Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury has criticised sections of the Adelaide Oval crowd after defender Isaac Quaynor was repeatedly booed during the Magpies' 34-point comeback victory over Adelaide.

Playing his 150th AFL match, Quaynor received boos whenever he touched the ball, despite being the victim of a homophobic slur made by Adelaide player Izak Rankine in the lead-up to last year's qualifying final.

Pendlebury said the reaction reflected more poorly on those supporters than on Quaynor himself, adding that football supporters and the wider AFL community should strive to behave better.He also expressed confidence that Quaynor would not be affected by the hostile reception and said his teammates would continue to support him.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae echoed those sentiments after the match, explaining that he teaches his children not to boo players and questioning why Quaynor was being treated as though he had done something wrong.

McRae also revealed that he spoke with Rankine after the final siren, emphasising that the club respects the Adelaide forward and believes people should be allowed to acknowledge mistakes, learn from them and move forward.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks had urged Crows supporters before the match to treat Quaynor respectfully, but admitted afterwards that the situation had not unfolded as hoped.While noting that football is an emotional game, Nicks said the crowd's behaviour was not ideal given the circumstances.

The incident has renewed discussion about supporter conduct, player welfare and the responsibility of fans to distinguish between on-field rivalry and the treatment of players who have themselves been victims of abuse.