Jason Akermanis
Encyclopedia
Jason Dean Akermanis is an Australian rules football
player. He is a Brownlow Medal
list and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears
, Brisbane Lions
and Western Bulldogs
. He played for Glenorchy Football Club
in the Tasmanian Football League
in 2011.
in his youth where he was educated at Wavell State High School then at St. Joseph's Nudgee College
and played football with the Mayne Football Club where he was spotted by Brisbane Bears
talent scouts. He completed year 12 at high school (aged 18) during his first year with the Brisbane Bears.
Akermanis became one of the Brisbane Lions
' most talented players. His flamboyant talents and bleached-blonde hair and contrasting black beard make him easy to identify on the field. At the Lions he made his name as a speedy midfielder or on-baller with blistering acceleration and an uncanny ability to kick exceptionally well with either foot, talents which helped him win the AFL
's coveted Brownlow Medal
in 2001.
He was also a crowd favourite with Lions fans, being famous for his handstand
s. Following a winning match, he usually performed a handstand and kissed the ground, much to the delight of his home crowd. Since joining the Western Bulldogs he stopped the practice.
Akermanis is also known for his goalscoring abilities. He was a winner of the AFL Goal of the Year 2002 award and has an ability to kick goals from acute angles. In a match in 2005, he kicked two goals within minutes of each other from almost exactly the same spot: deep in the right forward pocket
on the run. Early in the 2006 season, Akermanis was dropped from the Brisbane Lions side for Round 7, playing a game with the Suncoast Lions. This coincided with inflammatory comments that he made about the coach, Leigh Matthews
, during the week and there was speculation that his time at the club was up, only a few months after he had won the 2005 club best and fairest award. However, Akermanis was soon recalled to the side and responded with 22 disposals across half-back in the game against Port Adelaide
and a post-match interview with Channel Nine
showed him smiling and visibly happy with his performance. On 27 July 2006 it was reported that the coaching panel and senior playing group had voted unanimously (12–0) to not allow him back into the club.
were leading in the race to sign Akermanis for the 2007 season. On 15 September, Akermanis confirmed that he wanted to join the Bulldogs and it was then down to the Lions agreeing on the trade price which they did on 9 October, when Brisbane Lions football manager Graeme Allan
announced that the team had agreed to trade Akermanis to the Bulldogs.
At the end of the 2008 season, Akermanis made a statement that he would retire at the end of 2009 when his three year contract expired, however he displayed excellent form at the start of the 2009 season and later retracted his earlier comment about retirement. Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade
said he had not ruled out the possibility of extending Akermanis' contract, depending on his performance for the rest of the season. He then signed with the Bulldogs for another year, hoping to play in a fourth premiership side. It is assumed his contract would be for substantially less pay than his previous deal which is estimated at between $350,000 and $400,000 a year.
In July 2010 it was announced that the Western Bulldogs had terminated Akermanis's contract due to the club's judgement that the two were on different paths.
in the Tasmanian State League in 2011.
Living in the Essendon area, Akermanis has chosen Essendon District Football team Aberfeldie as the local club to train with during the 2011 season. He made a solid Tasmanian State League debute against Clarence when he scored one goal and had 23 possessions.
and other codes.
His brash, over-confident demeanor makes him a favourite target for abuse by some supporters of other clubs, although others regard him as a colourful character and an antidote to most footballers who speak in a politically correct way. He often appears on The AFL Footy Show
.
He co-wrote a book with Gary Smart titled AKA – The Battle Within, which was released in 2004. He released his autobiography named Open Season in mid-2011, which further details his messy departures from both the Brisbane Lions
and the Western Bulldogs
.
Some of his controversies include:
players who are "thinking of telling the world [about their sexual orientation to] forget it." The story quickly went international and Akermanis attracted considerable criticism for his statements. In a subsequent clarification on the Nine Network
program The Today Show, Akermanis stated: "the homoeroticism around football clubs ... what workplace would you be able to see 20 men nude all the time if you wanted to? When you're slapping blokes on the bum and just having a bit of fun, what would that do to a man in there when you actually work out, 'Oh wait a second, wait a second. I don't know if I can handle that guy'". In a related interview, he stated that he himself was not homophobic, but merely believed that "it would cause discomfort in that environment should someone declare himself gay."
Numerous other AFL figures have publicly distanced themselves from the claims of Akermanis, including Western Bulldogs
coach Rodney Eade
, Sydney Swans
coach Paul Roos
, AFL Players Association
general manager of culture and leadership Pippa Grange and the CEO of the AFL
, Andrew Demetriou
. In the week following the publication of the column, Akermanis twice met with other players and club officials of the Western Bulldogs and was told that he was on the team "to help the club win games of football – not to make off-field headlines and, by extension, create massive headaches for everyone else". However, in a radio interview on Melbourne Talk Radio
on 31 May, Akermanis stated that he had not lied to his club about the article and that he had the support of his club "from the top down".
