Open Mike with Jason Akermanis

[The_Flying_Egg]

He had a pretty damn good leadership group to compare it to. Which was his point, and his perspective to judge the bulldogs culture.

I'm not sure I ever heard of aker being a liar? Sounds like people who hate him trying to justify and twist who he is and what he did.

I agree this Open Mike is one of my favourites.

Aker is a proven liar, he told the club the paper had edited what he wrote, than admitted that wasn't true when he was called on it. A major reason he was sacked was because he flat out lied to the club, its not people here twisting anything

And he did have a good leadership group to compare with at Brisbane. And that group wanted him out as well, what does that tell you??

 

[Sydney Bloods]

He had a pretty damn good leadership group to compare it to. Which was his point, and his perspective to judge the bulldogs culture.

I'm not sure I ever heard of aker being a liar? Sounds like people who hate him trying to justify and twist who he is and what he did.

I agree this Open Mike is one of my favourites.

no he was a great footy player, He was just a dickhead as a person.

You come to a new team, you make yourself part of the team.
Premiership player or not you don't waltz into a team and start to tell the playing group that their leadership is crap, that a project that worked at several clubs is shit and general you just know better than everyone else.

He came in as a player not a coach.

There's a right way and a wrong way to gel with a new team, Barry hall went to the Bulldogs Specifically because he didn't like how leading teams was working at the swans. Yet when he went to the bulldogs all indications are he settled in and went well at the bulldogs.

To this day he's never dropped the names of the players he fell out with at the swans, never rubbished the leadership group and has never said anything Bad about the bulldogs, their playing group, nothing.

it's a footy club it's a team environment, Baza was certainly not as good a player skill wise, but he was better teammate for the Dog's than acker.

Have a think about that? Baza a well know brute was a better bloke than acker.

 

[Klaus]

Aker is a proven liar, he told the club the paper had edited what he wrote, than admitted that wasn't true when he was called on it. A major reason he was sacked was because he flat out lied to the club, its not people here twisting anything

And he did have a good leadership group to compare with at Brisbane. And that group wanted him out as well, what does that tell you??

I've never heard him mention that it wasn't edited, he did state that he signed off on an edited copy that was then further edited at the last second without him reading it. Either way, there was little doubt that Bob Murphy couldn't stand him and looked for any little excuse to get rid of him. It happens at jobs all the time, if Brad Johnson had written the article there wouldn't have been a word spoken about it.

 

[Petrie4PM]

Did you catch the bit where he said he was on $200k in his final year with the dogs but the media was paying him more? Not the highlight but found that insight fascinating in its self.

 

[Cdreamer]

Aker has a strong personality and opinion and is not afraid to express it which is refreshing in an industry and society that tends to keep the truth hidden. Sometimes it gets him in trouble but he owns up to those mistakes.
I know that I'd rather listen to Akers opinion than most of the AFL commentators these days, unfortuantely you can never make everyone happy.

 

[TassieSaint]

Did you catch the bit where he said he was on $200k in his final year with the dogs but the media was paying him more? Not the highlight but found that insight fascinating in its self.

Yeah I also thought it was interesting he was never on more than ~350k at Brissie in his prime when he would have been worth double that, maybe more although salaries were smaller back then. Don't believe him for one second when he said he would've given up media if the Lions paid him more though, loves the sound of his own voice too much.

One thing I took away from the Bulldogs issue was Adam Cooney saying you could be a 4 time premiership player if you give up the media. I get why they'd want to pull him in line, but not only is that statement patently ridiculous but it makes it sound like the Dogs leadership group was frustrated they couldn't take the final step (or even the penultimate step to make the Granny) but instead of looking at themselves or on-field problems they put the blame on Aker writing offensive columns.

 

[Seadog]

You might not like Leading teams but they worked with several of the teams who became premiers in the last decade.( Swans, Geelong, Pies-not a bad record that is about 6 flags and 7 if Swans win this year)
Aker 's idea of taking responsibility seems to be slagging everyone off, not manning up and not helping out around the place? Of course those guys don't stack up against the Brissy stars who had an exceptional team put together with a great deal of assistance from the AFL, whereas Footscray is up against it.
Its all about Aker.
I would also suggest that if you have people of the calibre of Johnson, Gia, Murphy that you are in pretty good company.

