Triple premiership player and Brownlow medallist Michael Voss has encouraged crowds to show their passion — including booing — saying the latter's impact in the AFL was "significantly" overstated.
Speaking on ABC Grandstand before Port Adelaide's 16-point win against North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, the Power's midfield coach Voss was asked about two former Port Adelaide players — Jasper Pittard and Jared Polec — and whether he expected them to receive a hostile reception from their former home crowd.
"I certainly don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but we hope so," Voss said.
"In terms of the parochialism that we have — if there's one thing that I've learned about Port Adelaide is that they're very parochial and they're very passionate.
"I'm not sitting here saying that means we want two players booed but what we certainly want is energy in this stadium, and if they [crowds] have to bring it in that fashion then so be it."
The issue of booing in AFL has been front and centre in recent weeks following the reaction of the crowd to Geelong star Gary Ablett and then the furore over Essendon fans booing Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury as he accepted the Anzac Day Medal at the MCG.
The Port Adelaide crowd did respond with boos whenever Polec or Pittard had the ball.
But the speedy Polec, who kicked 46 goals in 90 games for the Power before leaving for the Kangaroos, kept his focus to kick a brilliant goal from near the boundary deep in the right forward pocket in the opening quarter.
Voss, who won three flags with the great Brisbane Lions side of the early 2000s and the Brownlow Medal in 1996 along with Essendon's James Hird, was asked if he could remember being booed by crowds in his day.
"Look, I'll be really, really honest with you — I think we overstate it significantly," he said.
"You know there have been a lot of great champions that have been booed for whatever reason, and I think we've just become a little bit too much on the other side when linking it [booing] with other things.
"But it's a passionate sport — we don't want to be coming in here and it's a sterile environment.
"People are passionate about their teams, and about their colours and their players. And we hope that it stays that way."
