'I'm not going to tell people not to boo': McLachlan
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan says he understands the booing by Essendon supporters at Thursday's Anzac Day match, and that there would be a review of umpiring decisions.
"I'm not going to tell people not to boo," he said on 3AW on Friday morning.
McLachlan characterised the booing during Scott Pendlebury's acceptance speech for the Anzac Medal as an "outpour of frustration", rather than being directed at any individual player and said it could not be compared to the booing of Adam Goodes which "crossed the line".
"Personally I don't quite understand booing and I don't like it and I certainly don't like targeting of champions with booing," McLachlan said.
"But yesterday I think it was an emotional response to the loss at the end of the day and all the circumstances that built up to the loss.
"I don't think they were personally booing Scott Pendlebury, I think they were booing the situation."
He acknowledged that Essendon fans felt the umpires had been unfair to them and said there would be a review done overnight and on Saturday.
"That's my context of the booing and I understand it's an emotional game, and that's the response."
He rejected the notion that booing may have increased in intensity, saying that the Essendon v Collingwood match, and the booing of Gary Ablett earlier in the week on Easter Monday, were the first incidents this year.
"I think booing is generally a chink in the armour of our game, but I understand it. But where it crosses the line is the targeting of individuals, I think that's unacceptable."