TV star Andy Maher slams politician for urging ‘pathetically woke AFL’ to hold a ‘biffo round’

Footy commentator Andy Maher has unleashed on Tim Smith after the Liberal MP called on the AFL to stop being ‘pathetically woke’ and hold a ‘biffo round’ in a tweet praising a fight in Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider.

The Liberal member for the Victorian seat of Kew was so impressed with the brutality on display during Queensland’s win over NSW that he took to Twitter to voice his approval – and have a crack at Aussie Rules.

‘So reassuring to see some biffo and some passion + some old fashioned Australian masculinity at #StateOfOrigin2022 – the pathetically woke AFL should take note,’ he wrote.

Smith branded the code ‘pathetically woke’ as he praised the ‘old-fashioned Australian masculinity’ on display during Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider

‘AFL is now unrecognisable for so many supporters. They don’t want another woke round, they want a biffo round.’

The tirade drew a stinging response from a furious Maher.

‘The irresponsibility and desperation of crap like this is obvious and usually unworthy of response, but sometimes we need to call out this sort of BS,’ he tweeted.

‘Disgraceful for a one-time wannabe community leader to push a message like this.’

Smith wasn’t taking that lying down, however.

‘Sorry for hurting your feelings petal, but the truth is the AFL is woke and Aussie Rules is increasingly boring,’ he replied.

‘#StateofOrigin is brutal, highly entertaining, & quintessentially Australian. Was the VFL/AFL more entertaining in the 80s & 90s? Without a doubt, yes. I wonder why?’ 

Queensland and NSW players get into a melee just after Dane Gagai and Matt Burton exchanged volleys of punches in the Maroons’ victory

Maher’s cutting remarks didn’t go unnoticed by Smith, who fired back and said, ‘Sorry for hurting your feelings, petal’

The ‘biffo’ Smith referred to took place just after the start of the second half when Queensland’s Dane Gagai repeatedly punched his Blues counterpart Matt Burton in the face, with the NSW centre returning fire.

It was the most dramatic moment of an incredibly physical game that saw three players forced from the field due to savage head knocks in the opening five minutes of play, with winger Selwyn Cobbo copping the worst of it in a collision with a teammate that left him unconscious on the turf.

Smith’s reference to ‘another woke round’ was likely prompted by the AFL’s Pride Round and Indigenous Round.

The league has also come under fire from fans who claim rule changes such as the umpire dissent law and ‘soft’ free kicks and suspensions are changing the face of the game for the worse.

Some fans have slammed the AFL for being too soft this season, pointing to rules like the umpire dissent law and players being penalised and suspended for infringements that would’ve been fine in years gone by

Maher, who co-hosts Channel Seven’s The Front Bar, also retweeted a post by journalist Lauren Wood, who wrote: ‘I wonder what families of brawl victims and CTE (the fatal brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, brought on by concussions) were thinking about the “biffo” and “old fashioned masculinity”. Please, Tim.’

He also appreciated the quality of the Origin game, tweeting, ‘There’s ya Gold Standard’ on the night of the game.

Smith made headlines last year when Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy told him to quit politics after he drunkenly crashed his car into a house, narrowly missing a child’s bedroom.