Sam Newman defends comments slamming AFL for allowing Muslim players to toss coin

CONTROVERSIAL Footy Show star Sam Newman has defended his stance on the AFL’s “divisive” decision to allow two Muslim players to toss the coin on Friday night, but says he never intended to be offensive.

Sam Newman has stood by his comments over the AFL's decision to allow Bachar Houli and Adam Saad to toos the coin ahead of Friday night's clash.

CONTROVERSIAL Footy Show star Sam Newman has defended his stance on the AFL’s “divisive” decision to allow two Muslim players to toss the coin on Friday night, but says he never intended to be offensive.

Newman lashed out at Muslims in a podcast on Monday, and slammed the AFL for allowing

Adam Saad and Bachar Houli tossed the coin before the Richmond-Essendon clash.

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Sam Newman has stood by his comments over the AFL’s decision to allow Bachar Houli and Adam Saad to toos the coin ahead of Friday night's clash. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“Why would the AFL, instead of thinking they’re virtuous by getting those boys to shake hands, instead they’re being divisive,” he said on the Sam, Mike and Thommo podcast.

Newman stood by his comments on The Footy Show tonight.

“I have been the focus of some pretty inaccurate commentary, this week about comments I made about the AFL inserting themselves into the political narrative of the day,” Newman said.

“This is my opinion. I don’t think they should be involved in doing that.

“When you consider that 50 per cent of the electorate has one political view and the other by the virtue of politics has the other view — as opposed to them possibly thinking they’re being virtuous, I think they are being divisive.

“I just don’t think people who go to the football want to have a political lecture or political agenda given to them.

“They just like to go and watch the football.”

Richmond’s Bachar Houli and Essendon’s Adam Saad embraced at the coin toss on Friday night. Picture: Michael Klein

Newman said his comments were “taken to a whole new level... in the name of controversy and theatre”.

“I never intended to be offensive to anyone, it was just my opinion on the AFL getting into a political commentary on our game which I don’t think they should,” he said.

“That’s only my opinion.”

During the podcast, Newman said Muslims were a “huge problem” in Europe and said many people agreed with Queensland senator Fraser Anning’s comments to limit Muslim immigration.

“Of course he’s been vilified because people don’t want to be identified with what might be … popular opinion, as opposed to being virtue signalling in saying that we’re not racist,” he said.

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