Gia is one of the most over rated players I've seen. Typical 70s-80s style half forward. Nice skills and looked good dropping out the back for 2 or 3 goals some weeks but went missing when the going got tough.
Good leaders find ways to cope with extroverted characters, not get all prissy and defend their territory.

 

[Docker Alyssa]

Did you catch the bit where he said he was on $200k in his final year with the dogs but the media was paying him more? Not the highlight but found that insight fascinating in its self.

Which is why he hated the exercise of defending himself to the entire player-group.

He took pay cuts for that club on the proviso he is a media personality to supplement. Then they wanted him to give it up.

If Bob Murphy and co. signed off on the trade in the first place and the club asked him to be on 200k because he was a highly paid media person, they made the mistake (if they were looking for "any" thing to get rid of him) and he paid for it.

I still think if anyone thinks aker didn't have the best example of a leadership group at the lions, leaders under leigh mathews to measure against, they are naive and anti-aker has them blind.

 

[Puddy]

Bulldogs leadership crap is one of the main reasons 2008-2010 was a waste of time for them

 

[ManOfClay]

I love Aker threads. Always a good time to jump on the Aker bandwagon and shitcan the Dogs.

Because Aker was definitely not at fault. At all. Not even a tiny bit.

 

[mehow2g]

Easy to say when it's not you're team he's undermining with his comments and attitude. That's exactly what he did to the bulldogs in the end, thought he was bigger than the team.

Mate he called players from my team drug cheats, im not bitter because I realise with AFLs culture peds were probably common.

 

[Hens Hall]

All I will say is that it take two to tango.

 

[romeoh]

Gia is one of the most over rated players I've seen. Typical 70s-80s style half forward. Nice skills and looked good dropping out the back for 2 or 3 goals some weeks but went missing when the going got tough.
Good leaders find ways to cope with extroverted characters, not get all prissy and defend their territory.

Don't agree that Gia went missing or the description of his game.
Besides which if we are talking about the character of the player and their contributions to the club, then he is rated way ahead of a self-absorbed narcissist who tells lies, manipulates things, puts his interest ahead of the team. Aker is quite bright and has some personal charm that mask his many flaws.

 

[Craze]

Aker has a strong personality and opinion and is not afraid to express it which is refreshing in an industry and society that tends to keep the truth hidden. Sometimes it gets him in trouble but he owns up to those mistakes.
I know that I'd rather listen to Akers opinion than most of the AFL commentators these days, unfortuantely you can never make everyone happy.

I don't understand this point.

When people say 'so-and-so just calls it as he sees it, doesn't sit on the fence and is prepared to offer an opinion', isn't that really just code for 'even though so-and-so is has no impulse control, has no analytical skills, no discretion, no ability to reason, we're just going to let him get away with saying whatever crap comes off the top of his head, without doing any research on the topic whatsoever'.

Can you tell me what 'truth' Akermanis speaks that the AFL (and 'society') is trying to keep hidden.

WTF is wrong with expecting people to have an informed opinion?

 

[Cdreamer]

I don't understand this point.

When people say 'so-and-so just calls it as he sees it, doesn't sit on the fence and is prepared to offer an opinion', isn't that really just code for 'even though so-and-so is has no impulse control, has no analytical skills, no discretion, no ability to reason, we're just going to let him get away with saying whatever crap comes off the top of his head, without doing any research on the topic whatsoever'.

Can you tell me what 'truth' Akermanis speaks that the AFL (and 'society') is trying to keep hidden.

WTF is wrong with expecting people to have an informed opinion?

Don't you get sick of football media personalities coming out with the same old cliches? I do.
You know that half the time its BS they just don't want to let the public know what going on. Perhaps Aker can have a bit of foot in mouth disease sometimes but at least you know whats on his mind.
Nothing wrong with informed opinion but I'd rather media personalities not to be boring and roll out the same crap week in week out, and not sit on the fences, it my opinion I'm entitled to it and you yours.

 

[Craze]

Don't you get sick of football media personalities coming out with the same old cliches? I do.
You know that half the time its BS they just don't want to let the public know what going on. Perhaps Aker can have a bit of foot in mouth disease sometimes but at least you know whats on his mind.
Nothing wrong with informed opinion but I'd rather media personalities not to be boring and roll out the same crap week in week out, and not sit on the fences, it my opinion I'm entitled to it and you yours.

Fair enough. I just can't stand the rantings of Akermanis.

