AFL great Jason Akermanis has issued a scathing response to former Western Bulldogs teammate Robert Murphy’s criticism of him on an ABC Four Corners story.
The Monday night program investigated why no player in the league has ever publicly come out as gay, with Murphy scathing of an Akermanis Herald Sun column from 2010 in which he urged gay players to ‘stay in the closet’.
Murphy described the article as ‘abhorrent s–t’ and told ABC reporter Louise Milligan that he was ‘disgusted’ and ’embarrassed’ by it.
Akermanis, speaking to the Herald Sun, didn’t take long to issue a scathing response, accusing Murphy of helping end his AFL career – the Bulldogs sacked him a few months after the article was published – and describing the popular former Dogs skipper as ‘two-faced’.
“He’s about himself, he never spoke to me or showed that he cares about his teammate,” Akermanis said of Murphy.
“I wrote a column that was an observation, it wasn’t gospel. He’s a complete myth.
“With his help and the Bulldogs they made sure the AFL industry didn’t employ me. He was rubbishing my brand and he avoided me until I got sacked.
“Don’t tell us you’re all high and mighty and the reality is the opposite. He sooked it up then and he still is. He’s so two-faced and after all these years he still hasn’t got [the situation] out of his head.”
Akermanis was also highly critical of the ABC report he described as ‘very biased’, accusing the program of painting him as a homophobe, an allegation he refutes.
“ABC is not fair… it’s supposed to be and show both sides. It was very biased,” Akermanis said.
“Just because someone hasn’t come out yet doesn’t mean the AFL isn’t doing enough.
“Everyone knows there is a strong culture in AFL and it’s not really anyone’s business.
“I played with [a gay player] at Brisbane and none of us cared. It didn’t worry me, I’ve got gay friends, it’s your business.”
Akermanis is one of the most decorated players in AFL history, winning a Brownlow Medal in 2001 as well as three premierships in a row with the Lions between 2001-03.
However, his was a chequered career, notably being axed by both the Lions and Bulldogs after falling out with teammates and club staff.
Jason Akermanis in action for the Western Bulldogs in 2010. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Fan favourite McDonald-Tipungwuti announces retirement
Essendon fan favourite Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is being lauded for an “incredible” career ahead of his farewell game on Friday night.
McDonald-Tipungwuti will play his 133rd AFL game when he runs out against Collingwood, after making a comeback this year from retirement.
But now he says it’s time to quit for good.
Bombers coach Brad Scott said the 30-year-old forward enjoyed a rare connection with fans.
“I said to the playing group that of all the great champions who have come through the Essendon Football Club, it’s actually hard to think of someone who has made such an impression,” Scott told reporters on Thursday.
“On our supporter base and on our club on so many different levels.
“It’s a celebration for ‘Walla’.”
“The turnaround from where he was to where he is now has been incredible.
“But by his own admission next year is just a bridge too far for him, both physically and mentally.”
Born in the Tiwi Islands, McDonald-Tipungwuti moved to Melbourne aged 17 when unable to speak, read or write English.
The goalsneak played for Gippsland Power in the U18 competition and played reserves for the Bombers before they rookie listed him in late 2015.
McDonald-Tipungwuti made his AFL debut in 2016 and was Essendon’s leading goalkicker in 2020.
He retired in May last year before changing his mind in November.
McDonald-Tipungwuti’s farewell comes after the Bombers crashed out of finals reckoning with a 126-point capitulation to GWS last start.
Scott said the massive loss had been intensively reviewed.
“We got obliterated around the ball,” he said.
“A 40-plus contested possession differential hasn’t been a hallmark of our season.
“We defended really poorly and we were as poor offensively as we’ve been all season.
“You get those three things wrong it’s going to be a pretty tough day and it proved to be that.”
The Bombers are set to be without sore trio Sam Draper, Jake Stringer and Matt Guelfi while key forward Peter Wright also missed match-eve training.
