FIVEAA presenter and former Crow Stephen Rowe levels stunning outburst on air

Outspoken radio presenter and former AFL player Stephen Rowe has levelled a bizarre, seemingly unprompted rant on air at “lazy” Australians.

Outspoken presenter Stephen Rowe has levelled a bizarre, seemingly unprompted rant on air with Stacey Lee. Picture: FIVEAA

FIVEAA presenter Stephen Rowe has delivered a stunning outburst on air, labelling Australians “lazy pieces of s***”, referencing outlaw Ned Kelly and questioning whether we had “better morals” in the WWI era in a seemingly unprompted rant.

The outspoken radio host and former Adelaide Crows player’s blow-up came during a regular preview slot on Stacey Lee’s afternoon show, kicking off with comments about SA’s new mobile phone detection cameras, which officially switched on earlier this week.

“If the motivation is for safety for these cameras, fair enough. But it’s not, it’s revenue raising, close the book,” Rowe said.

“We don’t need help to stay safe, we know not to be on mobile phones, we know not to drink and drive, we know we’ve gotta wear our seatbelts — we’re just over-governed.

“Any excuse they have to sting us, they sting us.”

Stacey Lee was seemingly left stunned after presenter Stephen Rowe let rip on her afternoon show. Picture: FIVEAA

Host Lee then interjected, questioning Rowe whether he was concerned by the risk a person on their phone could crash into him while driving.

Rowe’s commentary quickly ramped up.

“They don’t get insurance, I sue them, there’s third party … I don’t know, we’re breeding a weaker race,” he said.

“We’ve got to be governed to be good.

“We’ve got to be governed and fined and sanctioned and policed to just be a proper human, to just live a good life.

“We never had all of this back in the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, and I tell you what, no-one would’ve stepped out of line then because you had respect for your elders, you had respect for your headmaster or your schoolteacher.”

Lee interrupted once more, adding: “But there also weren’t cars or phones back then, you weren’t using your phone on the old horse and cart, were you.”

Rowe doubled down, suggesting Australians needed to “self-govern” and turning conversation to outlaw fugitive Ned Kelly.

“In the bow and arrow days we had the horse and cart … a bit like Ned Kelly, we shot him, we hung him, you know what I mean?” Rowe said.

“It’s gotta be up to me and up to my family and how I bring them up, and how I instil principles and how I instil work ethic, and how I instil ‘work hard and do the right thing’, if we all did that we wouldn’t need phones and cameras.

“Do you think there would’ve been less crime in the, I don’t know, let’s go back to the WWI era. Do you think we were better people then? Do you think we were more family-orientated, had better principles and better morals?”

Lee responded: “No, I definitely don’t think so, I think Australians are hard workers—”

Rowe hosts the FIVEAA sports show Tim Ginever. Picture supplied: FIVEAA

Rowe, who is also a manager at a family-owned SA business, then continued his tirade, labelling Australians “lazy pieces of s*** at the moment”.

“You asked me for a straight answer and that’s what I gave you, they’re either lazy, have got issues or are on drugs. Try and employ an Australian at the moment,” Rowe said.

Lee responded: “Why do you do this in the afternoon show, why don’t you save this for your show? I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Rowe then finished his segment, quickly diverting conversation to the weekend’s upcoming Port Adelaide game before Lee’s final comments.

“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone out there is a lazy piece of ‘s’ … I’m not going to say it … Stephen Rowe can though,” Lee said.

The outburst came a week after Rowe teed off at the Crows hierarchy in the wake of their woeful loss to Richmond, labelling them a “boys club” and calling the club’s board and executive “weak”.