AFL controversy magnet Ricky Nixon has lashed out at the decision to make astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg the Australian of the Year because she’s a woman and ‘ticks all woke boxes’.
Bennell-Pegg was given the honour after becoming the first person to qualify as an Australian astronaut under Australia’s own space program.
But the choice infuriated Nixon, who let fly with his opinion in a Facebook post.
‘Australian of the year. Makes sense ticks all woke boxes,’ he wrote.
‘1. We are four weeks into the year. 2. Identifies as female – well so far anyway.
‘3. Done nothing whatsoever to change your life or mine.
Former AFL player manager Ricky Nixon has blasted the decision to award the Australian of the Year honour to Katherine Bennell-Pegg (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese)
Nixon (pictured outside court last year) blasted the choice because it ‘ticks all woke boxes’
‘4. Will spend most of the year in a space very few have been to.’
Nixon then begged his followers to ‘complain bitch whinge sook’ about Bennell-Pegg’s selection before revealing who he would’ve chosen for the award.
‘Mine is Akis Theodosi who organises Supporting the Battlers weekly changing the lives of those struggling #Legend,’ he wrote.
Nixon’s take was backed in the comments on his post, with his followers offering their suggestions for who should’ve been given the honour.
AFL legend Neale Daniher – who was the 2025 Australian of the Year – won support, as did Major Brendan Nottle from the Salvation Army, Bondi massacre hero Ahmed Al Ahmed and recently retired cricket star Usman Khawaja.
Bennell-Pegg graduated from Basic Astronaut Training in 2024 as part of a class of six trained by the European Astronaut Centre in Germany.
The Aussie of the Year, who is still waiting to be called up for spaceflight, said she wanted to use the next 12 months to encourage people to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering or maths.
‘I have not been to space yet, but I accept this recognition very gratefully as a mission of a different kind,’ she said.
Nixon (pictured outside court) said Bennell-Pegg has ‘done nothing whatsoever to change your life or mine’
Bennell-Pegg is the first person to qualify as an Australian astronaut under Australia’s own space program
‘To help open doors to space, to STEM [science, technology, engineering, maths], and to help others to see further.
‘As humans venture around the moon once more, I hope that we’ll all look up, knowing that there is no aspiration too big for any Australian, or for Australia.’
It’s been a rough few months for Nixon, who has been battling health and legal problems.
Earlier this month he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after knocking himself unconscious in a fall at his Melbourne home.
‘I just had a fall in the shower and must have knocked myself out,’ Nixon said.
‘I must have been screaming in pain and my next door (neighbour) called an ambulance…it is the second time in three months I’ve been knocked out.
‘I can’t remember the incident…but I must have hit my head along the rail.’
In December, Nixon was found guilty of hoodwinking fans by selling them premiership footballs with fake signatures on them.
The 62-year-old represented himself as he fought four fraud charges over footballs he sold as signed by Melbourne Demons premiership players after their historic 2021 win.
The team’s captain Max Gawn and other players gave evidence while Nixon contested the charges at a hearing on Tuesday at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Nixon sold footballs, purporting to be signed by the 2021 premiers with certificates of authenticity on Facebook, for $595 including $20 postage.
Three victims of his rort told the court they found Nixon advertising the footballs via Facebook.
