Luke Hodge has fired up at long-time Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett over a tweet which many have interpreted as being a sledge at Alastair Clarkson.
Indigenous AFL icon Michael Long is preparing to revive his 650km ‘Long Walk’ from Melbourne to Canberra in support of the ‘Yes’ campaign for a Voice to Parliament. It has been almost 20 years since Mr Long first completed the trip to raise awareness about the plight of First Nations people. “We want a lot of Australians to come and support and get behind us,” Mr Long told Sky News Australia. “It’s important for us to reach out, and the message is about bringing people together.”
Kennett has denied that he was attacking Clarkson when he finished a social media tribute to Damien Hardwick with: “By calling time on himself when he felt necessary, with his reputation in tact and saluted by all in the industry, his legacy only enhanced. Thank you”.
Very sad to see Damien Hardwick leave the field.
He has been remarkably successful for Richmond, and the AFL.
He will be missed. By calling time on himself when he felt necessary, with his reputation in tact and saluted by all in the industry,
his legacy only enhanced.
Thank you.— Jeff Kennett (@jeff_kennett) May 22, 2023
But Hodge said “anyone with half a brain could realise he was having a dig at Clarko”.
The war of words followed four-time premiership star Jordan Lewis declaring last week: “There are certain people in the organisation (Hawthorn), some that are still there (and) some that have moved on, that I would find it hard to see eye-to-eye to”.
Lewis said there were people still at the Hawks “with blood on their hands” after Clarkson took an indefinite leave from the game to focus on his mental health last week.
“The more I talk about it, the angrier I get,” Lewis said.
“I couldn’t imagine that they would want to go back to the football club for a very, very long time. It’s really sad.”
Luke Hodge and Jeff Kennett
Kennett’s tweet in full read: “Very sad to see Damien Hardwick leave the field. He has been remarkably successful for Richmond, and the AFL. He will be missed. By calling time on himself when he felt necessary, with his reputation in tact and saluted by all in the industry, his legacy only enhanced. Thank you.”
Kennett denied he was having a crack at Clarkson in a response to a Hawthorn fan.
Kennett said: “There was no subtle message. Just a respectful one to salute a great and successful contributor to the game. You can read into what you wish, but your comment a bit like an old saying. “Filth is in the mind of the beholder”. Stay well”.
But Hodge said that was nonsense.
“I felt that was poor taste,” Hodge said of Kennett’s tweet.
“That last part was having a pointed shot at a former coach, and a former coach that’s done so much for his football club.
“There’s times where you have a go at people and try and get your point across but then there’s times when you sit back and celebrate Damien Hardwick and what he did.
“There was no need for him to put that end part in, because anyone with half a brain could realise that he was having a dig at ‘Clarko’.
“I thought that was very, very poor taste from someone who should know better.”