Tony Abbott has attempted to reignite his feud with Macklemore – despite the rapper being on a plane back to the US – by saying that an Australian artist should have been chosen to perform at the NRL grand final and also revealing that he prefers Savage Garden, a band whose lead singer is gay and in a same-sex marriage.

The former Australian prime minister created international headlines last week when he used Twitter to criticise the league for choosing the US performer to play at Sunday’s final because he’s a supporter of same-sex marriage, stating: “Footy fans shouldn’t be subjected to a politicised grand final.”

Abbott is a prominent voice for the no campaign in Australia’s non-binding voluntary postal survey on same-sex marriage.

Footy fans shouldn't be subjected to a politicised grand final. Sport is sport! https://t.co/1uRh4eZ61Z — Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) September 27, 2017

His tweet prompted a bizarre week in which the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, suggested that an anti same-sex marriage song should also be performed at the game in the interest of balance and Abbott’s daughter Frances used social media to express her support for Macklemore.

Macklemore himself responded to Abbott’s criticism by saying he would “go harder”.

At Sunday’s game performed his song Same Love and ended the emotional performance with a call for “equality for all”.

But in an interview with the 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley on Monday, Abbott refused to move on from his criticism of the choice of the US rapper. He said it was a “good question” why John Farnham hadn’t been chosen to perform instead and revealed he’s a fan of the Traveling Wilburys and Savage Garden.

The lead singer of Savage Garden, Darren Hayes, and his partner, Richard Cullen, have had three marriage ceremonies as a way of advocating for same-sex marriage rights. Hayes responded on Twitter, saying he was “no fan” of Abbott.

I'm no fan of Tony of Abbott. — Darren Hayes (@darrenhayes) October 2, 2017

But Abbott denied that he was pushing for a ban on Macklemore performing, telling Hadley: “We could have got someone who was A, Australian and, B, not going to be contentious on this current issue.”

Macklemore’s performance was greeted with applause at the game and on social media but was boycotted by 2GB and Hadley in their coverage. Instead they broadcast a parody song written by Hadley in 2013 in which he raps about his inability to make it as a professional footballer to the beat of Same Love.

Referring to his career as a match caller, the song includes the line: “Maybe that’s why I’m still in this position, 58 years old and still on air gibbering.”

On Melbourne’s 3AW, Neil Mitchell said the broadcast was “unprofessional and embarrassing”. “Really, I was appalled,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with censorship, it just sounded awful.”