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4 months ago
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Former AFL star Anthony Koutoufides is considering a run for Lord Mayor of Melbourne when council elections are held in October.
The much-loved Carlton champion revealed a friend had asked him to run for the position and he is not ruling out making a stunning switch to politics.
'I'm considering it,' he told The Age.
'I really want to look at it because I am keen to do something if I can.'
'I love this city, I love this country.'
Koutoufides did not indicate if he would run for an established party or as an independent.
'I don't want to say too much yet,' he said. 'There is still a bit to do.'
If the footy legend decides to contest the eletion, he will go up against Nicholas Reece, who was sworn in as the 105th Lord Mayor of Melbourne in early July.
Anthony Koutoufides (pictured with his wife Susie) is considering running for the position of Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Koutoufides (pictured in action for Carlton during a 2005 clash against the Sydney Swans) was one of the biggest footy stars in the country in his heyday
'Kouta' was an AFL powerhouse in the '90s and early 2000s, playing 278 games for Carlton and winning a premiership with the club in 1995.
He was considered a sex symbol and appeared in the racy Men For All Seasons calendar, which enjoyed huge popularity at the time.
Koutoufides went on to become a reality television star with roles such as 'Kouta the Greek God' in the Seven Network's 2008 revival of Gladiators, and two stints on Dancing With The Stars, where he was crowned champion in 2006.
Earlier this month it was announced Koutoufides will be acting in the crime series Vendetta 19, playing a prison guard alongside controversial former footy agent Ricky Nixon.
The new TV series will depict how the Crutchy Push gang came to blows with notorious rival gangster Squizzy Taylor in Melbourne's Pentridge Prison in 1908.
'Kouta' was crowned Dancing With The Stars champ in 2006 alongside Natalie Lowe (pictured)
WHO IS ANTHONY KOUTOUFIDES?
The man known as 'Kouta' was a powerhouse AFL star who played in almost every position during his career.
Often called the prototype of the modern footballer, Koutoufides played 278 games for Carlton, including their 1995 premiership team.
Koutoufides did not see out his footy career without some controversy.
In 1997, the then AFL posterboy caused a stir when he secured an individual Adidas sponsorship, which flew in the face of Carlton's Nike sponsorship.
In October 2002, Koutoufides married Susie Angeloski and they now have three children.
It was the same year Carlton was embroiled in a salary cap cheating scandal that saw the club fined $930,000 and lose all their early draft picks for the next two seasons.
It was Koutoufides' massive wage that initiated the investigation at the time. It is not suggested that he engaged in any wrongdoing in relation to the issue.
Koutoufides retired in 2007 and went onto appear in a variety of reality shows, including playing 'Kouta the Greek God' in the Seven Network's revival of Gladiators in 2008.
He owned a Souvlaki Hut restaurant for a while, appearing in comical advertisements featuring a gorilla.
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