The war of words between sports broadcaster Brad Hardie and Fremantle Football Club player Hayden Ballantyne has continued, with Hardie appealing to Freo fans “not to shoot the messenger”.
Small forward Ballantyne accused Hardie of fabricating a story about a club-wide drinking ban at the Dockers, after star recruit Jesse Hogan was suspended from playing round one with the club due to “poor alcohol decisions”.
Hayden Ballantyne has been in and out of the side.Credit:AAP
“It's a complete fabrication, I don't know where Brad Hardie gets all of this absolute garbage from but he has to have a good look at himself I think,” Ballantyne told Racing Radio earlier this week.
“He's having a crack at players and all sorts of sports people around Australia where it's just absolute garbage. I think he has to have a good look at himself and [some of the] – I can't say what I want to say – but some of the garbage that he puts out in these forums.”
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Ballantyne said the club's alcohol policy meant no drinking on short turnarounds, and no drinking when injured.
He characterised it as a standard policy in professional football.
Hardie returned fire on Radio 6PR on Sunday and said Ballantynes comments likely stemmed from his club.
“That was scripted as far as I was concerned. That was Fremantle Dockers speech – you know, fabrication, all that sort of stuff,” he said.
“It's never been about attacking Jesse Hogan as a person either. It's about the way that this club is run and unfortunately they've started on the back-foot … ever since all we've tried to do, now whether they feel it's that way or not, is try and help them get in the right direction.
“They've been playing catch-up footy and they're going into their 25th year or thereabouts and we're still talking about the same problems they had in year one.”
Hardie also criticised Ballantyne himself, and made comments about the relationship between the player and coach Ross Lyon.
Brad Hardie has fired back at his critics.Credit:Trevor Collens
“Is this the same bloke who runs around and pretends to be a footballer for Fremantle?” he said.
“A cardboard cut out would give more output than him. Is this the same person who at the end of 2016 wanted to get out of the Fremantle Football Club and was almost in tears begging for someone to get hRead More
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