Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus has praised the courage of Danyle Pearce for making a complaint against Will Minson for an alleged slur about Pearce’s mother.
The AFL said on Monday it was investigating the Port playmaker’s claim that Western Bulldogs ruckman Minson made the comment during Sunday’s round-12 game at Etihad Stadium.
Minson in 2008 apologised for offending Power veteran Kane Cornes with a comment about the Port player’s ill son.
Primus said Pearce appeared angry on the field during the fourth-quarter incident and soon after the game he reported his concerns to club officials.
“He was pretty angry during the game and after the game he was upset,” Primus told FoxFooty’s AFL360 on Monday night.
“He certainly thought it was well outside the boundaries and we fully support Danyle on how he felt about it.
“The AFL are pretty strong on what is acceptable and what’s not acceptable now and we’ll let it play out now on what the AFL decides to do from here.
“It does take courage. You don’t do these things lightly.
“Danyle certainly felt pretty aggrieved by it all. I applaud him for standing up for what he believes in.
“It was something that went well over the top of what Danyle expects to happen on the footy field.
“He’s happy to get tagged every week and get smacked around in that regard. But what happened on the weekend was certainly unacceptable from our footy club’s point of view and Danyle’s.”
Pearce’s teammates were also angered by the remark.
“There’s times when you just go on a little bit too far and I guess that is one of these situations,” Port midfielder Brad Ebert told reporters on Monday.
“Minson, he goes out onto the field and plays hard and I guess he gets carried away with a few comments every now and then.”
Pearce declined to comment when Port returned to Adelaide on Monday.
Cornes’ wife Lucy tweeted her disgust at Minson’s latest outburst.
“U r an oxygen thief,” Lucy Cornes said.
Primus said the 2008 incident was a tough time for the Cornes family.
“It wasn’t thought too highly of,” Primus said of Minson’s 2008 comment.
“It got dealt with at that time and it has reared its head again.
“I’m sure it’s a coincidence it has happened with us. We supported Kane then and we’ll support Danyle now.”
Ebert said all AFL players should be aware of the difference between banter and abuse.
“You always have talks about what is allowed,” he said.
“Family, race, religion are three of the big things that you probably steer clear of.”
