Tony Jones lashes AFL over Brownlow Medal snub: 'Get stuffed'

Veteran Channel Nine sports presenter Tony Jones has told the AFL to "get stuffed" after being snubbed for this year's AFL Brownlow Medal ceremony.

The glitzy awards night is traditionally held every year in Melbourne to celebrate the AFL's best of the best over the course of the season.

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Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the event for the last couple of years but it is set to return to Melbourne’s Crown Palladium for the first time since 2019.

Melbourne-based Nine News presenter Jones says he has attended the Brownlow Medal ceremony for more than 30 years, but claims he wasn't invited this year.

Jones confirmed on Nine's Sunday Footy Show over the weekend that he had not received an invitation for the glamorous AFL night of nights.

He said he only found out about the snub after chatting with Sunday Footy Show colleague Damian Barrett before the show.

Typically, the other members of The Footy Show panel were quick to joke about the brutal snub at TJ's expense, prompting an angry swipe from the Nine presenter.

“If the AFL is watching, you can get stuffed, it’s a crap night," Jones said to a chorus of laughter from panelists Matthew Lloyd, Nathan Brown and Kane Cornes.

When asked if he might have done anything to warrant the snub, Jones replied: “Just promote the game in a good light.

“I was unaware of it until I heard Damo (Damian Barrett) speaking to the wardrobe department. I’ve gone through all my emails, archives, junk, anyway, so I’ve officially been snubbed.”

Barrett even threw in a cheeky remark to let TJ know that his Nine News colleague Alicia Loxley had received an invite to the AFL awards night.

AFL communications boss Jay Allen admitted that while Jones was originally overlooked for an invite, he has since been extended one for the Brownlow Medal night.

However, Jones suggested to The Herald Sun that he will probably give it a miss because he's "not sure the ego can recover from this one".

AFL world braces for semi-final blockbusters

Meanwhile, the AFL finals continue this weekend with Melbourne's semi-final against the Brisbane Lions on Friday night, followed by Collingwood's showdown against Fremantle on Saturday evening.

Brisbane's trash-talking captain Dayne Zorko says he's unfazed at being a target for any Melbourne retribution in the first semi-final on Friday night.

Zorko's verbal abuse of Harrison Petty left the Melbourne defender in tears during the round 23 clash in Brisbane, before he later apologised over the incident.

"If there is (any ramifications) it will be in the first two minutes and then ... it will wear off pretty quickly," Zorko told SEN radio on Tuesday.

"I can't really worry about that. I'm not expecting our players to worry about that.

"We simply have to let our football do the talking - it hasn't done that the last few times, we've done it with our mouth and refused to do it with our actions.

"That is something we're really concentrating on this week, getting the little things right and focusing on our process to get a victory."

Melbourne hammered Brisbane twice this season - by 56 points in round 23 and by 64 points in round 15.

Demons star Christian Petracca is set to train with the main group on Tuesday in a bid to prove he can push through his fractured leg and corked calf for the blockbuster against the Lions.

Petracca completed a light session on Monday, albeit with a slight limp and with tape around his right calf, with Tuesday to confirm whether he's good to go.

Demons coach Simon Goodwin is confident Petracca will be cleared to play.

"He'll train fully (on Tuesday) so he'll be fully fit, there's no risk there," Goodwin told Fox Footy.

"Our medical team are one of the best in the competition and they're not going to make rash decisions with a key player like Christian Petracca.

"We need him at his best and he'll train fully (on Tuesday)."

with AAP

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