MATT Priddis believes booing is part of the game and that fans are entitled to express their opinions following a night of drama at Patersons Stadium.
Essendon's captain and reigning Brownlow medallist Jobe Watson was booed incessantly throughout his side's gutsy seven-point win over the Eagles.
But West Coast midfielder Priddis believes nothing can - or needs to - be done about the treatment Watson received from the crowd.
"People are entitled to their opinions," Priddis said at the Eagles recovery Friday morning.
"They pay their money to come to the game. Personally it's something I wouldn't do but you can't control 36,000 people."
Watson was booed every time he touched the football after he admitted taking the banned drug AOD-9604 during the 2012 season.
His 29 possessions and two goals led to some sore throats for some Eagles fans but Priddis said Watson wasn't the only player in the AFL to get booed.
"Sledging and booing has been going on for as long as the game has been played," Priddis said.
"We've had players here who have been booed every time they've played in Melbourne.
"It's just part of the game sometimes. That's just the way it is," he said.
The Eagles midfielder was diplomatic when asked about the painstaking nature of the joint ASADA-AFL investigation into the Bombers.
"Obviously it's a pretty big issue, so they're going to take the time that is required so that they get it right," Priddis said.
"I think that's the most important thing.
"We can't really say too much until the investigations are over."
But AFL Players' Association chief executive Matt Finnis criticised the Perth crowd's treatment of Watson.
Finnis said the Bombers should be judged only when the investigation finished, adding it was acceptable for Watson to play in the meantime despite his admission.
"It's perfectly reasonable that Jobe would play football last night and continue to play because this is an investigation which is concerning events that happened almost 18 months ago," Finnis told radio 3AW.
"This is not a situation where you've got a player who has recorded a positive test to a drug and then needs to be put out so that they're not competing against other athletes week in week out with the benefit of some performance-enhancing effect."
But AFL Players' Association chief executive Matt Finnis criticised the Perth crowd's treatment of Watson.
Finnis said the Bombers should be judged only when the investigation finished, adding it was acceptable for Watson to play in the meantime despite his admission.
"It's perfectly reasonable that Jobe would play football last night and continue to play because this is an investigation which is concerning events that happened almost 18 months ago," Finnis told radio 3AW.
"This is not a situation where you've got a player who has recorded a positive test to a drug and then needs to be put out so that they're not competing against other athletes week in week out with the benefit of some performance-enhancing effect."
Priddis was frustrated that his side fell short yet again after outplaying Essendon for long periods of the match on Thursday night.
"We want these wins," he said.
"It's very disappointing we're not [winning] and we're doing everything we can to turn it around."
Priddis echoed his coach John Worsfold's assertion that the Eagles believe they can win their nine remaining matches and play finals football.
"Absolutely, we can win our next nine games. We've just got to keep bringing the effort and intensity and if we want it bad enough we can do it," he said.
