Lions star Dayne Zorko copped a ‘far worse’ sledge from Melbourne Demons ‘about women in his life’

Leading AFL reporter Caroline Wilson has claimed Brisbane star Dayne Zorko was on the receiving end of a ‘disgusting’ sledge about the ‘women in his life’ in last Friday night’s controversial game against Melbourne.

On Thursday night Zorko said he was provoked before he allegedly left Demons star Harrison Petty in tears with a sledge about his mother – and Wilson’s comments appear to back him up.

‘I’m told that some of the stuff said to Zorko – and he gives as good as he gets, he’s a famous sledger – was pretty disgusting,’ Wilson told Channel Nine’s Footy Classified program on Wednesday night.

‘If you were going to investigate what was said, you’d be more investigating what was said to Zorko about women in his life [that was] far worse than what was said to Petty.

Leading AFL writer Caroline Wilson says Zorko (pictured with partner Talia Demarco) was on the end of a sledge about the women in his life that was ‘far worse’ than what he dished up to Demons player Harrison Petty last Friday night

Petty (left) cried on the field after Zorko allegedly sledge him about his mother and had to be consoled by Melbourne staff

Despite numerous calls for the AFL to investigate the Brisbane star’s words and for him to front the judiciary, the league has taken no action over the incident – and Wilson said that suited the clubs as they are both guilty. 

‘The AFL got involved and dropped this case like a hot potato by the weekend. Melbourne were very, very keen for it to go away as well,’ she said.

Wilson added that Demons captain Max Gawn should not have said the Lions star’s sledge was the worst he had ever heard on a footy field because ‘Zorko crossed the line, but the Melbourne players crossed the line too’.

On Wednesday night Zorko admitted he went too far with what he said to Petty, but stressed that he wasn’t the instigator in a vicious on-field war of words between the clubs.

Zorko (pictured scuffling with Demons players during the game) has said he was provoked before delivering the sledge – and Wilson’s claims could back him up

There have been calls for the AFL to investigate the incident and take action – but Wilson believes the clubs are keen for the matter to go away because they both crossed the line

‘For me, I want to get across that it was an intense game and from the first bounce there was to-ing and fro-ing from both sides of the fence, players across the field probably stepped up to the line all game,’ he told SEN radio.

‘I acknowledge that I certainly crossed that. I guess for me it’s just really important that Lions fans and fans in general understand that it wasn’t just an unprovoked sledge and it wasn’t said in isolation.

Asked whether comments made by the Melbourne players had also crossed the line, Zorko replied ‘potentially’, although he was unwilling to disclose what had been said.

‘I need to acknowledge that what I said clearly crossed that line and I fully and totally understand that through the heat of battle words are said and for me, in this case, I overstepped the mark,’ he added.

Zorko has not been punished by his club, but here have been increasing calls for him to be stripped of the Lions captaincy following the incident, with the 33-year-old remaining adamant that he takes his leadership duties ‘extremely seriously’.