Ando’s Shout: Night Allan Jeans ripped into Peter McKenna on — and off — live TV

The Bevo v media spat has dominated the headlines but, nearly four decades ago, another famous battle between footy coach and commentator turned nasty on live TV.

Peter McKenna reckons Bevo's got nothing on Yabby.

The histrionics of Luke Beveridge during the week have nothing on a media v coach stoush that took place in the old South Melbourne studios of Channel 7 in 1985.

It was the day after Hawthorn’s Leigh Matthews felled Geelong’s Neville Bruns behind play, and, as always, the respective coaches in Allan Jeans and Tom Hafey were to be interviewed on World of Sport the next day.

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Peter McKenna reckons Bevo's got nothing on Yabby.

Peter McKenna, the genial goal-kicking legend from Collingwood in the 1970s, had covered the violent game at Princes Park for Seven and was given the job of questioning Jeans. What took place next was compelling television as McKenna recalled during the week.

“He (Allan Jeans) had abused me even before the actual interview began because he knew I was coming for him after I had made a comment on the panel prior,” McKenna said.

“I went a bit hard on Leigh who I had played with in a state game when he knocked out Barry Cable.

“When Jeans came into the show he came up to me and said, ‘You are as weak as p**s’ to which I replied, ‘Well, let’s see if you have the guts to answer a few questions’.

“By that stage, I was pretty fired up and clearly so was he.

“When it came time for the interview, you could have heard a pin drop in a studio that was normally quite noisy.

“He made some comment about everyone having skeletons in their closet.

Cat Neville Bruns was left worse for wear after he was whacked by Hawks hard man Leigh Matthews. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“I considered raising an infamous act in a game at St Kilda when he was coach, but thought it would insinuate he had sent players out to perform acts of thuggery.

“He wouldn’t speak to me for years afterwards, just giving me a glare and walking past.

“But one day I was guest speaker at Hawthorn Football Club and guess who I was sitting next to? Allan Jeans.

“We spoke, but there were no shaking of hands, whereas Leigh Matthews and I met up when he became coach of Collingwood and buried the hatchet.”

Originally published as Ando’s Shout: Night Allan Jeans ripped into Peter McKenna on — and off — live TV