Having said that, I actually quite like listening to blokes like Carey, Derm, and Grant Thomas, who others hate for a similar reason. So I guess it's each to their own.

 

[The_Flying_Egg]

I've never heard him mention that it wasn't edited, he did state that he signed off on an edited copy that was then further edited at the last second without him reading it. Either way, there was little doubt that Bob Murphy couldn't stand him and looked for any little excuse to get rid of him. It happens at jobs all the time, if Brad Johnson had written the article there wouldn't have been a word spoken about it.

What he said about the editing was a lie, the club had every right to be pissed off. He apologised afterwards and admitted the words were all his

And if Brad Johnson wrote a homophobic article, than pretty cowardly lied about it to protect himself it would have been spoken about. Brad Johnson wouldn't do that. He wouldn't divulge team secrets either. Or imply drug use without proof. Or bag the recently deceased. Or "allegedly" send abusive messages to a local league development officer

The man is a moron, I can't believe people still defend him

 

[Father Jack]

I love Aker threads. Always a good time to jump on the Aker bandwagon and shitcan the Dogs.

Because Aker was definitely not at fault. At all. Not even a tiny bit.

No, Aker was tiny bit at fault. He did do a handstand, remember.

 

[Tas]

I always felt that Acker perhaps subconsciously felt that he had to do and say stupid stuff in order to beat up his media profile, because outside of the media beat ups I don't think there was a lot of substance to what he wrote about. The negative attention for a while was a big drawcard in terms of generating public interest in some of the controversial things he had to say.

I think his problem always has been and still is his lack of an ability to articulate what he has to say in a manner that people wont find offensive.

It was ego that made him say Braun or whomever it was at the Eagles was on drugs, how often do players underachieve then extract the digit and work on their fitness/endurance and come out significantly better players? It couldn't have been hard work, it had to be drugs?

As to the homophobia, I wouldn't be surprised if that was what a lot of players of the older generations felt like, even if they didn't say it. A friend of mine who went to a private all boys school said the kids there were always homogphobic in an all-boy environment, it is usually less about the people they are afraid of and more about fears and self-doubt about their own sexuality. I am pretty sure people who are afraid of homosexuals are just afraid that deep down they love dick and it scares them. Not sure why what others think, feel or do would make any impact to them otherwise if they were comfortable with their own sexuality.

Bulldogs might not have had great leadership at the time he was there, but they probably didn't need the distraction that he brought to the table. Good leaders might have been able to handle him better, but if you need an exceptional leader to manage you then there is obviously something wrong with you and not everyone else.

 

[Damon_3388]

If anything, the Bulldogs should have been thankful for the media exposure he gave them during that era. Sure, they were a good side, but the players and the club are/were pretty anonymous and vanilla personality-wise too.

 

[ManOfClay]

If anything, the Bulldogs should have been thankful for the media exposure he gave them during that era. Sure, they were a good side, but the players and the club are/were pretty anonymous and vanilla personality-wise too.

You should be a bulldogs supporter. You identify with the club so much

 

[cammo78]

Did you catch the bit where he said he was on $200k in his final year with the dogs but the media was paying him more? Not the highlight but found that insight fascinating in its self.

Because he informed the club he was retiring. The club then went and spent his money on other players on the list.

He then did an about face and decided he wanted to play on. Was informed the money was no longer there, but was OK with that considering his media gigs.

Which he then duly used to shit all over the club he was employed by.

 

[PhiloBeddoe]

But his position re the WB was 100% correct. Leading teams is a crock of shit. The Bulldogs leadership group was awful and Smorgan has not turned the club around.

For all the romance, how do the likes of Darcy, West, Johnson, Gia and Murphy stack up against Brisbane luminaries.

At least Acker is trying to take responsibility, as opposed to the scapegoat ism some of these supposed leaders or former leaders subjected him to.

Leading teams was a crock of shit at the WB but has worked at other clubs.
If players like West and co hadn't abused it, it may have had half a chance. Don't blame the program, blame the individuals who couldn't handle either giving the feedback or taking it.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Some of the stuff he did as a player was unforgivable and I don't blame Brisbane or the Bulldogs for giving him the arse. Still, it's a joke that a guy like Brad Johnson retired the same year as Aka, but made the HOF ahead of him. Would love to know how they could possibly justify that decision.

 

[Power Raid]

he was my favourite small forward of his time. shame he was so hard to manage.