In slagging one of footy’s most loved figures Sam Newman will find few supporters

HE’S no stranger to humiliating and belittling people, but attacking one of footy’s gentlemen, Bob Murphy, was Sam Newman at his coldest, writes Mark Robinson.

SO, this was Eddie McGuire letting Sam Newman off the leash.

This was The Footy Show “bringing fun back” to the game.

No, on the eve of Bob Murphy’s likely last game for the Western Bulldogs, it was a belittling and hurtful attack on one of the game’s gentleman.

Sam can be cutting, but this was Sam at his coldest.

As expected, Newman on Thursday night didn’t back down from his belief Murphy hijacked last year’s Grand Final ceremony by photobombing at every (picture) opportunity.

Newman was unbowed.

“I couldn’t care less if people think it’s offensive,” Newman said.

“I would say the majority of people would agree with me. I don’t care if no one agrees with me. I’m looking at it from a completely impartial point of view, wondering why this person is in every single thing to do with the premiership when he had nothing to do with it.”

Bulldogs president Peter Gordon certainly cared.

He stressed the moment when Murphy was asked by coach Luke Beveridge to join him on the podium was not a Murphy-initiated request.

The much-loved Bob Murphy was welcomed on to the podium by coach Luke Beveridge for the 2016 AFL Grand Final celebrations, in scenes which brought tears to even hardened footy fans’ eyes. (Pic: Wayne Ludbey)

“He didn’t even know about it, it was an initiative of Bevo’s,” Gordon said.

“The idea he has in any way participated in something which put him centre stage is of course quite false and really unfair.”

He had double barrels for Newman.

“There are few things more ironic than Sam Newman suggesting someone else is on TV too much,” Gordon said.

“I think he has consistently been involved in humiliating people because of their disabilities, in homophobic, sexist and racial slurs, for years and years and years and I think there has to be some accountability of people who let him do it week after week,

“Every week Channel Nine has the opportunity to make a choice as to whether to give him that airtime and every week they allow him to do it.

“I don’t expect a man like Newman to behave any better. But I do think Channel Nine retains the choice every week to exercise its privileges of a major broadcaster in a major way.

“Everyone knows that Newman has for years behaved in a objectionable, insulting and inflammatory way, everyone knows it.

“No one should expect that will ever be any different, what we are entitled to expect is the producers of the television program will take their responsibilities to the public, the game and to players who deserve respect a little more serious than they have.”

The Newman rant was the lowlight on a terrific night, when the show raised $1 million for cancer research.

Newman said no one knew he was about to unleash on Murphy. The response from fellow panellists was telling — Hawks skipper Luke Hodge simply shook his head.

McGuire was clear in his view it wasn’t all about Bob.

“(Murphy) accepted that on behalf of every red, white and blue heart that beat all the way through it, Sam,” the Magpies president said.

Reminded yesterday it was not Murphy’s idea to join Beveridge and accept the medal, Newman further unleashed.

“So Luke gives him the medal... then get the hell out of the way and let the people who actually took that club to glory, who actually made some history, let them have their day in the sun instead of actually photo-bombing every bloody picture.”

Newman will have his supporters, no doubt.

But Grand Final day was the Bulldogs’ day and however Beveridge or Murphy or the players or the fans wanted to celebrate, surely it was up to them

At Murphy’s retirement press conference, Beveridge stressed how large a role Murphy played in the premiership. “We wouldn’t have got there if not for him,’’ the coach said. And the coach would know.

The questions for mine are: Why would Newman be so annoyed if Murphy was in Grand Final photographs? What does it really matter?

“If the people want to laud and fete him, good on them, I’m just saying there are hundreds of people who look at that and say, ‘Well, God almighty, what is the agenda here?” Newman said.

“If the success of a side who hasn’t won a premiership since 1954 gets attributed — almost out of absolute proportion — to someone who didn’t play for the year and who didn’t have anything to do with it... what is that? You could do that with every single premiership that’s been won since the game has started, why is this man any different?

“How did that man contribute in 2016 to them winning a premiership, can you answer that?’’

Yes we can, but it might be best for Newman to have a coffee with Beveridge to understand the bigger picture.

Better yet, Newman should have asked Beveridge the week before when he sat next to him on the same Footy Show desk.

That would’ve been TV worth watching.