Jason Horne-Francis has been blasted by Matthew Lloyd, who claimed the Port Adelaide star needed to ‘grow up’.

In what was a brutal address to the 21-year-old midfielder, Lloyd also claimed that Horne-Francis’ decision to turn his back on Power coach Ken Hinkley was ‘unforgivable’ and a ‘droppable offence’.

While the youngster is enjoying an excellent season, unsavoury scenes erupted during Ports’ 14.13 (97) to 13.10 (88) victory against North Melbourne.

The youngster was involved in a heated scrap with several Kangaroos players during the match, with senior Port players having to step in to tell the midfielder to keep his cool.

Horne-Francis was then seen conversing with Power boss Hinkley alongside several of his team-mates but appeared to turn his back on the footy coach.

He was pulled back by other members of the team as Hinkley continued to speak with him.

“It’s nearly droppable behaviour if your coach is talking to you and you are walking away, not wanting to hear him out”

Matthew Lloyd says Jason Horne-Francis is a star but must ‘grow up’ quickly.#9AFLSFS | Watch on Nine & 9Now 🖥️ pic.twitter.com/D44wukedpn

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) April 27, 2025

Jason Horne-Francis has been blasted by multiple former pros, after Port Adelaide's victory against North Melbourne

Jason Horne-Francis has been blasted by multiple former pros, after Port Adelaide’s victory against North Melbourne

The footy star, who used to play for North Melbourne, was involved in a scrap during the match as tempers flared

The footy star, who used to play for North Melbourne, was involved in a scrap during the match as tempers flared 

Horne-Francis was then seen speaking with Port Adelaide boss Ken Hinkley and appeared to turn his back on the coach, before being pulled back by his team-mates

Horne-Francis was then seen speaking with Port Adelaide boss Ken Hinkley and appeared to turn his back on the coach, before being pulled back by his team-mates

‘Well done by the leaders of Port Adelaide and Ken Hinkley for the way that they handled it,’ Matthew Lloyd said to Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show.

‘Jason’s a star and he’s playing wonderful football. But he’s just lost all of his emotions in this game.’

Horne-Francis amassed 27 disposals during Saturday’s clash while also booting a goal to help Port seal their fourth win of the season.

But for Lloyd, the unsavoury moment marred the young star’s performance.

‘He got sucked into a point where he didn’t want to listen to his coach and he was dragged back by his players,’ the Essendon star said.

Lloyd also branded Zak Butters sensational for his work trying to control his team-mate but then turned back to Horne-Francis.

‘This is to a point where Jason has to grow up,’ Lloyd said.

‘His coach is talking to him trying to tell him to “calm down” and he walks off on the coach and that is still petulant behaviour and you do not want too many players in your team like that.’

Former player Matthew Lloyd (pictured) has slammed Horne-Francis over the 'petulant acts' and claimed that the 21-year-old should be dropped by his coach

Former player Matthew Lloyd (pictured) has slammed Horne-Francis over the ‘petulant acts’ and claimed that the 21-year-old should be dropped by his coach

Hinkley (left) laughed at the situation after the game, telling reporters he was pleased Horne-Francis showed desire to win but added the midfielder had let his emotions boil over

Hinkley (left) laughed at the situation after the game, telling reporters he was pleased Horne-Francis showed desire to win but added the midfielder had let his emotions boil over

Former Adelaide star Rory Sloane added: ‘It is [petulant] but as a senior player you’ve got to look after him and that is exactly what Butters and Connor Rozee have done. Look at Rozee here, he’s talking to him, he’s like: “No mate. I’m reinforcing the point that my coach is making”.

‘Butters rips him back in and says: “Mate I’ve seen this before from myself so you’ve got to learn from it”.

While Horne-Francis has been one of Port Adelaide’s top performers this season, Lloyd added: ‘It’s nearly droppable behaviour if your coach is talking to you and you are walking away from your coach not wanting to hear him out.’

Damien Barrett disagreed though, stating that Horne-Francis’ ‘volatility’ makes him a great player and interestingly praised the footy star for the action claiming it’s nice to see players show a bit of fire.

‘Celebrate the fact that he’s playing for keeps,’ he said.

‘This is what you get with Jason Horne-Francis, he does play to win Lloydy. And North Melbourne couldn’t deal with him when he was there for one season of footy. I reckon North Melbourne could have benefitted yesterday from having someone with that type of attitude to not take no.

‘I get what you’re saying about the behaviour and the attitude and the message it sends to the players, but I think they know what they’re getting with this player.’

But Lloyd disagreed: ‘It’s all fun and games until you lose a tight one because he does something stupid.

Horne-Francis had clashed with Tristan Xerri of the Kangaroos during Saturday's victory

Horne-Francis had clashed with Tristan Xerri of the Kangaroos during Saturday’s victory

Horne-Francis has been one of Port's top players this season managing 27 disposals and a goal during Saturday's match

Horne-Francis has been one of Port’s top players this season managing 27 disposals and a goal during Saturday’s match

‘I just think, play on the edge, there’s wonderful players that play on the edge but it’s keeping things in control. When your coach speaks to you don’t turn your back. That’s nearly to me unforgivable.’

Hinkley was pressed on the matter during his post-match press conference and seemed in good spirits about the moment, smiling and laughing at reporters when asked about Horne-Francis.

‘He was [pretty fired up],’ the coach said.

He added: ‘He let his emotions boil over into stuff he couldn’t control. That’s what he wasn’t getting more than he was doing. When he gets like that we’ve just got to try and bring him down. The best people to listen to and talk to is his captain [Butters].

‘Just trying to help him and calm him down a bit because he’s an emotional player,’ the Port boss said, revealing what he told Horne-Francis.

‘I love that about him. He’s such a fierce competitor and he’s playing against North Melbourne, we all understand where he came from.

‘I think the thing we miss a bit with Horne-Francis is that he has to work damn hard for any free kick, yet he can give them away a little bit easy I think.

‘I would just recommend that he gets to earn his free kicks a lot more than most people and I’m not saying he does that perfect, I think he just gets held onto and all sorts of treatment and he keeps playing hard and going at the footy and sometimes they boil over. You can’t have players like that who don’t always get it perfect for themselves and the team but you admire the way they go about it.’

Butters laughed at the situation adding it was like ‘trying to cage a raging bull’ but added he’d much rather work with someone like Horne-Francis than someone who he had to get fired up to play.



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