Former AFL player calls out Dylan Alcott over 'shocking' post

A former AFL player has called out Australian tennis star Dylan Alcott over what he labelled a 'shocking' comment that made light of people with disabilities.

Alcott had taken to Twitter in the midst of North Melbourne's brutal AFL drubbing at the hands of the Western Bulldogs on Good Friday, making light of the cellar-dwelling club's ongoing misfortune.

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“Legit reckon I could get a kick for North Melbourne at the minute,” he posted, before the Bulldogs went on to register a record-breaking 128-point win on the back of Josh Bruce's 10 goals.

North Melbourne were outclassed from the opening bounce, but former Kangaroos defender Sam Durdin noticed Alcott's tweet and replied, arguing he was making light of disabilities.

"For a sporting professional who’s so vocal about the treatment of people with disabilities this is a shocking comment,” Durdin said.

Alcott's remark sparked something of a debate on social media as to whether or not it was an appropriate comment.

Some defended it as a simple tongue in cheek remark, while others argued it was a double standard.

Durdin was one of 11 players to be delisted by the Kangaroos at the end of the 2020 AFL season, as the club embarks on a rebuild following several years mired in the bottom half of the ladder.

He played 22 games over four seasons for North Melbourne, returning to South Australia to star for Glenelg in the SANFL after his AFL career came to an end.

North Melbourne suffer record drubbing by Western Bulldogs

Josh Bruce's career-best 10 goals has powered the Western Bulldogs to a record-breaking 128-point AFL demolition of North Melbourne.

The Bulldogs slammed home 20 of the last 22 goals to obliterate the Kangaroos under the roof at Marvel Stadium, running out winners 25.17 (167) to 5.9 (39).

It was the Bulldogs' greatest-ever VFL/AFL winning margin, eclipsing the 120-point mark set against Melbourne in 1985 when the club was still known as Footscray.

It was also their biggest score against North, powering past the total they kicked in round three, 1984.

Determined to put in a competitive showing after the club's place in the Good Friday timeslot was questioned during the week, the Kangaroos' intensity barely lasted a quarter.

Maligned forward Bruce shot to form, becoming the first AFL player to kick 10 goals in a game since Ben Brown for the Kangaroos against Port Adelaide in 2019.

It was the third-straight time Bruce has booted at least six goals against North in what was a timely performance as No.1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan pushes his case to debut in the Bulldogs' forward line.

North forward Nick Larkey appeared to have cut the margin to five points midway through the second term, but a video review disallowed the goal.

The Bulldogs, led by Bruce and a scintillating performance from star recruit Adam Treloar (three goals and 27 touches), then piled on the next 12 goals to completely crush North's spirits.

With AAP

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