Jason Akermanis looks on during the AFL 2nd Qualifying Final between the Geelong Cats and the Western Bulldogs at the MCG. Slattery Images
It’s time Jason Akermanis put his attention grabbing and unnecessary opinions back where they belong – in the closet. Aker is, of course, paid to give his opinion, right or wrong. But this to me stinks of hypocrisy from a bloke who often takes a moral high ground.
He supposedly has no problem with men being gay but bizarrely is still against homosexuals being a part of AFL football. Or at least admitting they are to the public anyway.
The most disappointing and worrying suggestion from Aker’s article in the Herald Sun on Thursday was that a gay player ‘coming out’ would actually hurt the fabric of an AFL football club.
Please! That’s an insult to his teammates and to the entire AFL playing group. Did rugby league player Ian Roberts ‘coming out’ break the fabric of his club? I don’t think so.
If I was an AFL player I would be horrified to think Aker is representing me through the media and rubbishing my credibility with such backward thinking and out of date opinions.
Paul Roos said it best on the Swans website yesterday: “If it had been written in 1943 or something like that, you could have been forgiven. But to hear it in 2010, to hear something like that, is just bizarre.”
The exact reasoning for the article was in response to rumours circulating that an AFL player was close to becoming the first to openly admit being gay. So what?
Akermanis claims the rumours are baseless, but how would he know? And more importantly, if they are untrue, what’s the point of writing of the article in the first place?
Apparently the AFL players’ association was fully aware of the article and even searched out Akermanis to help broaden awareness of homosexuality.
Who knows. Was he simply hung out to dry by the article? Have we taken him completely out of context?
I don’t think so. To say the AFL and an AFL club isn’t ready for a gay footballer is a seriously sad indictment on the entire code.
And the AFL chief Andrew Demetriou felt compelled to respond in a statement released by the league yesterday
“Jason Akermanis is entitled to express his opinion but I don’t believe it reflects the views of clubs, players and officials involved in the AFL an the broader football community.”
Akermains says he hopes one day the ‘lonely road’ he believes gay men travel on can be ‘hopefully made easier,’ but I’ve got news for you Aker, you just made it considerably harder.
Surely living a lie and concealing the truth would be unbearable for anyone?
The Bulldogs went into damage control and sensing the widespread backlash, quickly removed itself from any association with the article.
“Jason Akermanis’ article is based on his opinion and by no means does he speak for the club or AFL players as a whole, the club does not agree with the views expressed by Jason”
The Bulldogs were internally fuming as well after they subbed the article but it was subsequently changed by the Herald-Sun before print.
Can the Bulldogs now ban him from such media commitments?
Either way, Akermanis should start worrying more about his on field playing issues rather than creating off field headlines.
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- AFL, Jason Akermanis
May 21st 2010 @ 9:50am
Gweeds said | May 21st 2010 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Jason Akermanis says that the publicity associated with a current player admitting he’s gay could break the fabric of a club. Obviously coke snorting, getting drunk, assault, damaging property, being charged of sexual violence, gambling on match results, and drink driving doesn’t do it.
May 21st 2010 @ 1:18pm
Michael C said | May 21st 2010 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
just the normal x-section of society really……
other than women, and Jeff Kennett was predicting that.
May 21st 2010 @ 10:04am
JK said | May 21st 2010 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Not even worthy of commenting on (Aker’s comment, not the article)
May 21st 2010 @ 10:13am
Bazza said | May 21st 2010 @ 10:13am | Report comment
I think league is far more accepting of gay players, there has been rumour about a couple of players but it generally is over look by the media and players as well. I think the the AFL has to get over the homophobia that in in the game and openly accept homosexuallity like the NRL has. I think that the NRL can do more on top of thier great work in over coming homophobia in the sport. Maybe have a homosexual awareness round in the NRL allowing a few homosexuals into the locker room after the game to have a look. Maybe have some male cheer leaders?
May 21st 2010 @ 10:28am
Greg said | May 21st 2010 @ 10:28am | Report comment
What an idiot as if there is such a thing as a gay AFL player.
But seriously if you choose to be gay may leave it till after you finish your career. Dont get me wrong Im all for gayness as long its kept to folk festivals, audi TTs, the arts, the left side of politics and certain streets in Sydney. There really is no place for it on the footy paddock as you would undermine the team. Good humoured horse play doesnt want to be taken the wrong way, example if the towel flick a team mate on the arse in the locker room you could find your actions being misread. Then theres the emotion problem with having a sexual relationship with a team mate, kiss and tell story, it would all get to ugly and messy.
May 21st 2010 @ 11:23am
Gob Bluth said | May 21st 2010 @ 11:23am | Report comment
Those who go around flicking others on the arse with their towel probably have their own homosexuality issues to deal with before they start worrying about the bloke they flicked making a move on them.
