AFL great Luke Hodge DEFENDS Brisbane Lions player over crying sledge and said he would do the exact same thing

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

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

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

In the previous match, then Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko is said to have told the Melbourne star: “I hope your mother dies,” prompting Petty’s emotional response.

Footy legend and commentator Jason Dunstall criticized Answerth during the Fox Footy broadcast, while Zorko also slammed his teammate for repeating the sledge and opening up the 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 figure from Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions, stood up for him and even said that in his position he would do the same.

“If I was a back pocket trying to make a name for myself and my job was to put myself in the shoes of an attacker, I would do everything I could to keep my spot,” Hodge told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“If that means he bumps into Petty, he didn’t hit him, he didn’t swear at him or he didn’t do anything wrong that would hurt him.

“He brought up something from a few years ago and honestly Petty spoke just as poorly in that game, so I don’t think Noah did anything wrong.

‘He is a young guy who, as a defender, knows what defenders have to do and who has to get into the shoes of the attackers, so if that means it is through an action.

‘Does it look great? No, that’s not the case, but this is a guy who is a fierce, young competitive player and this might just be how he gets the best out of himself.

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

Lions champion Dayne Zorko condemned Answerth’s sled and shook Petty’s hand after Thursday night’s heated clash

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

“I’ll probably have a word with him, that’s clearly not the way we want to win,” the 35-year-old former Lions captain told ABC Radio.

‘Things happen in the heat of the moment. I’m sure he would have fixed it after the game.’

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

“He had a tough time there a few years ago and as a player you don’t know what others 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 give his opinion.

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

Fagan also said he had not seen the incident before coming to his press conference.

“You have to be very careful with things like that, so I’ll leave it to the goalkeeper, if that’s okay,” he said.