Respected sports broadcaster Gerard Whateley has slammed social media trolls spreading a fake tweet quoting him comparing soccer legend Lionel Messi to Geelong Cats forward Gryan Miers.
The fake post has an AFL360 publicity shot of Whateley holding a football with the quote: “Gryan Miers is to AFL what Leo Messi is to soccer. Messi may kick more goals, but Miers scans the field just as well. Maybe even better than Messi does.”
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Whateley has replied to a Twitter account that posted the image, asking for the fake post to be taken down.
“I never said this and it should be removed,” he wrote.
In separate reply, Whateley said: “Hey James… I’m worried about you… you there?
“Delete the fake tweet. It’s simple.”
Speaking to his SEN audience, Whateley pleaded with them to help track down the culprit and remove the post from Twitter.
“The post must be good for clicks,” he said.
“It’s an odd world and I’m not sure how you would guard against it, but that quote is being peddled around with my image but those are not my words.
“Maybe you could take it up for me, maybe you could reply to those who are posting it and tell them that is just a fake quote.
“And if you know anything about it, you might enlighten me. Those are not my words and those who are posting it should immediately delete it.”
Whateley is SEN’s lead AFL commentator and hosts a weekday morning talk show on the Melbourne radio station.
Whateley, a Geelong supporter, also hosts Fox Footy’s AFL 360 with Mark Robinson.
For what it’s worth, Cats forward Miers will play his 100th AFL game on Saturday against Essendon, and has become a cult hero at Geelong for his ability to set his teammates up for goals.
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With 28 goal assists this season, Miers leads the AFL in the category and has been nicknamed in some quarters as the “goal assist king”. He has eight assists more than the next best player.
AFL commentators have long compared players to NBA stars and overseas athletes, and Whateley is the latest victim of fans taking the mickey.
During the Socceroos’ World Cup campaign last year, former Australian cricketer Simon O’Donnell likened Lionel Messi’s ability to slow the play and direct traffic to Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury.
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