Former Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff has revealed he was spat at by Carlton supporters after the Blues’ three-point win over the Power on Sunday at the MCG.
Rockliff, 32, played 54 games for the Power between 2018 and 2021, retiring in August of last year after a brutal run with injuries.
Attending his first game as a fan, Rockliff took his wife and son to the MCG to support his former teammates as they just fell short despite once trailing by as many as 50 points in the second term.
Taking to Twitter, the former midfielder said he was spat at while walking out of the venue with his son after the loss.
I admit I was cheering harder than anyone at the ‘G and pushed it - but there is a difference between cheering and being spat at https://t.co/lNIrSnMDyY
— Tom Rockliff (@rockwiz38) April 17, 2022
Proud of the boys.. they left nothing on the ‘G pic.twitter.com/1FBxXRS0cU
— Tom Rockliff (@rockwiz38) April 17, 2022
Speaking to Fox Sports in the aftermath of the incident, Rockliff said that while he “probably pushed the boundary” with his own supporting, he described his overall experience as “horrible” due to his interaction with a small portion of Blues fans.
“I was cheering hard for Port Adelaide – you can probably hear it in my voice, my voice is gone – and I probably pushed the boundary (with my banter),” Rockliff said.
“I’ve got no issue with anything that gets said. But after it’s said and done and you walk out getting spat at, it’s pretty disrespectful – not only to me, but it leaves a sour taste in my son’s mouth as well.
“I’ve always been at the footy and he’s been up in the stands with his mother watching and the first opportunity that I got to take him to the MCG – the colosseum of AFL footy – and for him to leave with that experience is really disappointing.
“It’s not Carlton’s fault, to be honest, just those specific supporters that thought it was a good idea. They were very quiet in the second half but wanted to have a crack after the game, which is disappointing.
“They were very verbal inside the ground (during the first half) and I just covered up my son’s ears, but when you get a little saliva spat at you – whether it was deliberate or not, I would say it was deliberate and whoever it was would say it wasn’t deliberate – it’s not a great feeling.”
While Rockliff wasn’t pleased with the small number of Carlton fans that he directly interacted with, he did take to Twitter to praise how passionate the majority of supporters were as the club picked up their fourth win in five games.
I will say this, I loved my fan engagement with @CarltonFC fans today.. (besides one engagement) passionate as any team. I wish you all the best and jump on the Blues Train if you not sure who to jump on
— Tom Rockliff (@rockwiz38) April 17, 2022
Just be good supporters
Despite the loss, Rockliff said the Power should be proud of their performance after nearly snatching an unlikely victory.
“Carlton were the better team on the day, but Port Adelaide should still be very happy with that performance,” Rocklfif told Fox Sports.
“What a great game of footy – that’s what we should be talking about, not me when I was walking out of the game.”