They’re not actually booing Brisbane’s number 38 – they’re calling out his name. Brisbane Lions #38 is Bruce Reville, and what sounds like “booooo” from the crowd is actually fans chanting “Bruuuce!” as a positive cheer whenever he goes near the ball or gets a possession. This kind of drawn‑out name call is a long‑standing footy tradition (similar things have happened with players like Luke Bruce/Breust and others whose names sound like “boo”), and it often confuses people watching on TV or at the ground for the first time.

So:

  • It’s meant as support, not criticism.
  • The chant is “Bruuuce”, drawn out so it sounds like a boo.
  • Reville has quickly become a bit of a cult figure at Brisbane, which is why you hear it so loudly and so often.

In short, they’re cheering Bruce Reville, not booing him.