People criticising and booing Port Adelaide's Jason Horne-Francis should be embarrassed, his coach Ken Hinkley says.
An annoyed Hinkley is imploring the AFL world to treat Horne-Francis with some respect.
Adelaide-born Horne-Francis, the AFL's number one draft pick in 2021, walked out of North Melbourne after one season to return home and join Port.
Hinkley is angered by Horne-Francis being booed by fans during games - most recently by sections of the Adelaide Oval crowd when Port downed the Western Bulldogs by 14 points - 10.10 (70) to 8.8 (56) - on Saturday night.
"Jason Horne-Francis is 19," Hinkley said.
"Some part of it is really annoying me, about the way people are treating him, it's annoying me.
"If you're treating my 19-year-old son the way some people have treated him, I would be embarrassed by my performance if I was those people.
"I think it has been really unfair."
Horne-Francis, citing homesickness, demanded a trade from North Melbourne despite being contracted to the Kangaroos for this season.
The Power swooped on the prodigious talent, who is averaging 18.5 disposals a game for the South Australian club.
"The kid made a courageous decision to come home," Hinkley said.
"Let the kid play footy. He's 19.
"I am talking about people who write stories every week, who talk stories every week, and I'm talking about the treatment that they (the crowd) gave him at times tonight.
"Without making a big deal of it, the kid is trying, he's giving his best.
"He's 19. Stop treating him like he's 28. And treat the kid with some respect.
"And I tell you what, some people who put pressure on kids in this game need to have a good hard look at themselves."
Hinkley said Horne-Francis had shown no signs of being impacted by the jeering.
"Great credit to him, he just wants to play good footy," he said.
"He is happy being home. Good on him."
