'I don’t cheat': Footy legend confronts golf club president over bans
Jason Akermanis will always hold the title of a controversial character on and off the footy field.
And nothing’s changed since he’s hung up the boots, except now it’s on the golf course – the only thing is, he’s finding it hard to play at a club that’ll let him in.
“This is Albury Golf Club. I’ve been banned for 12 months, I’m innocent,” Akermanis tells A Current Affair at the front of the club’s signage.
AFL great Jason Akermanis has been banned from playing at three of his local golf clubs. A Current Affair
The list goes on.
“Thurgoona, and yep I’m banned here too,” he continues.
“Well this is Wodonga and I’m banned from here … for cheating. But I’m completely innocent.”
Three clubs, three bans and one innocent man - Jason Akermanis.
He said he was innocent of the alleged offence that saw him cop a 12-month ban in Albury. A Current Affair
“It seems to be discriminatory and it seems to be out of order with the penalty versus what you've done. So, it seems a little bit unfair. But I'm not the victim. I'm just saying that when you play golf and you play by the rules and someone makes a complaint, you don't deserve the punishment I received,” he explained.
We thought we’d clear the air and pay a visit to Graeme Edgar, the president of the Commercial Club Albury, Akermanis came along too.
Akermanis confronted Commercial Club president Graeme Edgar. A Current Affair
The two didn’t seem to be on the same page.
“I had no correspondence, you haven't sent me anything,” Akermanis said.
“I believe you have been emailed,” Edgar responded.
It began as a very polite exchange.
Akermanis is also banned at Thurgoona. A Current Affair
Edgar says Akermanis was banned from Commercial Club Albury because he chased members down a fairway after they moved his golf cart 20 metres away.
“You believed his lies. Now I've got to cop this,” Akermanis said to Edgar.
But Edgar was having none of it and told Marty the members’ side of the story.
Akermanis said he was banned from Wodonga for cheating - but denied he had. A Current Affair
“Jason just said, 'I'll sort it out myself'. Do you think that's proper protocol to bolt down a fairway, threaten these guys and we're supposed to do nothing about it?” he said.
Since the verbal altercation, no ground has been made up between Edgar and Akermanis, or that of Akermanis and the two other clubs either.
Jason Akermanis playing for the Western Bulldogs against Richmond at the MCG in 2010. AAP
Suspensions are still in place.
Golf NSW told A Current Affair that they “do not oversee the administrative roles of individual clubs, nor any actions they may take under their respective by-laws.”
At the end of the day, Akermanis concedes he’s a bit of a troublemaker but this time it’s the golf clubs that have the wrong end of the stick.
“Everyone knows I like to push the rules and bend the rules as I did in footy," he said.
"But with golf and rules, they're simple. I don't not like rules, but some rules are just stupid.”
Akermanis plans to move to Brisbane with his family by the end of the year and hopefully find a golf club that’ll let him tee off.
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