AFL great Luke Hodge DEFENDS Brisbane Lions player over crying sledge, saying he would do exactly the same

AFL champion and former Brisbane Lion Luke Hodge has weighed in on the ‘crying’ sled that has dominated the headlines this week and said he would do the same.

The incident involved Lions player Noah Answerth reigniting a two-year feud with Melbourne players through an unsportsmanlike gesture directed at Demons player Harrison Petty.

After Petty missed a target, Answerth taunted him by rubbing his eyes as if he were crying — the same sleight he delivered to Petty in 2022.

In the previous clash, then-Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko allegedly told the Melbourne star ‘I hope your mum dies’, prompting Petty’s emotional reaction.

Footy legend and commentator Jason Dunstall criticized Answerth during Fox Footy’s broadcast, while Zorko also slammed his team-mate for repeating the slide and opening old wounds.

While most footy pundits have criticized Answerth for his actions, former Lions great Luke Hodge has defended him

While fans and commentators condemned Answerth’s behaviour, Luke Hodge, a respected Hawthorn and Brisbane Lions figure, stood up for him and even said he would do the same in his position.

“If I was a back pocket trying to make his name and my job is to get under the skin of a striker, I would do anything I possibly can to keep my place,” Hodge told SEN’s Crunch Time.

‘If that means you’re stuck with Petty, he didn’t hit him, he didn’t swear at him, he didn’t do anything wrong that would hurt him.

‘He brought something up from a couple of years ago and to be fair Petty in that game talked just as bad so I don’t think Noah did anything wrong.

‘He’s a young guy who, as a defender, knows what defenders have to do and they have to get under the skin of the forwards, so if it means it’s by action.

‘Does it look good? No, it doesn’t, but this is a guy who is a tough, young competitive player, and that might be how he gets the best of himself.

“I don’t think Chris Fagan will say he has to go and do it again knowing what Chris is like, but I understand the back pockets think a bit differently.”

Lions champion Dayne Zorko condemned Answerth’s sledding and shook hands with Petty after Thursday night’s heated clash

Zorko, who was booed by Demons supporters every time he had the ball on Thursday night, was unaware of the incident but addressed it openly.

“I’ll probably go and talk to him, obviously that’s not the way we want to win,” the 35-year-old former Lions captain told ABC Radio.

‘The heat of the moment, things happen. I’m sure he would have sorted it out after the game.’

Melbourne defender Jake Lever said it should not be part of the game.

“He had a tough time up there a couple of years ago and as a player you don’t know what other people are going through,” Lever told the Seven Network.

“I think footy has cleaned up that kind of act.”

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said he was unaware of the incident and was unwilling to comment.

‘I didn’t see it, what happened? Probably ask Fages (Lions coach Chris Fagan) when he comes in, it’s up to them,” Goodwin said.

Fagan also said he hadn’t seen the incident before coming to his press conference.

“You have to be very careful with that sort of thing, so I’ll let it go through to the keeper if that’s all right,” he said.