Buckley condemns Selwood boos

NATHAN Buckley has condemned the “unacceptable” boos directed at Geelong captain Joel Selwood during Saturday night’s match against Collingwood at the MCG.

Selwood was booed by Magpies fans throughout the second half of his milestone match over a high tackle on Collingwood youngster Jack Ginnivan.

Buckley, who called out Essendon spectators for booing Magpies’ captain Scott Pendlebury after an Anzac Day game in 2019, did not like the treatment Selwood received from the Collingwood faithful.

The 33-year-old, in his 227th game as Geelong skipper – a VFL/AFL record – had the last laugh as the Cats came from 37 points down to beat the Pies by 13 points.

“Unacceptable [the boos], don’t like it, don’t like it at all,” Buckley told SEN Breakfast.

“I understand the emotions that come with following your team and witnessing a great contest before your eyes and there is a cathartic effect of going to the footy where we release those emotions – anger, stress and we get emotionally involved.

“I think cheer as loud as you want, hoot and holler as loud as you like, but I just think booing or denigrating someone is just not something that needs to happen.

“That doesn’t mean that I don’t understand it, but I just don’t like it.”

Buckley continued, “When I hear it, I don’t like it.

“If I’m sitting in a crowd or I’m sitting in an environment and I see it, it’s disrespectful, but that’s my opinion.

“Remember a couple of years ago, I chipped the Essendon crowd, or the crowd full stop, about ‘Pendles’ getting booed, and I said after that that I hope that I would’ve been strong enough to have that opinion if it was the other way around, and I do.

“I just don’t like it.”

Selwood finished with 22 disposals and five clearances in Geelong’s come-from-behind win.

– BY ALEX ZAIA/ SEN