Ten, Seriously!
05/11/2009

It was the ten goals that stopped a nation.

Controversial Bullets star Luke Barisic made headlines again this week, but for the right reasons this time with a record ten-goal haul in The Bullets big Round 2 win against The Mugars. And Channel 10 is set to capitalise on the feat after this week offering a 10-year deal worth $10m per year for Barisic to become the face of the network. Channel 10's chief programming officer David Mott said there was a great synergy between Barisic and the network, noting that they are both synonymous with the number '10' and both much maligned in the media.

The publicity could not have come at a better time for Barisic, who has been busy promoting his just released autobiography in recent weeks. The warts and all book vividly recounts Barisic's booze-filled, drug-fuelled party-boy lifestyle as well as his history of sordid relationships. The Herald-Sun has recently published excerpts from the book, angering a number of his ex-girlfriends, including Kate Neilson, who has described the book as "sensationalistic lies". At a press conference this week, Barisic did not deny those claims, noting that "Of course it is...everything I do is sensational".

The goal bonanza has also silenced critics of the wayward star, who many believed may have played his best football, given his reluctance to attend training sessions. Barisic, who once famously turned up for pre-season training in Round 5 of a season, has often raised the ire of his long-suffering coach, Warren 'Coachy' Burford. And this week was no different, with the coach taking another swipe at the three-time Vitale Medallist. "I've always said that nobody ever died from a hard training session. I think he's worried he'll be the first," Burford quipped. Barisic should also not expect a congratulatory text message from previous goalkicking record-holder Andrew Merryweather, who noted that "Channel 9 never came calling when I kicked nine in the 2005 finals...and where were Channel 7 when I booted seven goals last week?" However, others have been more supportive, with Narelle Jones noting that Luke's "smouldering good looks" will see him do well in the TV industry.

Barisic is privately said to be very excited with his TV deal, saying at the press conference that he really wanted to "do something new and different...revolutionary even" at the network. Barisic, who will host repeat screenings of The Simpsons at 6pm weeknights, starts with the network next week.

His book, titled "Sex, Drugs and Recreational Football" is available at all leading discount clearance centres.