Jason Akermanis: Difference between revisions
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*{{AFL WB}} [[List of Western Bulldogs leading goalkickers|leading goalkicker]] 2009 |
*{{AFL WB}} [[List of Western Bulldogs leading goalkickers|leading goalkicker]] 2009 |
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'''Jason Dean Akermanis''' ( |
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'''Jason Dean Akermanis''' (born 24 February 1977 in [[Mildura, Victoria]]) is an [[Australian rules football]] player. He is a [[Brownlow Medal]]list and triple premiership player who played for the [[Brisbane Bears]], [[Brisbane Lions]] and [[Western Bulldogs]].<ref>[http://www.theroar.com.au/2010/07/22/akermanis-gave-the-bulldogs-no-choice/ A solo Akermanis gave the Bulldogs no choice], The Roar, Retrieved on 22 July 2010.</ref> He played for [[Glenorchy Football Club]] in the [[Tasmanian Football League]] in 2011. |
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==Early career== |
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Akermanis grew up in Victoria, moving to [[Queensland]] in his youth where he was educated at Wavell State High School then at [[St. Joseph's Nudgee College]] and played football with the [[Mayne Football Club]] where he was spotted by [[Brisbane Bears]] talent scouts. He completed year 12 at high school (aged 18) during his first year with the Brisbane Bears. |
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==AFL career== |
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===Brisbane Bears (1995–1996)=== |
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Akermanis was a solid contributor to the Brisbane Bears midfield (wing), with his pace and skills evident even early in his career. |
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===Brisbane Lions (1997–2006)=== |
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It was after the Brisbane Lions formed that he began to shine, bulking up significantly, and a move to the forward line enabled him to make the most of his opportunities and develop a reputation as a goal sneak. |
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Akermanis became one of the [[Brisbane Lions]]' most talented players. His flamboyant talents and bleached-blonde hair and contrasting black beard make him easy to identify on the field. At the Lions he made his name as a speedy midfielder or on-baller with blistering acceleration and an uncanny ability to kick exceptionally well with either foot, talents which helped him win the [[Australian Football League|AFL]]'s coveted [[Brownlow Medal]] in 2001. |
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He was also a crowd favourite with Lions fans, being famous for his [[handstand]]s. Following a winning match, he usually performed a handstand and kissed the ground, much to the delight of his home crowd. Since joining the Western Bulldogs he stopped the practice. |
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Akermanis is also known for his goalscoring abilities. He was a winner of the [[AFL Goal of the Year]] 2002 award and has an ability to kick goals from acute angles. In a match in 2005, he kicked two goals within minutes of each other from almost exactly the same spot: deep in the right [[forward pocket]] on the run. Early in the 2006 season, Akermanis was dropped from the Brisbane Lions side for Round 7, playing a game with the [[Suncoast Lions]]. This coincided with inflammatory comments that he made about the coach, [[Leigh Matthews]], during the week and there was speculation that his time at the club was up, only a few months after he had won the 2005 club best and fairest award. However, Akermanis was soon recalled to the side and responded with 22 disposals across half-back in the game against [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]] and a post-match interview with [[Nine Network|Channel Nine]] showed him smiling and visibly happy with his performance. On 27 July 2006 it was reported that the coaching panel and senior playing group had voted unanimously (12–0) to not allow him back into the club. |
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===Western Bulldogs (2007–2010)=== |
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On 6 September, it was reported that the [[Western Bulldogs]] were leading in the race to sign Akermanis for the 2007 season. On 15 September, Akermanis confirmed that he wanted to join the Bulldogs and it was then down to the Lions agreeing on the trade price which they did on 9 October, when Brisbane Lions football manager [[Graeme Allan]] announced that the team had agreed to trade Akermanis to the Bulldogs. |
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At the end of the 2008 season, Akermanis made a statement that he would retire at the end of 2009 when his three year contract expired, however he displayed excellent form at the start of the 2009 season and later retracted his earlier comment about retirement. Western Bulldogs coach [[Rodney Eade]] said he had not ruled out the possibility of extending Akermanis' contract, depending on his performance for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/aka-shows-hes-far-from-finished/2009/05/17/1242498638964.html|title=Aka shows he's far from finished|publisher=The Age|date=18 May 2009}}</ref> He then signed with the Bulldogs for another year, hoping to play in a fourth premiership side. It is assumed his contract would be for substantially less pay than his previous deal which is estimated at between $350,000 and $400,000 a year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/aka-to-decide-future-at-seasons-end/2009/06/11/1244664795170.html|title=Akermanis to decide his future at season's end|publisher=AAP|date=12 June 2009}}</ref> |