It was stated on The AFL Footy Show
and elsewhere that, rather than Jason Akermanis being homophobic, he was in fact standing up for the rights of homosexual footballers in his statements, which suggested his perception of an aura of homophobia around football clubs. This was particularly emphasised by Sam Newman
, whose statements supporting Akermanis on this topic were used by the Western Bulldogs as justification for his sacking.
in order to communicate with his wife's hearing-impaired parents. He also speaks Spanish
.
of the Queensland State of Origin
team just before Hannant was diagnosed with the virus. Akermanis himself was recovering from a cold and joked briefly on radio in Melbourne that he had made half the Queensland team sick. Akermanis tested negative for swine flu, alleviating fears of a swine flu outbreak in the Western Bulldogs team.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player. He is a Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
list and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
, Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
and Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
. He played for Glenorchy Football Club
Glenorchy Football Club
The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
in the Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
in 2011.
Early career
Akermanis grew up in Victoria, moving to QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in his youth where he was educated at Wavell State High School then at St. Joseph's Nudgee College
St. Joseph's Nudgee College
St Joseph's Nudgee College is a private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, located in Boondall, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
and played football with the Mayne Football Club where he was spotted by Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
talent scouts. He completed year 12 at high school (aged 18) during his first year with the Brisbane Bears.
Brisbane Bears (1995–1996)
Akermanis was a solid contributor to the Brisbane Bears midfield (wing), with his pace and skills evident even early in his career.Brisbane Lions (1997–2006)
It was after the Brisbane Lions formed that he began to shine, bulking up significantly, and a move to the forward line enabled him to make the most of his opportunities and develop a reputation as a goal sneak.Akermanis became one of the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
' most talented players. His flamboyant talents and bleached-blonde hair and contrasting black beard make him easy to identify on the field. At the Lions he made his name as a speedy midfielder or on-baller with blistering acceleration and an uncanny ability to kick exceptionally well with either foot, talents which helped him win the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
's coveted Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
in 2001.
He was also a crowd favourite with Lions fans, being famous for his handstand
Handstand
A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart...
s. Following a winning match, he usually performed a handstand and kissed the ground, much to the delight of his home crowd. Since joining the Western Bulldogs he stopped the practice.
Akermanis is also known for his goalscoring abilities. He was a winner of the AFL Goal of the Year 2002 award and has an ability to kick goals from acute angles. In a match in 2005, he kicked two goals within minutes of each other from almost exactly the same spot: deep in the right forward pocket
Forward pocket
In Australian rules football, the forward pocket refers to a position on the field deep in offense.Forward pocket players, situated in the forward line, need to have good avoidance and goal sneak skills and usually, quality forward-pockets are noted for their agility and ability to score difficult...
on the run. Early in the 2006 season, Akermanis was dropped from the Brisbane Lions side for Round 7, playing a game with the Suncoast Lions. This coincided with inflammatory comments that he made about the coach, Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
, during the week and there was speculation that his time at the club was up, only a few months after he had won the 2005 club best and fairest award. However, Akermanis was soon recalled to the side and responded with 22 disposals across half-back in the game against Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
and a post-match interview with Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
showed him smiling and visibly happy with his performance. On 27 July 2006 it was reported that the coaching panel and senior playing group had voted unanimously (12–0) to not allow him back into the club.
Western Bulldogs (2007–2010)
On 6 September, it was reported that the Western BulldogsWestern Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
were leading in the race to sign Akermanis for the 2007 season. On 15 September, Akermanis confirmed that he wanted to join the Bulldogs and it was then down to the Lions agreeing on the trade price which they did on 9 October, when Brisbane Lions football manager Graeme Allan
Graeme Allan
Graeme 'Gubby' Allan is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy and Collingwood in the Victorian Football League ....
announced that the team had agreed to trade Akermanis to the Bulldogs.
At the end of the 2008 season, Akermanis made a statement that he would retire at the end of 2009 when his three year contract expired, however he displayed excellent form at the start of the 2009 season and later retracted his earlier comment about retirement. Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade
Rodney Eade
Rodney "Rocket" Eade is a former Australian rules footballer and the former coach of the Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League...
said he had not ruled out the possibility of extending Akermanis' contract, depending on his performance for the rest of the season. He then signed with the Bulldogs for another year, hoping to play in a fourth premiership side. It is assumed his contract would be for substantially less pay than his previous deal which is estimated at between $350,000 and $400,000 a year.
In July 2010 it was announced that the Western Bulldogs had terminated Akermanis's contract due to the club's judgement that the two were on different paths.
Post-AFL: Beginning of Tasmanian State League career
Akermanis began playing with the Glenorchy Football ClubGlenorchy Football Club
The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
in the Tasmanian State League in 2011.
Living in the Essendon area, Akermanis has chosen Essendon District Football team Aberfeldie as the local club to train with during the 2011 season. He made a solid Tasmanian State League debute against Clarence when he scored one goal and had 23 possessions.
Off field personality and controversy
Off the field, Akermanis is often very outspoken on issues concerning the Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and other codes.
