Peter FitzSimons comes under blistering attack over trans comments – as scathing commentator Lucy Zelic makes her point by dragging his wife Lisa Wilkinson into heated argument

Radio star and former soccer commentator Lucy Zelic has continued her crusade against transgender athletes competing against women by launching a scathing attack on Peter FitzSimons for a recent newspaper column he wrote about the issue.

Zelic repeatedly referred to the former footy star’s wife Lisa Wilkinson as she accused him of ‘pretending biological reality doesn’t matter’ in his opinion piece, which was titled ‘Shame on those who whip up hate against trans athletes for clicks and votes’.

FitzSimons described recent coverage of the issue in Australia and overseas as ‘hate-bait’ – a poisonous version of clickbait – and slammed those who are opposed to trans competitors playing against women for failing to think of how their stance hurts the athletes involved.

‘We need to call out this kind of stuff for what it is, he wrote. 

‘It is not a genuine attempt to achieve fairness in sport put out by people who have a genuine track record of earnestly examining that very thing. 

‘It’s just hate-bait, no more, no less, put out by people whose job in life is to stir up big trouble way above and beyond what the actual problem is.’

Zelic hit back in a post to X on Monday, accusing FitzSimons of painting ‘a very one-sided picture that attracts vitriol from BOTH sides of the aisle’.

‘That you are impervious to the death threats and vile insults being hurled at women daily over their belief that the female sports category is worthy of protection, beggars belief,’ Zelic wrote.

‘According to you, we’re all just a bunch of “bastards” laughing maniacally over a glass of pinot and whipping up hatred for clicks and votes. Is this what you’ve reduced women to? 

‘Your wife certainly never kowtowed to men consumed by their own arrogance but the application of your double-standards to women who are experiencing similar, is quite astounding. 

‘And speaking of which, let’s cut through the real nonsense here – you know what a woman is, Pete. Come on. 

‘You married one, who gave you three beautiful children, and eloquently shared her challenging birth story and heartbreaking experiences with miscarriages. It made so many women who encountered similar, feel seen. 

‘Those pretending that biological reality doesn’t matter, or that the lines can be blurred, will always do so until it’s time to reproduce, or find the person you’d like to share a life of intimacy with. All of a sudden, we know who the women are.’

Zelic also referred to FitzSimons’ time as a forward with the Wallabies to make a point about physical mismatches in sport, writing ‘f you decided to run full pelt at [women’s rugby star] Charlotte Caslick while you were in your prime – she’d be lucky to avoid a hospital visit’.

The 2GB commentator also told FitzSimons, ‘It’s easy to adopt an issue based on compassionate grounds when you’re sitting in the comfort of your mansion, but it’s far harder to cross paths with a rape survivor, who loved playing in her local women’s hockey team, until the presence of a male in her changing room triggered her.

‘Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I defended your right to have one when it came to Australian football but choosing to flippantly glaze over girls losing spots on teams and women being forced into silence? This one’s indefensible mate.’

Zelic’s post drew support from Liberal MP Moira Deeming and British Olympic swimming star Sharron Davies, who called her words ‘excellent rebuttal made with logic & facts’.

Zelic has been vocal about trans issues on several occasions and has been outspoken about the Flying Bats, a Sydney women’s soccer team that fields trans players and has also been singled out by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

The former SBS star called for the team to be banned from playing after they enjoyed an undefeated season despite complaints from officials from rival clubs, with some sides forfeiting matches against them.

Club president Jennifer Peden told Daily Mail Australia last year: ‘As a club, the Flying Bats FC stand strongly for inclusion, and pride ourselves on safe, respectful and fair play, the promotion of a supportive community for LGBTQIA+ players, officials and supporters, and the significant physical, social and mental health benefits that participation in sport brings, especially to marginalised members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We are a club that values our cisgender and transgender players equally.

‘We strongly support the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.’

Another trans sport issue made headlines recently when two trans netball players were banned from playing in a Victorian competition.

One of them, Manawa Aranui, hit out furiously at the decision.

‘I’ve sat quietly long enough while this narrative brewed and I’ve been dragged – publicly and without consent – into a conversation where both my character and identity have been attacked,’ she wrote. 

‘You’re entitled to believe it’s “unfair” for cis women to compete against transgender women. That’s your opinion. But the lies? They need to stop.

‘You’re not out here protecting women’s sport. You’re being malicious, using false narratives to mask your bigotry and personal agendas behind the guise of “safeguarding women’s spaces”.’