Rex Hunt unleashes on Mike Sheahan over long-held grudge
Rex Hunt wasted no time unleashing on Mike Sheahan over a six year old grudge. But Sheahan had the perfect comeback to the blistering attack that unfolded on-air.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Rex Hunt has unpacked a six-year-old grudge with Mike Sheahan — and unleashed.
Hunt, a two-time premiership player and footy calling legend, appeared on the You Cannot Be Serious podcast with respected AFL journalist Sheahan and broadcaster Sam Newman.
The trio discussed the Bombers supplements saga, and road rules, before an agitated Hunt confronted Sheahan about an interview they did on a Foxtel show, Open Mike, in 2013.
He said Sheahan focused too much on Hunt’s personal controversies.
“I’ve got to ask you one question,” Hunt said. “With the Foxtel interview I did, after you asked me for six months, and I said yes … How much pressure did you get from the top office because this will rate … and people will love people getting in trouble?”
“No pressure,” Sheahan answered.
“I set the agenda for that interview program.”
Newman asked Hunt: “Do I take it, Rex, that you’ve taken umbrage at Mick’s line of questioning?”
“I’m pissed off!” Hunt said, citing Jack Dyer’s description of him as “a good, ordinary footballer,” his 200 games and two premierships.
“Look at me! Look at me!” he told Sheahan, sternly.
Hunt also pointed to his AFL life membership, “which I believe that some of my critics, and I won’t give you the initials, who believe they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel because I was inducted as a life member.”
Hunt continued: “I still, at 70 years of age, feel as if I don’t belong. You took me into the Foxtel studios, and you spoke about all the crap for 20 minutes, then you got on to football.”
Sheahan shot back: “It’s not a story about how many goals a bloke’s kicked, and how many marks he took. It’s a story about their life.”
Hunt: “If you Google my life, it’s a great life.”
Sheahan said he was one of three people on a selection subcommittee that nominated Hunt for AFL life membership in 2018.
“If I say so myself, I probably drove it, so stick that up your fisherman’s bum,” Sheahan said.
Hunt then offered to leave the podcast because “I don’t want to say something I might regret.”
Sheahan said: “Well, you’ve been sitting on this (issue) for a while.”
DUSTY AND SERENA’S MALDIVES CATCH-UP
PIES BOW TO GRUNDY’S CONTRACT DEMAND
“Yeah,” Hunt replied, “and it’s cost me, it’s cost me dearly.”
Hunt said his wife Lynne urged him to play nice around Sheahan.
“When you talk to Lynne at the football, I don’t come anywhere near you,” Hunt said.
Later, Sheahan asked Hunt: “Why are you so aggressive?”
“I don’t like you,” Hunt answered.
Sheahan: “Are you serious?”
Hunt: “No I’m not.”
The two eventually buried the hatchet and, for once, Newman was lost for words.
Originally published as Rex Hunt unleashes on Mike Sheahan over long-held grudge