AFL player hits back at Nine star over hub comments

Collingwood’s Taylor Adams gave Nine newsreader Warren Tredrea a reality check after some harsh criticism from the Power legend.

Taylor Adams stood up for his fellow AFL players.

Collingwood star Taylor Adams has given Port Adelaide legend Warren Tredrea a clip over his comments about AFL players’ behaviour — and received a thumbs up from former Magpie Dane Swan.

Taylor said Tredrea — who now reads the sports news for Channel 9 in Adelaide — “wouldn’t have a job” if footy players hadn’t committed to unprecedented measures to keep the season going after the 255-game Power great took aim at misbehaving stars.

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Richmond players Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones were busted for the worst biosecurity breach of the season last week when they were involved in a brawl outside a Gold Coast strip club, and Tredrea believes the Queensland government will want AFL teams out of their Gold Coast hub as soon as the season is over to limit the risk of further incidents.

There are suggestions some Victorian-based players will try to stay in Queensland even if their season finishes rather than go back to their home state, which has the strictest lockdown laws in the country as it tries to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

But Tredrea says staying in the Sunshine State only increases the likelihood of players behaving badly.

“They (the Queensland government) have got the grand final, it’s all smelling rosy, the hubs have been going quite well,” Tredrea said on Nine’s Talk of the Town.

“But let’s face it, we’ve got footballers who continue to stuff up and they’ve still got games to play every week.

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Taylor Adams wasn’t taking a backwards step.

Tredrea captained the Power to their 2004 premiership.

“Imagine what happens when they get off tap, they get free time, they get outside, they can drink, they can go to the dance bars. Look out — I’d be getting them out of there (Queensland).

“I don’t think any players will be rushing back to Melbourne unless they really have to at the moment because let’s face it … it’s not a great life having to live in lockdown, there’s not too much you can do and players, clearly, at this time of year once footy season finishes, head off on holiday and go overseas or interstate.

“I dare say the Queensland Premier wants them out of the hub, just so they don’t create any mess.”

Responding to those comments on Twitter, Adams wrote: “99% of the playing group have behaved in an exemplary manner. Without the players agreeing to play, you wouldn’t have a job.”

Ex-Collingwood Dane Swan backed Adams up. “I like your work on here Tay. Keep it up,” he tweeted, with a thumbs-up emoji tacked on the end.