May 21st 2010 @ 10:46am
BigAl said | May 21st 2010 @ 10:46am | Report comment
.
GOOD ON ACKER !!!!
All he has done is made a comment about how he reads the scene at the moment – and then his statement has purposely mis-interpreted and reported as being ‘anti gay’.
I heard the statement and he said that …’I have nothing against gays’ (and don’t we all ??)
– but it would most likely be divisive, and he does have a point – despite all the politically correct posturing a la Paul Roos etc !
How ironic that on the very same day a NSW MP has been forced to resign for visiting a gay club !
What has he done wrong ??
One day we may live in a perfect world, but at the moment there are loads of politically correct hypocrits out there !
May 21st 2010 @ 11:59am
Moonface said | May 21st 2010 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Exactly BigAl,
and how many AFL players and fans would be gay anyway?
May 21st 2010 @ 11:03am
MattRusty said | May 21st 2010 @ 11:03am | Report comment
Disagree with you Justin, I think that Aker has made it easier for someone to ‘come out’ now, he’s broken the ice on the subject and is, as always calling it like it is.
Aker deserves more credit. He is showing leadership to have the courage to be the one to start the conversation and highlight the issues. Anyone thinking about coming out will be gaining more confidence that they will be accepted, but you cannot deny that Aker has a very good understand on how it will impact the team and club from the inside. The AFL may be ‘up to date’, that doesn’t mean that every person in every club or every supporter is up to date with views.
Aker’s brand benefits from being the one to break ice, everyone wins here…
May 21st 2010 @ 11:16am
Harvey the Scouser said | May 21st 2010 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Taking a step back, it’s hilarious that so many are getting into the competition of who can look like they are the most pro-gay.
Not that there is anything wrong with that.
May 21st 2010 @ 11:22am
allblackfan said | May 21st 2010 @ 11:22am | Report comment
Acker has every right to express his opinion.
That’s why it’s called freedom of speech (unless he’s actively encouraging physical violence in which case it’s known as inciting).
If Acker says he feels uncomfortable changing in the locker room with an openly gay player, that’s fine too. Gay activitists and the AFl have no right to censure Acker for what he said. He stated his own opinion.
I’ll be damned if I will let some left- or right -leaning person/organisation TELL ME what I can or cannot say/believe. It’s been tried before and failed.
May 21st 2010 @ 11:34am
JK said | May 21st 2010 @ 11:34am | Report comment
Go Pauline!
May 21st 2010 @ 12:33pm
Justin Rodski said | May 21st 2010 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
North Melbourne coach and former teammate of Akermanis Brad Scott expects the comments to have a negative influence on the Bulldogs performance, or at least he hopes it does in tomorrow’s game.
I was at his press conference this morning and i could tell he was just waiting for the question to be asked about Aker and finally when it did, he spoke from experience
“i played with him for 10 years and in those 10 years he certainly had a few things to say on various issues, I know his Bulldogs teammates wouldnt be overly happy with him at the moment”
MattRusty i have to ask you, how can Akermanis’ comments make it easier when the article is warning a player against coming out?
May 21st 2010 @ 12:50pm
BigAl said | May 21st 2010 @ 12:50pm | Report comment
MattRusty’s post was spot on ! – an ice breaker.
The next time this issue comes up there’ll be far less hyper-ventilating!
May 21st 2010 @ 12:52pm
MattRusty said | May 21st 2010 @ 12:52pm | Report comment
BigAl’s comment is also spot on. Especially the bit about me being spot on.
May 21st 2010 @ 12:51pm
MattRusty said | May 21st 2010 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Because it won’t be such a shock when he does come out. The way I read it, he was warning the player “don’t come out yet, the AFL world isn’t ready for it”. That changed the minute that article was published because it sparked this entire debate where everyone is saying “being gay is okay”, so when it happens, there will be less joe-public idiots who react poorly too it.
This is simple risk management.
May 21st 2010 @ 3:15pm
Redb said | May 21st 2010 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
There is some element of truth in that. But I dont think Aker will get off that lightly.
May 21st 2010 @ 12:51pm
Mark Young said | May 21st 2010 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
People like Akermanis are great for their sport, just when the media is getting into other stories like the Budget, mining taxes, Tony Abbott lieing, Justin Bieber etc etc he drags sport right back into the headlines. Anthony Mundine used to be great for this as well.
And people are well entitled to express their opinion. Even though their opinion may be wrong!
The interesting thing in this case is waiting for a reaction, not the predictable reaction from the media, but from within his sport.
Cmon AFLF! Players, Administrators, Fans come out and say it loud. Is he right or is he wrong? Is being Gay in a AFL team an issue or not?