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Willie Mason Wants Life Bans For Any Athlete Convicted Of Domestic Violence

Willie Mason Wants Life Bans For Any Athlete Convicted Of Domestic Violence

The former rugby league player has received glowing praise for his comments.

Max Sherry

Max Sherry

Willie Mason has received widespread praise from television viewers after calling for life bans for any athlete who is found guilty of - or who has a history with - domestic violence.

The former rugby league player made the comments while appearing on ABC'sYou Can't Ask That show alongside fellow ex-sports stars Todd Carney, Dean Widders, Jude Bolton, Dan Jackson, Ian Roberts and Brock McLean.

On the popular TV program, guests are asked a variety of confronting questions which aim to address controversial topics both on and off the field.

And when Mason was asked "why do so many of you treat women like s**t?" he well and truly teed off.

"How do so many... that's bulls**t," he said.

Willie Mason.
PA

"There's over 1000 people that play this game. You're talking about five people."

Clearly already fired up, Mason then recalled the time he watched a video of an off-field incident involving an NRL star and another woman which "made him sick".

"That guy who filmed that girl, putting his foot on her head, spitting on her," he said.

"The disrespect I saw in that video made me sick and I see some pieces of s**t playing our game right now.

Todd Carney.
Twitter / Cronulla Sharks

"Todd Carney, on the other hand, just p**sed in his own mouth and got his contract ripped up, and I don't think that's fair.

"I just don't think the repercussions are big enough.

"If you do anything like that you're sacked.

"Not have six months off and you're welcomed back in the back door and playing NRL. No, you're done.

"If you were like that and in a club and you said something to a woman that I didn't like, then I would call them a f**kwit."

Parramatta Eels legend Dean Widders then doubled down on Mason's statements.

"If you hit a woman and stuff like that, well, there should be a black mark through your name straightaway," Widders said.

"There's a lot of times where people will accept things because a person can throw or kick a football better than someone else.

"And I think we've got to look past those achievements in the sporting arena and look at the behaviour of some of the people and just go, 'Well, that's not acceptable'."

When the show finally aired, viewers heaped praise on the former athletes for demanding change.

But while all of the compliments were great, perhaps the most glowing came from Ten News' sports journalist Jelisa Apps.

She tweeted: "This episode of You Can't Ask That with ex footballers is must watch on ABC iView. Willie Mason, Dean Widders, Brock McLean et al opening up about head knocks, depression, treatment of women, homosexuality, eating disorders, racism... It's incredibly honest."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: nrl news, Rugby League, nrl, Australia