'That's bulls**t': Sam Newman scorched for unbelievable virus claim

Former AFL player turned controversial TV personality Sam Newman has been savaged by his colleagues after claiming he knows as much information about the coronavirus pandemic as the medical experts advising government officials.

Newman made headlines this month after a brash protest in order to have golf courses reopened in Victoria after the premier banned the activity as part of the state-wide pandemic shut down.

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This prompted Newman to enter into a war-of-words with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, despite the Premier repeatedly shutting down the outspoken AFL figure.

Now, Newman has propped himself up on his podcast You Cannot Be Serious in another crack at the premier.

Newman left his co-hosts - Herald Sun chief football writer Mike Sheahan and Hawthorn legend Don Scott - in disbelief when he brazenly claimed he knew more about the current pandemic than the medical officials advising Premier Andrews.

“I know more about how coronavirus starts and the problems than any medical person that he (Andrews) gets (information from),” Newman said.

Sheahan hit back: “Are you seriously saying that you’ve got more knowledge about the coronavirus and its origins than the medical experts in the country?”

“I’ve got as much, yes,” Newman said.

“Rubbish,” Scott said.

“That’s bulls**t,” Sheahan added.

Newman then went back to advocate for golf courses to be reopened and how it would benefit those playing.

But Sheahan was having none of it and quickly called him out for his previous comment.

“That’s not your statement. You said you know as much about coronavirus as the medical people. That’s just nonsense,” he said.

Newman incredulously replied: “That is not nonsense, Mick. I can tell you how it starts, where it came from, how you should self-isolate, how you stop getting it, what your precautions are. I can tell you all that.

“What does a medical person tell you other than its genetic make-up which is irrelevant because it’s a disease that’s a pandemic that’s killing us.”

Newman’s battle with Premier Andrews

Dressed in his most colourful golf get-up, the 71-year-old marched on Victorian parliament last week and labelled the blanket ban on golf ‘absolute nonsense’.

Premier Andrews responded to Newman claiming he “didn’t give Sam much thought.”

Newman received support from cricket legend Shane Warne and on the weekend, Newman relaunched at the Victorian Premier.

But Premier Andrews again shut down Newman’s verbal barbs claiming there are more important debates to be had.

“(New York) Governor (Andrew) Cuomo wishes he was having a debate about golf. Many world leaders … wish they were having a debate about golf. They're not, they're having a debate about where the temporary morgues will go,” he said.

Andrews added that Australia’s comparatively low rates of coronavirus cases does make the possibility of rolling back some of the restrictions an option for the future.