Jason Akermanis has been sacked by the Western Bulldogs.
The AFL career of the three-time premiership forward and Brownlow Medallist is over after his club, fed up with repeated breaches of its standards of behaviour, decided that enough was enough six weeks out from the end of the home-and-away season.
Western Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia told a hastily-convened media conference at Whitten Oval on Wednesday afternoon that there was no single issue that tipped the scales, but Akermanis was sacked for a pattern of behaviours.
"If you're going to go through a process like this it needs to be completely thorough," Fantasia said.
"It was a unanimous decision, we all agreed that it's time this club stood up and made a statement and I think we've been very clear in that."
Senior coach Rodney Eade confirmed that the club's leadership group had an input into the decision.
"There were no grudges, this is not personal," said Eade.
"It's about team first, end of story."
"There's a lot of things that we haven't gone public with, with Jason."
Club president David Smorgon said Akermanis had been counselled and given many opportunities to correct his behaviour, but failed to toe the line.
"Recent events have made the relationship between Jason and the Western Bulldogs untenable," Smorgon said.
"Over the last 18 months Jason has been involved in a number of incidents which are confidential matters of the inner sanctum which were leaked out, and players have been subjected to inappropriate disclosures on their behalf outside the club."
"In most cases Jason has admitted these breaches and sought to remedy his behaviour, but the breaches have continued."
"It's fundamental to success that all players, coaches and staff have confidence that what's said in the room stays in the room."
Asked whether he expects Akermanis to be an irritant or to take pot shots at the club through the media, Smorgon said: "We're prepared for whatever Jason wants to serve up."
Smorgon said Akermanis, whose contract will be paid out in full, was disappointed with the club's decision.
He was advised of the club's stance at a meeting with senior management after training at Whitten Oval on Wednesday.
Akermanis had been languishing in the Bulldogs' reserves with VFL side Williamstown in recent weeks after serving a four-match ban from senior football for misleading the club over a column he wrote in the Herald Sun newspaper.
He had voiced his frustration through radio station MTR where he has a regular spot on the breakfast show, but this only served to bring to a head the differences between the 33-year-old and the club.
Eade gave no hint of what was to come when he addressed the media at training earlier in the day, apart from saying that Akermanis was unlikely to be promoted for Sunday's clash with Fremantle.
Akermanis left Brisbane after 248 games in similarly acrimonious circumstances after a fall out between himself and coach Leigh Matthews over his comments in the media.