AFL great Jason Akermanis has dismissed an AFLW star’s protest after she stormed out of an event disgusted at comments from coaching great Mick Malthouse.

Malthouse came under fire on Thursday night for comments made during a footy lunch in Ballarat, which sparked a sensational walkout from star AFLW marquee player Moana Hope.

Malthouse declared AFL was a “man’s game” in front of juniors and suggested female players should be playing under a different set of rules to reduce injury risk.

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In an Instagram post, Hope declared she was left “embarrassed, ashamed, humiliated and disgusted” by comments made by Malthouse” after she stormed out of the function.

Now Akermanis, who was on the panel with Hope and Malthouse, said the AFLW star was misguided.

“He was bagging the AFL,” Akermanis told SEN’s Breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson,

“He doesn’t like certain things, he thinks they’ve stuffed it up and he’s not going to hide it. “He doesn’t like the 18m rule for the goalsquare length — I mean that’s just bloody ridiculous.”

Malthouse hit back at Mo Hope saying she did not pay attention to his comments. Source: News Corp Australia

Akermanis then spoke to the Herald Sun and said Hope was not used to being faced with opposing opinions.

“I think Mo is perhaps not used to dealing with other people’s points of view,” he said.

Akermanis said Malthouse’s point of view was a fair assessment but that he didn’t necessarily “agree with everything he was saying”

On Thursday night Malthouse hit back at Hope and said his comments had been taken out of context.

“It was very, very unprofessional,” Malthouse told AFL.com.au of Hope’s actions.

“If she cared to listen instead of looking at her phone for most of the event, she would understand.

“Apparently she’s had a crack at me in terms of what I said about netball.

“(I was saying) the new rules are similar to netball, in other words, positioning. Not one word about female football, females or anything else.

“Unfortunately, she came with that attitude, she was very disappointing as far as I’m concerned on the panel.

Akermanis said Hope was not used to being faced with opposing opinions. Source: News Corp Australia

“Had she listened, she would’ve been a little bit wiser.”

Hope, the former Collingwood now North Melbourne AFLW player, told the Herald Sun she was “disgusted” with Malthouse’s comments.

“He said that AFL was a man’s game and not a woman’s game and he’s said that on stage in front of 50 kids who had just played a boys and girls game of football,” she told the Herald Sun.

“I left after that I was so disgusted and drove back to Melbourne. He can have an opinion but then there’s just degrading and disrespectful comments,” she said.

“I will never be in the same room as him again.”