Home Australia AFL legend Anthony Koutoufides’ surprising next move after failed bid to be elected Melbourne’s Lord Mayor

AFL legend Anthony Koutoufides’ surprising next move after failed bid to be elected Melbourne’s Lord Mayor

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AFL great Anthony Koutoufides (pictured) is expected to announce his bid for federal politics this weekend after a failed bid to be mayor of Melbourne.

AFL great Anthony Koutoufides will announce his bid for the federal seat of Melbourne this weekend after failing in his bid to become the city’s mayor.

The former Carlton star, 52, will run as an independent against Greens leader Adam Bandt, who currently holds the seat, as well as former Married at First Sight contestant Timothy Smith, who announced he was also running. having a crisis this week.

Koutoufides, who played 278 games for the Blues before retiring with a hip injury in 2007, signaled his intention to run for Canberra last year when he said: “I’ll be back… I have a taste for and I’m looking forward to the future.”

Bandt said in a statement that the Greens had won more votes than Koutoufides in the mayoral race, but that he would not underestimate the new contender.

“I never take the Melbourne seat for granted and will campaign hard no matter who runs,” Bandt said.

“I will push to include dental services in Medicare for All, eliminate student debt, fix the housing and rental crisis, and stop new coal and gas mines, while other candidates will no doubt argue for setting us back.”

He did not mention by name Mr Koutoufides or former MAFS contestant Mr Smith, who announced his intention by saying he was running for the ring as a “Melbourne City Parliamentary Minister for the upcoming federal election”.

Federal MPs are “Members of Parliament”, different from Ministers, and the position would be to represent the “Melbourne Division”, which is different from the city of Melbourne.

AFL great Anthony Koutoufides (pictured) is expected to announce his bid for federal politics this weekend after a failed bid to be mayor of Melbourne.

Koutoufides was a beloved Carlton footballer in the 90s and early 2000s (pictured in 2005).

Koutoufides was a beloved Carlton footballer in the 90s and early 2000s (pictured in 2005).

Smith previously admitted to smuggling marijuana from Canada to the United States 17 years ago and that he was paid to take helicopter flying lessons for the trips.

“I would take off from a small unmanned airport and fly down a valley to a stream where I would meet an all-terrain vehicle… within a minute, the helicopter would be loaded,” he said.

‘It’s something I’m not proud of. I’m definitely not proud of it, but it doesn’t define who I am and I’m not the same person.’

He spent a year in prison for drug trafficking after being captured by US authorities.

He announced his candidacy for politics in a short video posted to Instagram this week.

I had to get this out into the light. Look, let’s make a change. Now it’s time for me to have more things to post. I think we can make a change, the time has never been better to make a change, so let’s do it together,’ he said.

Koutoufides finished fourth in the Melbourne mayoral race, but attracted good publicity before the election thanks to his promises to offer workers free coffee each week and reduce public transport costs if elected.

His running mate for deputy mayor was controversial businessman and former Melbourne councilor Intaj Khan.

Former MAFS contestant Timothy Smith also announced his candidacy for the same position.

Former MAFS contestant Timothy Smith also announced his candidacy for the same position.

Khan, a former Wyndham councillor, was convicted and fined $23,000 on a series of charges related to failing to disclose his company’s interests in the city’s west side.

Koutoufides himself was accused during his mayoral campaign of breaking laws on his personal Instagram page, which has 45,000 followers.

Under the law, the former footballer must include a disclaimer on all social media sites that includes his name and address.

It is information clearly indicated on your Official page of ‘Team Kouta 2024’, which unlike its personal Instagram site, has only 1,675 followers.

But Koutoufides’ personal Instagram was littered with cheeky comments about his candidacy for the state council’s top job.

One image showed Koutoufides smiling alongside Collingwood great Peter Daicos and Carlton legend Stephen Kernahan.

“I was overwhelmed by the incredible support on Tuesday night, with around 150 people attending the Team Kouta Campaign dinner,” Koutoufides wrote at the time.

“A special thank you to AFL legends Stephen Kernahan and Peter Daicos for their support in my mission to once again make Melbourne the most liveable city in the world.”

Australians will go to the polls this year in the federal elections that have not yet been called but must be held before May 17.

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