Jason Akermanis to pull on the footy boots again for old mate in Brisbane Brisbane Lions great Jason Akermanis will play for the Bribie Bulldogs against Maroochydore on May 25. Picture: Darren McNamara Source: Herald Sun A FRIENDSHIP struck over a kitchen table in 1994 has lured Brisbane Lions legend Jason Akermanis back to Queensland to pull on the footy boots. Akermanis has answered the call from former Lions official Shane Johnson to turn out for the Bribie Bulldogs against Maroochydore on May 25. "Shane and I go back a long way, he came to my house with Scott Clayton when I was 17 and asked me to join the Brisbane Lions," Akermanis said. He always said if he got into coaching he'd be calling me and I'm happy to help out. Akermanis is player-coach of Albury in the Ovens and Murray league and has just signed a two-year extension to his original deal. Johnson remembers the day he met Akermanis like it was yesterday and jokes that even though his old mate has his share of knockers, he saved him from a life of even greater ridicule by signing him to Brisbane. "After we'd signed him we sat and yarned for ages and I asked him what he would do if it didn't work out in footy," Johnson said. He said, 'I'm going to be a stand-up comedian'. I looked at Scotty Clayton and we both just laughed, but he was serious. Next thing he'd whacked on a tape of him doing an act a Nudgee College. I'll never forget it. They were laughing all right, but they were laughing at him because he was such a clown. Johnson said Akermanis would take training on Friday night, play on Saturday and then be guest speaker at a function at Pacific Harbour after the game. In typical fashion, Akermanis has warned fans to expect some magic. "Even I've been surprised at the form I'm in, and I'm usually pretty confident," he said. I'll put on a show and then another one later on to make some money for the club. It's about my life, all my favourite funny stories and some serious stuff. Basically about how I got to where I am now. Meanwhile, Lions defender Daniel Merrett has been cleared by the AFL's match review panel of any wrongdoing during Brisbane's loss to West Coast last Saturday. Merrett careened into Eagles forward Jack Darling during a marking contest in the first quarter, but the match review panel ruled the contact did not constitute a reportable offence. Melbourne midfielder Colin Sylvia has copped a three-match AFL suspension for striking in an incident that left Gold Coast utility Jared Brennan concussed. Sylvia's bad record means he cannot take an early plea to reduce the penalty. Geelong midfielder James Kelly is out for two games after being charged with rough conduct against Essendon's Brendon Goddard, while Collingwood's Heath Shaw can accept a one-game ban for striking Fremantle's Hayden Ballantyne.