Brownlow medalist Jason Akermanis has slammed his former Bulldogs teammate Bob Murphy, calling the ex-skipper "two-faced" after sharing the screen during a recent ABC Four Corners report.
Within the report into why the AFL is yet to see a player come out as gay, a column written by Akermanis for The Herald Sun in 2010 was highlighted after the triple premiership Lion asked whether it or wouldn't be โworth itโ for a homosexual player to take on what he perceived would be a "heavy burden".
13 years on from the column's publication, Akermanis clarified his stance before the broadcaster's cameras.
โBack then, I was like, Well, give a different slant,โ Akermanis expressed.
โWhy would you bother? We don't care, it's up to you. Why would you want to? Think about it. Is it worth it?
โThey're good questions to ask. You've got to weigh it up. It is a heavy burden.โ
Murphy, Akermanis' teammate during the 2010 season, told the ABC that he did not support the forward's contention, claiming that he was, in fact, "disgusted" by the comments.
However, Akermanis has since hit back, claiming that Murphy was "a complete myth".
โThe amount of people who contacted me to say how disappointed they are in the program and his behaviour is staggering,โ he said.
โHe's about himself, he never spoke to me or showed that he cares about his teammate.
โI wrote a column that was an observation, it wasn't gospel.
โHe's a complete myth.
โWith 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.
โDon't tell us you're all high and mighty and the reality is the opposite. He sooked it up then and he still is.
โHe's so two-faced and after all these years he still hasn't got (the situation) out of his head.โ
Akermanis also took aim at the broadcaster, stressing that he believed that the episode was "very biased" and painted him in a negative light.
โABC is not fair and just like it's supposed to be and show both sides. It was very biased,'' the 46-year-old said.
โJust because someone hasn't come out yet doesn't mean the AFL isn't doing enough.
โEveryone knows there is a strong culture in AFL and it's not really anyone's business.
โI 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.โ
Akermanis threw further logs on the fire, proffering that he wasn't scared of anyone in the gay community, so long as they didn't collectively "throw it in my face".
โJust because I write about it and you don't agree with it doesn't mean โฆ I'm scared of gay people, which is just complete crap,โ Akermanis said.
โLook, I personally don't care one way or the other. As long as you don't sort of throw it in my face or tell me where I'm not interested. I don't go around telling people what I do in my private life.โ
Akermanis' AFL career came to a conclusion following the 2010 season, with the four-time All-Australian shown the door after 77 games as a Bulldog.
