Media personalities have defended a former controversial Triple M radio segment that encouraged its talent to vote for the worst three players in each AFL game.
The segment, which was abolished nearly 10 years ago, would see the hosts of Triple M's AFL coverage hand out 3-2-1 votes to the player crowned worst on ground.
Former St Kilda star Fraser Gehrig, also known by his nickname 'G-Train', was a guest on Triple M last Friday when things took a sudden turn after host James Brayshaw re-told a famous story about how he and former AFL star Garry Lyon had a confrontation with the ex-Saint.
Brayshaw was on the wrong end of Gehrig's frustrations that night, who was unhappy with Triple M's 3-2-1 segment.
"He wasn't seeing the humorous side of anything we were going with on-air that season," Brayshaw said. "And I was trying to explain to him that all that came from (Sam Newman) and I'd had nothing to do with it.
"And he was saying, 'We can make this easy or hard. I can just take you outside and snap you in half – how does that sound?'"
Responding on Friday to the night in question, Gehrig said the segment did no favours to players' mental health.
"Triple M, to be honest, in their heyday, and I'm not trying to be rude saying this – when you did your 3-2-1 worst players on ground, it had an effect on things like depression," Gehrig said.
"And a lot of the guys who were doing those calls have had depression in their lives — and I don't think it helped.
"Brayshaw, Lyon and these sorts of blokes, at the time I thought, 'Go get stuffed'. You know, they've had a few beers and they want to come up and try to be heroes and I told them (where to go). So I'll stand by that."
However, AFL journalist Damien Barrett, who still works for Triple M and is a part of Nine, defended the former segment, but said he understood Gehrig's view and admitted he was "glad" the station ultimately abandoned the 3-2-1 voting.
"It was an irreverent way of covering a game of footy. I can 100 per cent tell you a lot of footballers loved the negative 3-2-1s," Barrett told The Sounding Board.
"They would finish a game of footy, get in the car and sometimes they would love it if their mates were in the 3-2-1s.
"I don't think it was ever done in a vindictive, malicious way.
"Having said that you need to factor in that Fraser Gehrig thought it was and on top of that, I reckon it's seven or eight years now that it hasn't been done.
"I remember at the time … when we were told at Triple M to stop it, I didn't say anything, but I remember thinking, 'That's a shame'. But I'm so glad we did make that decision seven or eight years ago."
Barrett was speaking alongside former Triple M presenter Craig Hutchison, who also defended the station, while understanding the views stressed by Gehrig.
"I feel that team spent a lot of time talking players up and getting people excited about them and never really talked down to them. I just wanted to defend those mentioned," he said.
"If you listened to Fraser you'd think they were sitting there talking the game down. They weren't. It was always a bit of fun, tongue in cheek.
"I take what Fraser's saying to be true, I just wanted to defend that it was intended to be lighthearted and when we got a little bit more awareness, it was left behind.
"As time goes on there are things you do you realise weren't pitch-perfect at the time and that's one of the evolutions of the world."
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