Andy Maher has lashed out at the difference in prominence of reporting the media places between the AFL and the A-League, expressing disappointment at the lack of coverage the crowd brawl at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night has received.

The melee that erupted in the stands immediately after the final siren in the showdown between Adelaide and Port Adelaide is currently under police investigation, with up to 15 people, believed to be mostly Power supporters, involved in the incident, thought to have been triggered by some Port supporters spitting on Crows fans celebrating their club’s win.

The Crows and the Power have both released statements today confirming they are looking into potential racial abuse of star forward Eddie Betts and Power ruckman Paddy Ryder during the game by crowd members as well.

Maher called the reports stemming from the match a disgrace, and is angered by the lack of attention these issues have received in the mainstream media when similar events occurring at an A-League match would garner front page headlines in newspapers around Australia.

“There’s definitely a double standard, there’s no question about that,” he said on SEN Breakfast.

“I have got no doubt in my mind that there is a willingness and there is a hunger for mainstream media, particularly the News Limited press, to highlight anything that goes wrong in a game of soccer.

“There was not only the brawl at Adelaide Oval, but there are allegations that two players were racially abused in that game on Saturday night which is an absolute disgrace that in 2017 that is still happening.”

Maher believes that old prejudices held towards soccer from some people in this country may still be the driving force behind the disparity in anti-social behaviour reporting between the two codes.

“I hate bringing racism into this but if you go right back to the barest of bones, I feel like there is still somewhere in the Australian psyche that it’s ‘wog ball’. It’s their game, it’s not our game. They dive, their crowds are no good, there’s ethnicity involved, you can’t control the wild people from Eastern Europe, they bring their problems from over there to here,” he said.

“Somewhere in the DNA of this town and some of the people that present the news to the rest of us in this town, I think that still exists and it feeds part of the populace’s view that that is still out there.

“I think it is dangerous, I think it is unfair. If I’m a soccer fan and see it highlighted in our game but not in theirs, if you want to break it down like that, I can feel the frustration.”

The AFL have yet to make a statement on matters stemming from Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, but League operations boss Simon Lethlean says that despite racism being a wider community issue, they are working tirelessly to stomp out such behaviour from the game.

“Racism in the community is abhorrent and it’s hurtful and damaging to those who have been affected by it. You don’t need to be in a position running football to understand that,” he said.

“Will it ever be eliminated entirely? While we’d love it to be, we want our environment to be safe and inclusive for all who attend and play. That’s our aim and if racism occurs in our crowd or otherwise, we need to keep calling that out and work with those who are perpetrating that and protect our players who are hurt and damaged by it.

“It’s disgraceful and we don’t want it part of our game but it’s a community issue, not just a sport issue and we are here as a sporting code to educate and help eliminate such behaviour. It’s not on and it’s offensive.”