Ex-AFL player claims he was dumped by Marngrook Footy Show

Former Richmond player Jake King claims he has been dumped from NITV’s Marngrook Footy Show after being charged over an alleged Crown casino run-in with a Melbourne restaurateur.

He is now fighting the move in the FairWork Commission hoping to be reinstated to the $800-a-show gig.

King, who has made regular appearances since 2015, says he was unfairly dismissed from the program just days after being charged with serious criminal offences last month.

In a submission to the FairWork Commission, King’s lawyers say their client was told during a conversation on July 18 with the program’s producer, Jay Estorninho, that he was “no longer required to appear on the show”.

But Estorninho emphatically denied the claim, telling Fairfax Media, “I’m shocked, I’m really upset about this. I like Jake and we’ve never had any problem with him.”

On July 5, King was charged with extortion, making threats to kill, two counts of threats to inflict serious injury and two counts of using a carriage service to harass.

Last year he told News Corp he got a job on the Marngrook Footy Show because producers thought he was indigenous. But King has no Aboriginal bloodlines.

 

The dispute will go to mediation with the FairWork Commission on September 1.

King is due to appear in court on extortion charges on November 15.