Cricket ability isn’t Aker’s strong point but his presence was awesome and everyone appreciated it.

It created a real buzz around the ground and between the players.

Aker is one of the most judged people in Australia and he deserves more credit for his good deeds, like last week.

He gave up his time for everyone else.

I want to know why we judge larger-than-life characters like Aker so harshly.

What has he actually done wrong in the past?

Yes he’s done handstands, kicked goals and told everyone how good he is but what’s wrong with that?

It’s the same with big Fev.

Brendan Fevola is someone everyone has an opinion about purely because he has a big personality and he isn’t a robot.

Fev may have made mistakes in the past but he has to live with that, not us.

But what has he done to anyone in the public scene?

We should applaud personalities like Fev and Aker for the good things they do and the exposure they bring to their sport.

Ask the town of Yarrawonga what it thinks of Fevola and you’re unlikely to hear a negative word.

He was awesome for the community last season, giving up his time.

Let’s not judge, let’s embrace these personalities and enjoy what they do for the kids and the communities.