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Aker shattered by sacking
By Andrew Hamilton
July 21, 2006
A DISTRAUGHT Jason Akermanis shed tears last night after Brisbane Lions sacked the colourful star for giving a newspaper interview.
Akermanis ... said to be devastated by the news. Pic: Darren England
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Akermanis, the matchwinner in last week's thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Kangaroos, was booted out of the team to play Hawthorn at the Gabba tomorrow night.
He was not taking calls last night, but his brother Rory said he feared for the wellbeing of Jason and his wife Megan after rushing to their home.
Rory Akermanis claimed a six-month smear campaign by Lions coach Leigh Matthews had finally broken his brother, whom he said seemed dazed, had slow speech and his eyes welled with tears as he wondered about his future.
"I'm very worried about them," he said.
"He's destroyed, shattered.
"You can see it in his eyes, his body language. It is killing both of them. I'm just worried he'll explode."
Akermanis may never play for the Lions again after the club he has served for 12 years reacted savagely to an extensive interview he gave Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper.
So far this season, Matthews has publicly bagged the Brownlow medal winner's form, insinuated he had lost the support of his teammates, fined him $5000 for an email scandal, and accused him of leaking team information to The Courier-Mail.
The Lions this week claimed that Akermanis started a rumour about teammate Mal Michael's imminent retirement.
Rory Akermanis, who played a role in the ongoing drama between player and coach when he criticised Matthews's coaching and labelled him a "f---wit" in an email sent from Akermanis's website, could barely contain his anger at the sacking.
"I stand by my email - it's stupidity," Rory Akermanis said.
"Leigh Matthews is destroying a club from the inside because he can't handle someone having an opinion.
"How can someone destroy a career and do this to a family for giving an interview. What would he do if he was coach of the West Coast Eagles?"
Akermanis has also questioned the severity of the treatment he had received for what appear minor transgressions compared with the spate of alcohol-related incidents that cost Ben Cousins the Eagles captaincy and All-Australian ruckman Michael Gardiner his spot on the list.
The sacking is the latest instalment in a dangerous feud between the player and Matthews, who is determined to publicly impose his will.
Matthews was unavailable for comment last night.
Matthews previously dropped Akermanis for the round-seven match against the Hawks because comments he made apologising to his teammates for undisciplined play during the round-six loss to Sydney appeared in The Courier-Mail.
On that occasion, Matthews instructed Michael Voss to deliver the news.
The captain was last night spared what he clearly found to be an uncomfortable task, and the decision was released by an email statement from the club: "An article published in the Melbourne Herald Sun on Thursday 20 July - with extensive quotes from Jason - has caused great concern and has convinced us that he is not currently prepared to accept the team-first attitude required of all our players."
The statement also said Akermanis's future selection would be determined by his on-going actions.
In the article, Akermanis revealed he was probably only a 5 per cent chance of remaining at the Lions next season.
When asked why he did not attempt to sit down with Matthews one more time to explain where he was coming from, Akermanis responded: "I am never going to change Leigh's mind, no matter what I do or say. All I have said to him is: how can we do it better? That is all I have ever been about."
The Courier-Mail
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19858023-32466,00.html
By Andrew Hamilton
July 21, 2006
A DISTRAUGHT Jason Akermanis shed tears last night after Brisbane Lions sacked the colourful star for giving a newspaper interview.
Akermanis, the matchwinner in last week's thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Kangaroos, was booted out of the team to play Hawthorn at the Gabba tomorrow night.
He was not taking calls last night, but his brother Rory said he feared for the wellbeing of Jason and his wife Megan after rushing to their home.
Rory Akermanis claimed a six-month smear campaign by Lions coach Leigh Matthews had finally broken his brother, whom he said seemed dazed, had slow speech and his eyes welled with tears as he wondered about his future.
"I'm very worried about them," he said.
"He's destroyed, shattered.
"You can see it in his eyes, his body language. It is killing both of them. I'm just worried he'll explode."
Akermanis may never play for the Lions again after the club he has served for 12 years reacted savagely to an extensive interview he gave Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper.
So far this season, Matthews has publicly bagged the Brownlow medal winner's form, insinuated he had lost the support of his teammates, fined him $5000 for an email scandal, and accused him of leaking team information to The Courier-Mail.
The Lions this week claimed that Akermanis started a rumour about teammate Mal Michael's imminent retirement.
Rory Akermanis, who played a role in the ongoing drama between player and coach when he criticised Matthews's coaching and labelled him a "f---wit" in an email sent from Akermanis's website, could barely contain his anger at the sacking.
"I stand by my email - it's stupidity," Rory Akermanis said.
"Leigh Matthews is destroying a club from the inside because he can't handle someone having an opinion.
"How can someone destroy a career and do this to a family for giving an interview. What would he do if he was coach of the West Coast Eagles?"
Akermanis has also questioned the severity of the treatment he had received for what appear minor transgressions compared with the spate of alcohol-related incidents that cost Ben Cousins the Eagles captaincy and All-Australian ruckman Michael Gardiner his spot on the list.
The sacking is the latest instalment in a dangerous feud between the player and Matthews, who is determined to publicly impose his will.
Matthews was unavailable for comment last night.
Matthews previously dropped Akermanis for the round-seven match against the Hawks because comments he made apologising to his teammates for undisciplined play during the round-six loss to Sydney appeared in The Courier-Mail.
On that occasion, Matthews instructed Michael Voss to deliver the news.
The captain was last night spared what he clearly found to be an uncomfortable task, and the decision was released by an email statement from the club: "An article published in the Melbourne Herald Sun on Thursday 20 July - with extensive quotes from Jason - has caused great concern and has convinced us that he is not currently prepared to accept the team-first attitude required of all our players."
The statement also said Akermanis's future selection would be determined by his on-going actions.
In the article, Akermanis revealed he was probably only a 5 per cent chance of remaining at the Lions next season.
When asked why he did not attempt to sit down with Matthews one more time to explain where he was coming from, Akermanis responded: "I am never going to change Leigh's mind, no matter what I do or say. All I have said to him is: how can we do it better? That is all I have ever been about."
The Courier-Mail
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19858023-32466,00.html
