ABC election analyst Antony Green has been hammered on social media for what many said was a distasteful tweet after Bob FultonтАЩs death.
ABC election analyst Antony Green has been slammed after posting a distasteful tweet about the death of rugby league legend Bob Fulton.
Fulton died on Sunday aged 73 after a long battle with cancer, sparking a flood of tributes from the footy community.
Fulton is one of 13 players to have been crowned an Immortal тАФ the highest honour an Australian rugby league player can receive тАФ having excelled as a player, coach and then advisor across an incredible career in the sport.
While plenty of footy fans paid their respects to the Manly icon on social media, Green was accused of failing to read the room.
тАЬA fulsome apology for raising this, but the headline тАШRugby League Immortal Bob Fulton has diedтАЩ does contain a significant level of conflict with dictionary meaning,тАЭ Green tweeted.
Twitter users flocked to condemn Green for his poor taste.
One person wrote: тАЬHardly the time, hardly the place, and just hardly altogether. Delete.тАЭ
Another added: тАЬYouтАЩd have been better advised not to send that tweet at this time.тАЭ
A third tweeted: тАЬPretty poor taste. Unfollow coming up. What is the purpose of this little English lesson? Tasteless.тАЭ
GreenтАЩs tweet was deleted shortly after being posted, as the negative replies piled up.
Tributes come flooding in
FultonтАЩs great mate, veteran broadcaster Ray Hadley, was devastated as he announced the news of the rugby league greatтАЩs death on radio.
тАЬItтАЩs a very sad day for the Fulton family and rugby league generally,тАЭ Hadley said on 2GB. тАЬIтАЩve announced some sad things on radio but this could be the saddest.
тАЬIтАЩm going to miss him, he was a great man тАж the most loyal friend IтАЩve ever had. HeтАЩll be sadly missed.тАЭ
Penrith legend Greg Alexander was on air for Fox League when presenter Hannah Hollis told TV viewers of FultonтАЩs death.
Alexander was visibly shaken, having spoken to Fulton recently.
тАЬMy God,тАЭ Alexander said. тАЬI was only talking to Bozo a couple of weeks ago.
тАЬI live in the northern beaches and тАж yeah тАж I pulled up at Woollies and was chatting with Bozo for about half-an-hour.
тАЬThatтАЩs devastating news. Gee-whiz.тАЭ
NRL Commission chairman Peter VтАЩlandys also paid tribute, saying rugby league has тАЬlost a true legend of the gameтАЭ.
тАЬThe word legend is used a lot in tributes, but Bob was a genuine legend of rugby league,тАЭ VтАЩlandys said. тАЬHe was an original Immortal, a Kangaroo, a Blue and a club legend of Manly, winning three premierships as a player, including Man of the Match in the 1973 Grand Final.
тАЬAs a coach he led the Kangaroos to two World Cup victories and Manly to two premierships. He was also a great promoter of our game. His role on the Continuous Call team over many years provided great humour and insight to fans every weekend.
тАЬBob will forever be part of rugby leagueтАЩs DNA and our game is richer for having had Bob part of it.
тАЬToday weтАЩve lost a giant of our game. On behalf of the Rugby League community I send our deepest condolences to BobтАЩs family.тАЭ
Fulton truly one of the greats
Fulton was surrounded by family and close friends when he passed away on Sunday morning. He is survived by wife Anne, daughter Kirsty and sons Brett and Scott.
Fulton played 35 Tests for Australia and coached the Kangaroos from 1989-1998.
The man known as тАЬBozoтАЭ played more than 200 games for Manly and was synonymous with the club, leading it as coach for more than 300 games across two lengthy stints in the 1980s and 1990s.
In a total of 428 first grade games, he won three premierships with Manly and two with Eastern Suburbs when he made the move across in the late 1970s.
Fulton also played 17 times for NSW.
One of the godfathers of rugby league, Fulton became a trusted advisor and confidante to many within the game. He was a vital sounding board at Manly and also helped out the Blues during State of Origin campaigns.
