Should the AFL ban booing?

A simple question with a complicated answer.

I don’t condone booing, particularly when it vilifies based on race, religion etc… That stuff has no place in football.

But booing an opposition player who is tearing your team to pieces? That’s been going on for a long, long time.

The Essendon-Collingwood Anzac Day clash was a weird instance, I think Bombers fans were just venting about a loss they think they should have won.

I’m sure if they had their time again they wouldn’t boo.

“Shame on anyone that booed a champion,” Nathan Buckley told the crowd.

Fair enough for Buckley to say that, by all means put your point across, he’s up there defending his player and I’m all for that.

In a perfect world you would say you don’t want booing, but I don’t know.

I think it’s opening Pandora’s Box if you tell people when they can and can’t boo - you’re rewriting a whole tribal code.

I’ve never booed a player or an umpire, but I’ll often sit with friends and pass judgement on players who aren’t performing.

The problem the AFL have with the booing is they don’t want another Adam Goodes situation.

Gary Ablett Jnr was booed mercilessly against Hawthorn because of his actions on social media (liking Israel Folau’s homophobic Instagram post) - or maybe it was just because it was Cats v Hawks.

Either way, it’s an issue for Ablett and therefore an issue for the AFL - they don’t want a star player abused on the field.

The social media beast adds an extra level of difficulty in 2019.

If fans are getting stuck into Ablett for a political reason - which has absolutely nothing to do with football - what’s to stop trolls sifting through old Facebook “likes” for more ammunition.

I’m by no means defending Ablett’s actions, but therein lies the problem with social media, you’re being scrutinised by what you believe in based on the tap of a button.

It’s a minefield.

Things were a lot easier when I was playing, sure we copped it a bit on the oval but once the game finished, we were out of the spotlight.

Once upon a time, you were only labelled for the footy field, no one worried about your private life.

Social media doesn’t allow that for players today, it’s very hard to escape the storm.

So back to the question, should booing be banned?

If you want to boo a player who left your club or who you felt has wronged you somehow, go for it, that’s a time honoured tradition.

I probably wouldn’t, but I understand the passion of fans and why they would want to.

When it comes to social and political issues, however, you’re walking a fine line.

Let’s just say it’s going to be an interesting match-up between Geelong and Essendon this weekend.

Dale Lewis is the co-host of Triple M’s The Rush Hour with Jars & Louie, weekdays from 3-4pm and 6-7pm.

Lewis played 182 games for the Sydney Swans between 1990 and 2001.