His brash, over-confident demeanor makes him a favourite target for abuse by some supporters of other clubs, although others regard him as a colourful character and an antidote to most footballers who speak in a politically correct way. He often appears on The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
.
He co-wrote a book with Gary Smart titled AKA – The Battle Within, which was released in 2004. He released his autobiography named Open Season in mid-2011, which further details his messy departures from both the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
and the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
.
Some of his controversies include:
- Threatening to switch codes to rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
if the Lions signed former Kangaroos Football ClubKangaroos Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
star Wayne CareyWayne CareyWayne Carey is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne and Adelaide Football Clubs in the Australian Football League .... - Revealing to the media that teammate Nigel LappinNigel LappinNigel Lappin is a former professional Australian rules footballer.Lappin was born in Corowa, New South Wales, but grew up in Chiltern, Victoria and was drafted to play for the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League in 1993, playing his first AFL game the following year...
had broken ribs before the 2003 Grand Final - Ongoing criticism of his coach at the Brisbane Lions, Leigh MatthewsLeigh MatthewsLeigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
and - Claiming "an opposing player" was using performanace-enhancing drugs; a comment that was linked by the media to West Coast EaglesWest Coast EaglesThe West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
' Michael Braun (though Akermanis never said who he was referring to), who was cleared after an investigation by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping AuthorityAustralian Sports Anti-Doping AuthorityThe Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is a government department tasked to protect Australia's sporting integrity through the elimination of doping....
, which led to claims that Akermanis had lied.
"Stay in the closet" remarks
In May 2010, Akermanis wrote in the Herald Sun newspaper that he believes "locker room nudity and homoerotic activities are normal inside footy clubs", but advises young gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
players who are "thinking of telling the world [about their sexual orientation to] forget it." The story quickly went international and Akermanis attracted considerable criticism for his statements. In a subsequent clarification on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
program The Today Show, Akermanis stated: "the homoeroticism around football clubs ... what workplace would you be able to see 20 men nude all the time if you wanted to? When you're slapping blokes on the bum and just having a bit of fun, what would that do to a man in there when you actually work out, 'Oh wait a second, wait a second. I don't know if I can handle that guy'". In a related interview, he stated that he himself was not homophobic, but merely believed that "it would cause discomfort in that environment should someone declare himself gay."
Numerous other AFL figures have publicly distanced themselves from the claims of Akermanis, including Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
coach Rodney Eade
Rodney Eade
Rodney "Rocket" Eade is a former Australian rules footballer and the former coach of the Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League...
, Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
coach Paul Roos
Paul Roos
Paul Roos may refer to:* Paul Roos , former Australian rules football player and Sydney Swans AFL coach* Paul Roos , Springbok rugby union captain* Paul Roos Gymnasium, a high school in Stellenbosch, South Africa...
, AFL Players Association
AFL Players Association
The AFL Players Association, or AFLPA, is the representative body for all current and past professional Australian Football League players....
general manager of culture and leadership Pippa Grange and the CEO of the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou is the chief executive officer of the Australian Football League and a former Australian rules footballer. He is the youngest son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants and, before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry...
. In the week following the publication of the column, Akermanis twice met with other players and club officials of the Western Bulldogs and was told that he was on the team "to help the club win games of football – not to make off-field headlines and, by extension, create massive headaches for everyone else". However, in a radio interview on Melbourne Talk Radio
Melbourne Talk Radio
Melbourne Talk Radio is a radio station operating in Melbourne which commenced on 19 April 2010. It replaced 3MP, which used the 1377 kHz frequency. 3MP moved to digital only under the name of 3MP MyMP...
on 31 May, Akermanis stated that he had not lied to his club about the article and that he had the support of his club "from the top down".
It was stated on The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
and elsewhere that, rather than Jason Akermanis being homophobic, he was in fact standing up for the rights of homosexual footballers in his statements, which suggested his perception of an aura of homophobia around football clubs. This was particularly emphasised by Sam Newman
Sam Newman
John Noel William "Sam" Newman is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.-VFL career:...
, whose statements supporting Akermanis on this topic were used by the Western Bulldogs as justification for his sacking.
Family
Akermanis is married to Megan Legge, a speech pathologist. They have two daughters, Charlotte and Sienna. Akermanis learned AuslanAuslan
Auslan is the sign language of the Australian deaf community. The term Auslan is an acronym of "Australian sign language", coined by Trevor Johnston in the early 1980s, although the language itself is much older...
in order to communicate with his wife's hearing-impaired parents. He also speaks Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
Swine flu fears
In early June 2009, Akermanis triggered fears within the AFL of a swine flu outbreak when it was revealed he had had contact with Ben HannantBen Hannant
Benjamin Hannant is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos of the NRL...
of the Queensland State of Origin
Interstate matches in Australian rules football
Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
team just before Hannant was diagnosed with the virus. Akermanis himself was recovering from a cold and joked briefly on radio in Melbourne that he had made half the Queensland team sick. Akermanis tested negative for swine flu, alleviating fears of a swine flu outbreak in the Western Bulldogs team.