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Media personalities slam Eddie McGuire “joke” aimed at Caroline Wilson

Three of Nine's presenters embroiled in controversial AFL comments, now condemned by presenters including Tracy Grimshaw & Jessica Rowe.

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Radio comments by Collingwood president and TV presenter Eddie McGuire directed at AFL journalist, and fellow Nine presenter Caroline Wilson, have been criticised by media personalities.

McGuire has come under fire for a “joke” that Age journalist and Footy Classified presenter Caroline Wilson, in reference to motor neurone disease charity event the Big Freeze at the G. Footy Show presenter James Brayshaw and AFL coach Danny Frawley, who were present, are also under fire.

“I reckon we should start a campaign or a one-person slide next year,” McGuire said last weekend.

“Caroline Wilson, I’ll put in the 10 grand straight away, make it 20, and if she stays under, 50.”

Despite being made on radio last weekend, sports writer Erin Riley drew attention to them on her blog.

Three Nine presenters have been embroiled in the controversy.

But AFL president Gillon McLachlan and media personalities have since criticised McGuire, who initially insisted he would not be apologising.

“The fact we can still argue this may have been done in jest shows a lack of understanding on this issue, McLachlan said.

“It’s not good enough.

“Casual language and jokes that make threats to women are part of the problem.”

Journalist Tracy Grimshaw told KIIS 106.5’s Kyle and Jackie O, “It went too far, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.

“I would hate to think any of those three blokes were having that conversation intending to imply violence against a woman. I would hate to think that was the motivation for that conversation. I bet it wasn’t, but it went too far.

“I think they need to address it, they need to apologise about it, she’s apparently furious which I can understand.”

On Studio 10 Jessica Rowe, who was famously “boned” by Nine when McGuire was CEO, said, “Let’s remember, this is a man who has a track record, who has said inappropriate things about me, which he has denied saying. He’s also said inappropriate things about Adam Goodes, and now he is with a bunch of other boofy blokes making light of holding a woman underwater.

“Yes, it was a joke, but there’s nothing funny about that. It is time that people call him out.

“He is someone who is a protected species because he is a Melbourne identity, he can constantly say these sorts of inappropriate things and then say it was a joke.”

She also challenged McGuire to donate $50,000 to White Ribbon.

“Caroline Wilson is a very experienced journalist. She has been ridiculed on The Footy Show when (panellist) Sam Newman had a go at her with a naked mannequin and her face stapled on. No, that is not on.”

Footy Classified presenter Caroline Wilson told 3AW, “It’s like casual racism: casual violent language might be meant as a joke but I wonder how many times we have to draw this line in the sand between what is a joke and what is completely unacceptable.

“I think he gets away with a lot because people are scared of him … I occasionally take him to task and he doesn’t like it. He has such power.”

McGuire, who has previously has previously apologised for casual racism directed at Adam Goodes and homophobic jokes during the 2010 Winter Olympics, told 3AW, “I’m prepared to accept that and that’s why I’ve said this morning, from the bottom my heart, I’m so sorry those comments have resonated that way that anyone could even think that.

“No one spoke of Caroline in the context of her being a woman, it was Caroline the media performer, who skewers people left, right and centre.

“There was no malice involved in it, absolutely no malice.

“It was a spirit of absolute fun and for it to be taken five, six, seven days later and put in a different context skews it. I thought equality was the fact we can joke with each other, but clearly we have learnt something.

“We apologise unreservedly.”

Coach Danny Frawley also apologised last night on FOX Footy, saying, “Last Monday on radio I made a couple of insensitive, inappropriate remarks about Caroline Wilson.

“Clearly it was a poor attempt at humour, [for] which I sincerely apologise.”

The AFL has also contacted North Melbourne Chairman and Footy Show presenter James Brayshaw over the incident.

Nine has been contacted for comment.

Source: News Corp

25 Responses

  1. Yet Dwayne Russell and Tony Shaw say effectively the same thing (raising money to hold her head underwater) whilst Caroline Wilson was in their media box, not an issue. Clearly a case of social media driving the agenda these days.
    Not saying what was said was necessary or right but its interesting how the “tallest poppy” involved is the one certain people choose to take exception to.

    1. “The fact we can still argue this may have been done in jest shows a lack of understanding on this issue, McLachlan said.

      “It’s not good enough.

      “Casual language and jokes that make threats to women are part of the problem.”

      1. Thanks Gazz, where did I disagree with anything McLachlan said? Was merely saying that 99% of the press and social media content is chasing McGuire’s scalp when there were other people involved (Brayshaw, Frawley, Carey, Barrett on Triple M as well as Russell and Shaw on 3AW).
        Personally, I think that sort of language toward any person (man, woman or child) is unacceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated but, by all means, keep on trying to suggest I’m lacking understanding…..

        1. Danny Frawley and James Brayshaw gave very clear apologies. Eddie dragged it out all day trying to make all sort of excuses. Also he is president of 3 female sporting clubs. These could be some of the reasons why everyone went so hard on Eddie.

  2. Can’t stand the woman but she shouldn’t have to put up with that rubbish.could someone explain why this is an issue now and not a week ago when it happened.

  3. He’s made numerous racist comments, a homophobic comment and now a sexist comment and the AFL and channel 9 never do a thing about him.

    Disgusting.

  4. I think there is too much over reaction to casual jokes in one off situations. However this sounded like they all piled in to Caroline Wilson as if she was some sort of figure that it is ok to dislike (a bit like the lefties would continuously attack Tony Abbott) . It was way too much considering she is a colleague and footy enthusiast, maybe they don’t like the fact that she seems a lot smarter than them….

  5. A lot of off-colour comments that could be construed as sexist, racist or homophobic seem to make it to the public conscious, usually from the mouths of football identities. Just because someone is good at sport, or is the president of a sports club, doesn’t automatically qualify them as media talent. Where are their media coaches???

    Personally, I think Eddie McGuire should probably be taken off air. Too many gaffes, which he unconvincingly tries to pass off as “just joking”. He might not be sexist, racist and homophobic in real life, but his comments, both now and in the past, certainly paint him that way.

    I’m not a fan of Jessica Rowe, but I thought her comments were well-stated on this occasion.

  7. I was listening to 3aw pregame live on Monday and heard the comments and I immediately didn’t like them.

    Heard the triple m comments this morning and thought they were plain mean regardless of the gender issue.

    As an afl fan I’m tired of watching and listening to afl content and hearing people hang shit on each other and not in a good way. It’s one of the reasons I have stopped watching the footy show.

    If we bring gender into the issue woman are a minority in afl and in society. Because of the position that these AFL personalities hold there are people in society that will listen to this kind of talk and sadly will think its ok to disrespect woman.

  8. Gillon McLachlan is weak..Eddie is too powerful to take on. Will be interesting to juxtapose North Melbourne and Brad Scott’s penalty for impugning the integrity of umpires and the slap on the wrist for Eddie.

    Woman should target Collingwoods sponsors ..the only way Eddie will learn.

    Also James Bradshaw is as culpable.. he sounded like a feigning school boy, following the bully’s lead.

  9. Can’t wait to see Footy Classified tonight. Only watch it for Caro. she makes the show. I watched Offsiders on Sunday morning and it was great that all panellist were women. Caroline Wilson, Mel McLaughlin and another I never knew.

    1. It was good have an all women panel of offsiders this week. Caro is the best part of footy classified and Craig as host isn’t working for me.

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