AFL great Luke Hodge DEFENDS Brisbane Lions player over crying sledge and said he would do the exact same thing

AFL champion and former Brisbane Lion Luke Hodge has weighed in to the 'crying' sledge that has dominated headlines this week, saying he would do the same thing.

The incident involved Lions player Noah Answerth, who reignited a two-year feud with Melbourne players through an unsportsmanlike gesture directed at Demons player Harrison Petty.

After Petty missed a goal, Answerth mocked him by rubbing his eyes as if crying - the same sledge he delivered to Petty in 2022.

In the previous clash,  then-Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko allegedly told the Melbourne star 'I hope your mother dies', leading to Petty's emotional response. 

Footy legend and commentator Jason Dunstall criticised Answerth during Fox Footy's broadcast while Zorko also slammed his teammate for repeating the sledge and opening up the old wounds.

While fans and commentators condemned Answerth's behavior, Luke Hodge, a respected figure from Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions, stood up for him and even said he would do the same thing in his position.

'If I was a back pocket who's trying to make his name and my job is to get under the skin of a forward, I'd be doing everything I possibly can to keep my spot,' Hodge told SEN's Crunch Time.

'If that means getting stuck into Petty, he didn't hit him, he didn't swear at him, he didn't do anything wrong that was going to hurt him.

'He brought up something from a couple of years ago and in fairness, Petty in that game spoke just as badly so I don't think Noah did anything wrong.

'He's a young bloke who, as a defender, you know what defenders have to do and they've got to get under the skin of the forwards, so if that means it's by an action.

'Does it look great? No, it doesn't but this is a bloke who is a fierce, young competitive player and this might be how he gets the best out of himself.

'I don't think Chris Fagan will be saying to go and do it again knowing what Chris is like but I understand back pockets think a little bit different.'

Zorko, who was booed by Demons supporters every time he had the ball on Thursday night, was not aware of the incident, but openly addressed it.

'I'll probably go have a word to him, that's obviously not the way we want to win,' the 35-year-old former Lions captain told ABC Radio.

'Heat of the moment, stuff happens. I'm sure he'd have fixed it up after the game.'

Melbourne defender Jake Lever said it shouldn't be part of the game.

'He had a tough time up there a few years ago and as a player, you don't know what others are going through,' Lever told the Seven Network.

'I think footy's cleaned up that sort of act.'

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said he wasn't aware of the incident and was unwilling to offer his opinion.

'I didn't see it, what happened? Probably ask Fages (Lions coach Chris Fagan) when he comes in, that's up to them,' Goodwin said.

Fagan also said he hadn't seen the incident before he came into his press conference.

'Got to be really careful on that sort of thing so I'll let that one through to the keeper, if that's OK,' he said.