing with that act.”

In response, the Crows released a statement on Friday afternoon, with CEO Tim Silvers saying the behaviour of fans who booed was “not good enough”.

“Our Club loves the passion and emotion our members and supporters bring to Adelaide Oval and the atmosphere they help create,” Silvers said.

“We also strongly believe there is a line between passionate support and behaviour that falls short of our values and those of the game.

“We want our people to be vocal, engaged and passionate, but to do so respectfully.

“The overwhelming majority of our members and supporters represent the Club exceptionally well.

“However, the behaviour of some crossed the line last night. Put simply, it was inappropriate and not good enough.

“Respect for all players coaches, officials and fellow supporters is paramount, and it is a standard we must all uphold.”

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Post-match, speaking to Fox Footy’s Mark Howard and Jack Riewoldt, McRae found it hard to summon the words to express

his obvious disappointment with what played out.

“I’m just not sure how the world works when someone’s been vilified (to then be booed),” McRae said.

“How does that become … I’m on the bench early (in the game) and I started to really … I love to protect our boys. I don’t know what that looks like, but it was a really strange one for me.

“And he must’ve had the ball a lot early, because he got booed a lot. Credit to him, we love our own, we’ll get around him, support him.

“I’m just not sure how that works, in the world we live in. It’s a strange one.”

McRae spoke further in his post-game press conference, urging spectators to consider their conduct.

“People pay their money, they can do what they like when they come to a game,” he said.

“I teach my children that we don’t boo. We show respect to all people.

“It’s a fascinating narrative around why they would boo him. My understanding – (he) was a victim of a homophobic slur and he’s getting booed for that?

“There’s a sense of responsibility I feel for our players. We protect them; look after them; make them feel safe. That’s what we can control.”

Nicks, meanwhile, wasn’t anywhere near as strong when probed about the fans’ behaviour.

“You look at that – I mentioned it during the week, about why we play footy, why people come to the footy; it’s about entertainment, it’s about enjoyment, passion,” Nicks said.

“The game is a passionate game, and sometimes we lose our way in that a little.

“And with the backdrop, and I guess the background leading into this game, it’s not ideal the way it played out tonight.”

After last year’s qualifying final, where the booing began, Nicks did not comment on the behaviour which saw him criticised by many observers.

Howard, after the McRae interview, was also left perplexed.

“He’s been the victim of a homophobic slur, and he’s been booed by the crowd,” Howard said on Thursday Night Footy on Fox.

“I’m sure the Adelaide Football Club will make a strong statement about it, but there’s been a history in our game in the past. As the coach said, it’s hard to fathom.”

Triple Richmond premiership star Jack Riewoldt added: “Adelaide came out pre-game and said that they didn’t want to see this, but sometimes the more you tell people not to do stuff, they then do the opposite.

“I thought it was really disappointing.

“It would have been a huge challenge for (Quaynor) to get on the plane and come back to this ground. Obviously, he’d played in a final here last year as well, but he’s coming back to a place where that incident did happen.

“I thought he handled himself excellently. I thought Craig handled himself really well then, too, because he is super protective.

“Coaches treat their players like sons in the men’s game … it would be so frustrating. It’s so hurtful for Isaac and also Craig.”

The booing persisted but got quieter as Collingwood dominated Adelaide, with the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph earlier addressing the situation at half-time.

“The booing of Isaac Quaynor is sheer lunacy, given that he of course was the innocent victim of the homophobic slur last year in Round 23,” he said.

“It’s not what he (Izak Rankine) would want, and it’s certainly not what Matthew Nicks asked for as recently as yesterday, when he said ‘let’s have some respect for the Collingwood players’.

“After the booing of last year’s qualifying final, Craig McRae said how disappointed he was by it.”

Following the match, AFL legend Jason Dunstall said he hopes supporters who booed “have a good think about it”.

“We have to be better as a society, but unfortunately, we lack control in that instance,” he said.

Former Carlton coach Michael Voss added that the booing was indicative of the “dark side of football”.

“It just doesn’t represent our game at all,” he said.

“You just wish that people could see that, and just completely cut it out.”