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In July 2010 it was announced that the Western Bulldogs had terminated Akermanis's contract due to the club's judgement that the two were on different paths.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jason-akermanis-sacked-20100721-10kqu.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=Trust issues: Bulldogs sack Jason Akermanis | first1=Caroline | last1=Wilson | first2=Samantha | last2=Lane | date=21 July 2010}}</ref> |
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===Post-AFL: Beginning of Tasmanian State League career=== |
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Akermanis began playing with the [[Glenorchy Football Club]] in the [[Tasmanian Football League|Tasmanian State League]] in 2011.<ref>Smith, A., [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/jason-akermanis-signs-with-tassie-team-glenorchy/story-e6frf9jf-1225955796626 Herald Sun], "Jason Akermanis signs with Tassie team Glenorchy", 18 November 2010, Retrieved, 18 November 2010.</ref> |
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Living in the Essendon area, Akermanis has chosen Essendon District Football team [[Aberfeldie]] as the local club to train with during the 2011 season. He made a solid Tasmanian State League debute against Clarence when he scored one goal and had 23 possessions. |
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==Off field personality and controversy== |
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Off the field, Akermanis is often very outspoken on issues concerning the [[Australian Football League]] and other codes. |
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His brash, over-confident demeanor makes him a favourite target for abuse by some supporters of other clubs, although others regard him as a colourful character and an antidote to most footballers who speak in a politically correct way. He often appears on [[The AFL Footy Show]]. |
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He co-wrote a book with Gary Smart titled ''AKA – The Battle Within'', which was released in 2004. He released his autobiography named ''Open Season'' in mid-2011, which further details his messy departures from both the [[Brisbane Lions]] and the [[Western Bulldogs]]. |
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Some of his controversies include: |
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* Threatening to switch codes to [[rugby union]] if the Lions signed former [[Kangaroos Football Club]] star [[Wayne Carey]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rugby.com.au/news/2002_june/akermanis_welcome_at_queensland_rugby_14122,7125.html|title=Akermanis welcome at Queensland rugby|publisher= Australian Rugby Union Ltd|date=24 June 2002}}</ref> |
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* Revealing to the media that teammate [[Nigel Lappin]] had broken ribs before the 2003 Grand Final<ref>{{Cite web |
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| last = Monteverde |
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| first = Marco |
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| title = Banished Lion will talk |
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| publisher = Fox Sports |
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| date = 7 June 2007 |
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| url = http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21861623-23211,00.html?from=public_rss |
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| accessdate = 29 June 2010}}</ref> |
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* Ongoing criticism of his coach at the Brisbane Lions, [[Leigh Matthews]]<ref>{{Cite news |
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| last = Hamilton |
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| first = Andrew |
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| title = Akermanis speaks out against Leigh Matthews again |
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| newspaper = Courier Mail |
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| location = Brisbane |
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| date = 22 May 2009 |
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| url = http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/akermanis-speaks-out-against-leigh-matthews-again/story-e6frep5o-1225714506384?from=public_rss |
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| accessdate = 29 June 2010}}</ref> and |
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* Claiming "an opposing player" was using performance-enhancing drugs; a comment that was linked by the media to [[West Coast Eagles]]' [[Michael Braun (footballer)|Michael Braun]] (though Akermanis never said who he was referring to), who was cleared after an investigation by the [[Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority]],<ref>{{Cite web |
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| last = |
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| first = |
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| title = Braun cleared by ASADA |
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| publisher = Fox Sports |
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| date = 20 August 2007 |
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| url = http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,22277406-23211,00.html |
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| accessdate = 29 June 2010}}</ref> which led to claims that Akermanis had lied. |
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* Claiming Jim Stynes was "a nasty man in his day", was treated as a "demi-god", and questioned his deservedness to receive a state funeral just two days after Stynes' death.<ref>{{Cite web |
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| last = Jason |
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| first = Good |
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| title = Akermanis: Stynes was a 'nasty man' |
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| publisher = 3AW |
