Luke Hodge says Demons hit Dayne Zorko with their own sledge after he left Harrison Petty in tears
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AFL legend Luke Hodge says Melbourne hit Dayne Zorko with a personal sledge after he reduced Harrison Petty to tears – and reveals the steps Brisbane MUST take to stop scandal ruining their season
- AFL champion Luke Hodge has offered his thoughts on Dayne Zorko saga
- Hawthorn premiership-winner believes Brisbane need to put issue to bed
- Hodge said failure to do so will see Lions’ premiership dreams go up in smoke
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AFL great Luke Hodge has revealed furious Demons players personally sledged Lions skipper Dayne Zorko after he crossed the line with their teammate Harrison Petty last Friday – and is adamant Brisbane must publicly address the ugly saga before it derails their season.
Speaking on SEN Radio in Queensland, the four-time premiership winner with Hawthorn said the incident has the potential to see Brisbane’s dreams of another flag quashed in the first week of the finals next Thursday.
A fired up Zorko is believed to have uttered a below the belt slur to Petty about his mother, which deeply upset the young gun.
Zorko apologised post-game, admitting his emotions got the better of him.
The AFL then declared the matter closed, shocking many in footy circles.
AFL great Luke Hodge has revealed furious Demons players personally sledged Lions skipper Dayne Zorko after he crossed the line with their teammate Harrison Petty
Lions skipper Dayne Zorko apologised to Petty post-game, admitting his emotions got the better of him.
‘You can understand the Lions trying to protect him (Zorko),’ Hodge said on Wednesday. ‘Zorks’ will put his hand up and say that he crossed the line.
‘On social media and all the networks for people to reach players, he’s been ripped apart by a lot of people having a fair crack at him.
‘As far as confronting it, I believe the Lions should jump on the front foot because if you leave it until next week, you’re going into a big final against a quality team (Richmond).
‘They (Tigers) came back recently (in round 20) from a big deficit to beat them, people are concerned about that. You want the mindset of the players to be focused.’
Hodge suggested Lions officials present either Zorko or vice-captain Harris Andrews to the media before this Friday.
Allowing the situation to fester could blow up in Brisbane’s face ahead of the elimination clash with Richmond, who are set to welcome back superstar Dustin Martin from injury.
Petty was reduced to tears after Zorko allegedly told him ‘I hope your mother dies’ last Friday in tense scenes
The Demons star started the fourth quarter on the bench as he dealt with the emotions surrounding Zorko’s alleged slur
Footy fans also slammed Brisbane Lions boss Danny Daly online after defending Dayne Zorko following his below the belt sledge aimed at Melbourne Demons star Harrison Petty
The AFL drawcard – who loves this time of year – hasn’t featured since round 16 due to a hamstring injury.
In a further boost for the Tigers, scans have cleared teammate Tom Lynch of a tear to his groin.
Hodge also believes it may be the opportune time for the Lions to appoint a new skipper for the 2023 season to replace Zorko.
‘There’s only a certain (amount of) time that you should be captain in my opinion,’ he said.
‘You’ve got other really good leaders (at Brisbane) in Harris Andrews and a few others that can take that next step in their own personal leadership.
‘To still have other leaders (like Zorko) around to guide them is a good thing.’