"Can you understand though, and this is where it gets to the issue, can you understand that someone - in this case Caroline - would look at that and feel degraded by it?" asked Gary Lyon.
In the fifteen years The Footy Show has been in existence, one of the long-held criticisms of the show has been its attitude towards women.
The show, like the game of AFL itself, is a bastion of male testosterone, and in many ways has come to represent a perception (warranted or not) that the Nine Network itself has a less than glowing record of embracing its feminine side. Despite this, it should be noted the show has a solid audience of female viewers.
So it was with some interest tonight I watched a debate between the show's three principal hosts Gary Lyon, James Brayshaw and the outspoken and media savvy John 'Sam' Newman. The latter is an expert at concocting controversy, and I suspect often pushes a line for effect, contrary to a personality many privately acknowledge as generous and caring. Except that doesn't fit with the Newman "act."
In fifteen years of intermittently watching the show it was hard to recall a moment where blokey men were struggling to come to terms with change, and the revelation that the media's treatment of women has arguably moved from where it was fifteen years ago. Triggered by the 'Caroline Wilson mannequin' and the subsequent storm, tonight marked a watershed moment for the show: men forced to re-think conduct, and indeed, grasp a female point of view, however fleetingly. Watching them articulate it was drama in itself.
Here was a seemingly immovable culture that wasn't going down without a fight. It was like the past arguing with the present.
"No. I can’t understand that," Newman said to Lyon. "But she says she was and that’s what we did. I think you apologised for me."
"I apologised for myself I never mentioned you," said Lyon.
"And that’s why I resigned... offered my resignation, because you’re uncomfortable," said Newman.
Newman claims he offered to resign to GTV boss Jeffery Browne, which was declined. "He said 'thanks very much, Sam. I will determine, seeing you're under contract, when we dispense with your services."
Lyon sought to have Newman see the incident from Wilson's point of view. "The issue is if someone else feels uncomfortable about it and we’ve upset them then it is an issue."
"I’d say we’ve been doing that for 15 years, Gary," defended Newman.
"Yeah well I guess things change, I s’pose."
"Well not with me they don’t," Newman insisted.
During an extensive debate (around 14 minutes) Lyon also apologised for the incident but hit out at a letter sent by women who serve on AFL boards.
"They (the signatories) included Sally Capp, who is a board member of the Collingwood Footy Club, on their letter of complainants."
Lyon said Capp had no idea about the letter. "She didn't agree with the letter, said that she didn't want to be a party to the letter, yet the letter went out with Sally Capp's name on it. So, we look at that and think `what sort of credibility has this letter got?'"
Newman, who branded the signatories 'liars and hypocrites,' then turned on the role of women in the AFL.
"They serve very little purpose at board level. What do they do?
"For very little input they demand a lot of clout. They've got to be very careful it’s not just a token thing."
But North Melbourne boss James Brayshaw disagreed. "We have a lady called Jenny Luffman who virtually runs the footy department under Donald McDonald at North Melbourne and she is one of the most capable people I’ve ever met and she’s a woman."
With this the audience broke into spontaneous applause.
Yes it seems, kicking (pardon the pun) and screaming, even the The Footy Show audience has moved on from fifteen years ago too.
The question now is whether Newman, or indeed Newman's "act", will be the last to budge...
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Sometimes Nine programming resembles musical chairs. Once the music starts everybody moves, where and when they land, lord only knows.
