Sam Newman continues relentless tirade against Victoria’s golf course restrictions

Even though the updated Victorian Government coronavirus restrictions allows people to play golf, that didn’t stop Sam Newman from delivering a vicious spray.

Even though the updated Victorian Government coronavirus restrictions allows people to play golf, that didn’t stop Sam Newman from delivering a vicious spray.

Sam Newman has reignited his feud with Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, continuing his relentless tirade against the “power-drunk” government’s restriction on golf courses.

Last month, the former AFL star protested outside Victoria’s Parliament House on Spring Street in Melbourne’s CBD, calling on Andrews to overturn the closure of golf course in the state.

Newman was unimpressed other states could play golf during the coronavirus epidemic, and received support from sporting icons Shane Warne and Nick Riewoldt.

“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more,” Newman posted on Twitter.

“Victorians, unlike their interstate counterparts, can’t play golf.

“I’m going to respectfully ask him why in god’s name can’t we go on to a golf course, social distance, and play golf?”

I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more. @VicGovAu ⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️ pic.twitter.com/P2WBFyZhh1

— Sam Newman (@Origsmartassam) April 16, 2020

Despite the outcry, Andrews stood his ground.

“I didn’t give Sam much thought, I must say,” the premier said in April.

“I’d love to be playing golf. We all would. But I don’t need to play golf, and me playing golf is not worth someone’s life.”

Newman continued berating Andrews for several days. However, on Monday, the Victorian Government announced it will relax social distancing restrictions and allow groups of ten people to take part in outdoor activities, including golf.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews.

Although he’s finally been granted exactly what he was requesting, Newman continued deploring the state government’s decision-making, which he argued is driven by “stupidity” and “incompetence”.

“You’d be hard pressed to find a more contrived, hypocritical decision, it’s extraordinary,” Newmans said on 3AW.

“There’s no conventional wisdom, there’s no empirical evidence that says responsible self-distancing out in the open air that is golf … it’s about as harmless as you can get when you look at people in supermarkets, hardware stores, shopping centres going about their daily business.

“It is about as naive and, I was almost going to say corrupt but it’s probably not corrupt, but it is a shallow and hollow execution of someone or a government that is power-driven by stupidity and incompetence. It’s extraordinary.

“Why couldn’t you do it now? Why couldn’t you say you’re free to play golf as of now, or last week or the week before.

“There is no data that says it is any more dangerous, it is probably the least dangerous thing you can do is get out in the open air as opposed to huddling together in your house having been out amongst the community with everyone doing everything.

“It is extraordinary that we put up with it.”

Sam Newman played 300 AFL games for Geelong.

Ironically, Newman also revealed he isn’t even capable of playing golf at the moment.

“I can’t actually play, I’ve got tendinitis in one of my arms,” he said.

“I actually don’t think I can play, but this was never about me per se and if I have to hear one more (person) say I’m a white privileged male and there are far more important things and there’s peoples in hospitals, ICUs, what has that got to do with it?

“People just go to a different level because they have no arguments to give you why we were ever stopped from playing golf, ever. They just move on to all that contrived crap that they speak about there’s people trying to put food on the table, what has all that got to do with it?

“What evidence does this government have that the rest of Australia doesn’t have that they are allowed to play golf but we are not here?

“You’ve just got to see this for what it is, it is absolutely hypocritical, contrived nonsense.

“I hope people see this for what it is, that is a power-drunk government who on most levels make very mediocre decisions and probably have very many mediator people running the joint.”

The updated coronavirus restrictions will be enforced from 11:59pm Tuesday evening.