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| date = 21 March 2012 |
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| url = http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/buy-swap-and-sell-blog/akermanis-stynes-was-a-nasty-man/20120322-1vltj.html |
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| accessdate = 21 March 2012}}</ref> |
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==="Stay in the closet" remarks=== |
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In May 2010, Akermanis wrote in the Herald Sun newspaper that he believes "locker room nudity and homoerotic activities are normal inside footy clubs", but advises young [[gay]] players who are "thinking of telling the world [about their sexual orientation to] forget it."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/stay-in-the-closet-jason-akermanis-tells-homosexuals/story-e6frf9ix-1225868871934|title=Stay in the closet, Jason Akermanis tells homosexuals|publisher=Herald Sun News|date=20 May 2010}}</ref> The story quickly went international and Akermanis attracted considerable criticism for his statements.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/jason-akermanis-column-goes-global/story-e6freck3-1225869151586|title=Jason Akermanis column goes global|publisher=Adelaide Now|date=20 May 2010}}</ref> In a subsequent clarification on the [[Nine Network]] program ''The Today Show'', Akermanis stated: "the homoeroticism around football clubs ... what workplace would you be able to see 20 men nude all the time if you wanted to? When you're slapping blokes on the bum and just having a bit of fun, what would that do to a man in there when you actually work out, 'Oh wait a second, wait a second. I don't know if I can handle that guy'".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/stay-in-the-closet-footballer-tells-gay-players/story-e6frf7l6-1225868921917|title=Stay in the closet, Jason Akermanis tells gay players|publisher=Herald Sun|date=20 May 2010}}</ref> In a related interview, he stated that he himself was not homophobic, but merely believed that "it would cause discomfort in that environment should someone declare himself gay."<ref name="The Age">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-distances-itself-from-gay-claim-20100520-votv.html|title=AFL distances itself from gay claim|publisher=The Age|date=21 May 2010 | location=Melbourne | first=Amy | last=Redford-Hunt}}</ref> |
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Numerous other AFL figures have publicly distanced themselves from the claims of Akermanis, including [[Western Bulldogs]] coach [[Rodney Eade]], [[Sydney Swans]] coach [[Paul Roos]], [[AFL Players Association]] general manager of culture and leadership [[Pippa Grange]] and the CEO of the [[Australian Football League|AFL]], [[Andrew Demetriou]].<ref name="The Age"/> In the week following the publication of the column, Akermanis twice met with other players and club officials of the Western Bulldogs and was told that he was on the team "to help the club win games of football – not to make off-field headlines and, by extension, create massive headaches for everyone else".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/doggies-battling-to-get-aka-back-on-the-leash-20100525-wb2v.html|title=Doggies battling to get Aka back on the leash|publisher=The Age|date=26 May 2010 | location=Melbourne | first=Caroline | last=Wilson}}</ref> However, in a radio interview on [[Melbourne Talk Radio]] on 31 May, Akermanis stated that he had not lied to his club about the article and that he had the support of his club "from the top down".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/aka-im-no-liar-20100531-wo60.html|title=Jason Akermanis defends his honesty|publisher=The Age|date=31 May 2010 | location=Melbourne | first=Will | last=Brodie}}</ref> |
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It was stated on [[The AFL Footy Show]] and elsewhere that, rather than Jason Akermanis being homophobic, he was in fact standing up for the rights of homosexual footballers in his statements, which suggested his perception of an aura of homophobia around football clubs. This was particularly emphasised by [[Sam Newman]], whose statements supporting Akermanis on this topic were used by the Western Bulldogs as justification for his sacking. |
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===Family=== |
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Akermanis is married to Megan Legge, a speech pathologist. They have two daughters, Charlotte and Sienna. Akermanis learned [[Auslan]] in order to communicate with his wife's hearing-impaired parents.<ref>{{Cite web |
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| title = Sport: Jason Akermanis |
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| publisher = State Library of Queensland |
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| date = 3 July 2009 |
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| url = http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/exhibit/online/favthings/akermanis |
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| accessdate = 29 June 2010}}</ref> He also speaks [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>{{Cite news |
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| last = Brodie |
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| first = Will |
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| title = Jason Akermanis, a colourful life |
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| newspaper = The Sydney Morning herald |
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| date = 1 June 2010 |
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| url = http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/jason-akermanis-a-colourful-life-20100601-wt1d.html |
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| accessdate = 29 June 2010}}</ref> |
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===Swine flu fears=== |
