Latest news with #Akermanis
Sky News AU
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Woke footy player turned ABC radio host issues grovelling apology after insinuating co-host worked at a strip club in high school
Former AFL player turned ABC radio host has had to apologise for an off-colour remark he made on Wednesday insinuating his female co-host worked at a strip club during high school. During the duo's Melbourne breakfast show, Sharnelle Vella was interviewing a financial expert when she was interjected by Murphy. Speaking to Elinor Kasapidis from Certified Practising Accountants Australia, Vella said she recalled working in retail "many moons ago when I was still in high school-" Murphy then stole the moment to quip: "Not at Spearmint Rhino?" Spearmint Rhino is a chain of strip clubs which operates venues in Melbourne as well as the US and the UK. On Thursday's show, the former Bulldogs captain told listeners he wanted to publicly apologise for the comment. "I did make a comment that insinuated my colleague and co-host Sharnelle here worked at Spearmint Rhino, a well known Melbourne strip club," he said. 'Cutting straight to the point, it was not just a mistake, it was a gross and inaccurate off hand quip. I promised Sharnelle that I'd never disrespect her and I did break that promise put simply. I'm really sorry.' Vella's response did little to ease the tension. "Look, I won't let you off the hook on it. It wasn't okay," she said. "I appreciate your words but we do move on." has approached the ABC for comment. Murphy has recently receive backlash for his "wokeness" by rival Melbourne radio host Tom Elliot of 3AW for using the term 'AFLM' to refer to the AFL. 'Does anybody else honestly want to call the AFL the AFLM?' Elliott said. 'In America, you have the NBA and then the WNBA, that works fine. 'I think he (Murphy) is the only person who does this. He persists in calling the AFL the AFLM … that is wokeness.' In 2023, Murphy publicly admonished his former teammate Jason Akermanis who wrote a column urging players to "stay in the closet" to keep their sexuality out of the the sport, regarding it as too controversial. Akermanis was delisted and suspended by the Bulldogs in 2010 for his column. During an ABC Four Corners episode, Murphy said Akermanis' comments had "hurt", "disgusted" and "embarassed" him. Akermanis hit back and called Murphy a "sook". Speaking to the Nine Network at the time, Akermanis said he did not personally hold those views and clarified he had played with a gay player in Queensland who was a "terrific guy". In a plea to gay players, Murphy said they would be "fought for and supported" if they came out. "If there is a dissenting voice, they will be told to shut the f*** up or get out," Murphy said. The ABC breakfast show has suffered a crash in its audience share, having dropped more than one per cent in March from 7.9 to 6.3 before tumbling further in April to 5.6 per cent.
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
More bad news for super-woke footy great turned ABC star as his new career takes another sad turn
ABC Melbourne 's breakfast radio program has taken another ratings hit, as Bob Murphy's media career continues to stumble. The former Western Bulldogs captain and footy favourite teamed up with journalist Sharnelle Vella in January, but the audience numbers tell a grim story. In the latest GfK radio survey, their breakfast slot slipped 0.7 percentage points, dropping from 6.3 to 5.6 per cent of total audience share. This marks the second consecutive ratings drop for the duo since taking over from Sammy J earlier this year. Across all Monday to Friday timeslots, ABC Melbourne posted its worst-ever result, falling to a 4.4 per cent share. The figure is down from the 4.8 per cent posted in the previous survey, which had already been a record low. Murphy, 42, was a highly respected player during his 312-game AFL career. Now co-hosting mornings on the ABC, his transition into media has not matched the success of his time on the field. Earlier this year, the pair's audience share stood at 7.9 per cent before sliding to 6.3 in the first ratings survey. That downward trend has continued, and concerns are growing at the public broadcaster. Murphy's use of the term 'AFLM' in a recent column has also stirred backlash. He used the label to distinguish the men's league from AFLW, but many viewed it as an unnecessary gesture. 3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott didn't hold back on-air, slamming the terminology as attention-seeking. 'Does anybody else honestly want to call the AFL the AFLM?' Elliott asked. 'In America, you have the NBA and then the WNBA, that works fine. I think he [Murphy] is the only person who does this. He persists in calling the AFL the AFLM... that is wokeness.' It's not the first time Murphy's progressive stance has attracted criticism. In 2023, he appeared on ABC's Four Corners, expressing disgust at former teammate Jason Akermanis's remarks on gay players. Murphy said he was 'disgusted,' 'embarrassed,' and 'hurt' by Akermanis's suggestion that gay AFL players should stay silent about their sexuality. No current or former AFL player has come out publicly. Murphy responded with a passionate message of support: 'You will be fought for and supported. If there is a dissenting voice, they will be told to shut the f*** up or get out.' Akermanis fired back, calling Murphy a 'complete myth' and a 'sook.' The clash highlighted the stark divide between old-school views and Murphy's outspoken support for inclusivity. Despite the controversy, Murphy remains active within the AFL world. After returning to Melbourne from Perth in late 2024, he rejoined the Bulldogs in a cultural leadership and media support role. He had previously worked with the club's AFLW team and later spent three seasons at Fremantle as head of football operations for both men's and women's teams. His ties to the Bulldogs remain strong. Murphy and Vella's radio show airs weekday mornings from 5.30am to 8am. The former skipper said the role shares some traits with top-level sport. 'You get in and anything could happen, really,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'You can start talking about one thing, and it takes a turn, and off it goes.' He acknowledged the shift in scope compared to footy, saying, 'This is a completely different coliseum.'