(AAP)
Saints launch bid for Marvel home final
St Kilda will seek AFL permission to play a home elimination final at Marvel Stadium, should they retain their position of sixth on the ladder after this weekend’s last home-and-away round.
The Saints are locked into finals, but face a tough clash with Brisbane at the Gabba this weekend with high stakes: victory could see them finish as high as fifth and will guarantee a home final, while defeat would give Sydney a chance of leapfrogging them should they beat Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday.
Should the Saints retain home finals rights, however, club CEO Simon Lethlean has expressed their preference to play the game at home ground Marvel Stadium, rather than the MCG; however, he admits the bid is unlikely to succeed.
“History will show if there is only two or three finals and not four in Victoria they will be at the MCG,” Lethlean told 3AW.
“I don’t expect that will be any different… if we were given a choice, we would certainly want to play at our home ground which is Marvel.
“If it is in Victoria we would be super happy.”
Due to the increased capacity of the latter ground at nearly 100,000 compared to the Docklands stadium’s 50,000, the AFL has scheduled all Victorian finals matches at the MCG since 2013.
Marvel Stadium has only been used previously if too many matches are to be played at the MCG on a finals weekend, with the last final at the venue, coincidentally, a St Kilda-Sydney elimination final back in 2011.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
‘No one gives a s–t what you think’: Dees great blasts Kane Cornes over Goodwin jab
Melbourne great Russell Robertson has taken to Facebook in a scathing criticism of controversial AFL pundit Kane Cornes, following a swipe at Simon Goodwin over his reaction to Hawthorn tagger Finn Maginness.
Cornes took issue with Goodwin claiming Maginness ‘doesn’t want the ball’ after restricting Clayton Oliver to just 14 disposals in the Hawks’ loss to the Demons on Sunday, claiming he and Oliver ‘sook[ed] it up’.
“He [Goodwin] said that my man Finn Maginness does not want to get the ball. He had one less possession than Clayton Oliver!” Cornes said on SEN on Monday.
“These midfielders cannot cope, they sook it up when there’s any attention that has been put to them.
“The minute they get one tag for the year they can’t handle it and the opposition coach is forced to come out and whack Finn Maginness. Extraordinary.”
In response, Robertson wrote on Facebook that ‘nobody gives a s–t what you [Cornes] think’, saying Cornes’ criticism of Goodwin was ‘out of line’.
“Fact is in that game, Finn Macgginess [sic] didn’t want the ball, he was intent on purely stopping a far superior player in Clarry,” Robertson wrote.
“Everybody else can have their opinion but no one gives a sh*t what you think especially paid millions to shoot off at the mouth ex players.
“The worlds gone crazy… out of line… god get over yourself mate. Also I’m aware that no one gives a sh*t about my opinion either would Kane, I’m nobody to him but seriously… out of line.”
Score review changes loom for finals after Adelaide Oval fiasco
The AFL is set to change its much-criticised score review system on the eve of finals, in order to avoid mistakes like the controversial hit the post ruling that cost Adelaide a crucial match with Sydney on the weekend.
According to a report by The Age, the league will send a senior official to the AFL Review Centre (ARC) to oversee decision and communicate directly with on-field umpires, while the time allowed for goal umpires to call for a review will increase by eight seconds.
The AFL has also reportedly told field umpires during the week to be more assertive in intervening if they feel an error has been made by a goal umpire.
The changes come after Collingwood coach Craig McRae urged the system to be tweaked in the wake of the weekend’s controversy, where a Ben Keays snap to put the Crows in front in the dying minutes against the Swans was ruled to have hit the post, before replays indicated it should have been awarded a goal.
“When the umpire says ‘I believe it’s a point’, what if he just said ‘I’m not sure’, and let the technology take care of itself,” McRae.
“Then let them make the decisions, because there are a lot of inconclusive decisions and they just go with what the umpire said.
“What if the umpire did nothing and let the technology [run] its course?
“It’s just the grand final test for me – if this happened in a grand final, would we be happy with it? I think most of us know the answer to that.”