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In early June 2009, Akermanis triggered fears within the AFL of a [[swine influenza|swine flu]] outbreak when it was revealed he had had contact with [[Ben Hannant]] of the Queensland [[Interstate matches in Australian rules football|State of Origin]] team just before Hannant was diagnosed with the virus. Akermanis himself was recovering from a cold and joked briefly on radio in Melbourne that he had made half the Queensland team sick. Akermanis tested negative for swine flu, alleviating fears of a swine flu outbreak in the Western Bulldogs team.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=78660|title=Eade allays Aker's swine flu fears|publisher=AFL BigPond|date=11 June 2009}}</ref> |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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*{{Wbplayer|ref=13982}} |
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*{{AflRleague|ref=J/Jason_Akermanis.html}} |
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{{S-start}} |
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{{s-ach|aw}} |
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{{Succession box |
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| title = [[Merrett-Murray Medal]] |
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| before = [[Chris M. Scott|Chris Scott]] <br /> [[Nigel Lappin]] |
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| after = [[Michael Voss]] <br /> [[Simon Black]] |
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| years = 1999 (shared with [[Justin Leppitsch]]) <br /> 2005 |
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}} |
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{{Succession box |
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| title = [[Brownlow Medal]] |
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| before = [[Shane Woewodin]] |
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| after = [[Simon Black]] |
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| years = 2001 |
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}} |
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{{S-end}} |
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{{2001/02/03 Brisbane Lions triple premiership players}} |
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{{AFL Brownlow Medallists}} |
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{{Merrett-Murray Medal}} |
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{{Brisbane Lions Leading Goalkickers}} |
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{{Western Bulldogs Leading Goalkickers}} |
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{{navboxes |
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| title = Jason Akermanis in [[All-Australian team]]s |
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| list1 = |
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{{1999 All-Australian team}} |
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{{2001 All-Australian Team}} |
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{{2002 All-Australian Team}} |
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{{2004 All-Australian Team}} |
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}} |
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{{Goal of the Year}} |
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{{1999 Australian International Rules team}} |
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{{2000 Australian International Rules team}} |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Akermanis, Jason |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian footballer |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = 24 February 1977 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Mildura, Victoria]] |
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| DATE OF DEATH = |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Akermanis, Jason}} |
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[[Category:1977 births]] |
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[[Category:All-Australians (AFL)]] |
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[[Category:Brisbane Bears players]] |
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[[Category:Brisbane Lions players]] |
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[[Category:Western Bulldogs players]] |
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[[Category:Brownlow Medal winners]] |
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[[Category:Merrett–Murray Medal winners]] |
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[[Category:Allies State of Origin players]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:People from Mildura]] |
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[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Queensland]] |
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[[Category:Mayne Australian Football Club players]] |
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[[Category:Glenorchy Football Club players]] |
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[[Category:Australian people of Lithuanian descent]] |
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[[Category:Aberfeldie Football Club players]] |
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Revision as of 14:11, 14 May 2012
| Jason Akermanis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Jason Akermanis in 2007 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Jason Dean Akermanis | ||
| Nickname(s) | Aker | ||
| Date of birth | 24 February 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Mildura, Victoria[1] | ||
| Original team(s) | Mayne (QAFL) | ||
| Draft | NAT Zone Selection, 1994, Brisbane Bears | ||
| Height / weight | 177cm / 85kg | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder / Forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Jason Dean Akermanis (