With more and more ex-AFL stars hitting our television screens, radio dials and newspapers, the lengths that some people in the football community will go to protect a mate seems to also grow.
AFL footballers and journalists can apparently pick and choose what stories go to print, with consideration of friendships and allegiances placed before that of breaking exclusives.
Only the other night I found myself glued to the television as host of Fox Footy’s EMT, Eddie McGuire, gave Melbourne young gun Liam Jurrah a chance to tell his side of his story. The interview was in Jurrah’s home, where he sat alongside his mother and grandmother, who are currently supporting him through his pending court proceedings.
As a football community we know that McGuire has always been received as the man who can work around the red tape. On this occasion he arranged the interview with Jurrah on the weekend, with Jurrah’s club having no knowledge of it. Needless to say the interview was harmless but it begs the question, where is the line between club allegiance and journalism drawn?
With more and more people in football wearing more than one hat, it is inevitable that at some stage players, administrators and reporters will be faced with a conflict of interest. It is how that situation is dealt with which is the key.
For McGuire the journo, the Jurrah interview was an exclusive piece on the developing story of the week. But for McGuire the Collingwood president, the interview should have at least followed proper practice in that the contact should have been made with the Melbourne media department in order to make the Demons aware of the interview taking place.
Kevin Bartlett, host of Hungry for Sport on SEN, had McGuire on his show to give him the chance to better explain the situation and to deny the conflict of interest. Ironically, Bartlett has one of those himself, being a member of the AFL laws of the game committee.
Bartlett hosts the mid-morning show in which he takes many calls across the week regarding the AFL rules and circumstances of the weekend’s games.
A biased viewer on just one aspect of football, the former Tigers captain and coach is well rounded when it comes to his views on football. But he needs to see the other side of the fence when it comes to the rules of the game.
It is clear that the need to protect positions within football is becoming increasingly important; for many media commentators who hold various other positions with the league or its clubs, it is hard to draw the line between head and heart.
For McGuire, who has tackled being the Collingwood president and has been a major player in Melbourne’s football media for over 10 years, he seems to find a way to combat the stigma attached to each one of his stories – that he is soft on his own club and won’t push a Collingwood story that would be seen to be hurting his position.
The same goes for anyone in football, but it’s exactly what needs to happen within the sport; some honesty around stories that are put to air about a friend, a teammate, or even a supported team.
Honesty has been thrown out the window in football media in the last few years and needs to make its way back in order to ensure fans and supporters of the game are getting the full story, not just the slice that a particular journalist wants you to see.
Australian Rules
Guest
Yes Boom, obviously Eddie was. But other people from the AA board and management have clarified this issue repeatedly (I think you'll see from my posts above that I am no Eddie apologist). Considering the Oympic Park area is now shared by Collingwood, Storm, Rebels, Victory and Heart...do you really think Athletics Australia could have afforded to match the leasing dollars put up by the clubs above for such a prime location?
Boomshanka
Guest
And who happened to be on the board of Athletics Australia at the time?
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Well, he can't have it both ways.
DysonBaker
Roar Pro
Listened to the Hot Breakfast this morning, Eddie's show on MMM, where he stated that the Footy Show had drummed up an interview with Andrew Krauker that would be aired tonight, He stated that the Footy Show boys hadnt gone through the club to which Luke Darcy stated "conflict of interest" Eddie didnt seem overly pleased with the remark. he is prepared to accept this for what it is as a front but quite obviously he wouldnt be happy with the Krauker scenario.
p.Tah
Guest
I think they were Port Adelaide colours. Perhaps that's the issue :)
Australian Rules
Guest
Lucan, in fairness, Athletics Australia have repeatedly come out and said that they could never afford to stay at OIlympic Park due to the rent...they knew the move was coming and it was long over-due (their words). They accepted the subsidy from the government to do it.
Australian Rules
Guest
Andy, there was no "story being covered up"...this case involved a very serious and very sensitive set of issues that has absolutely nothing to do with footy. And Eddie a journo..? Please. He stopped being a "journo" a long time ago. The fact is, when you have as much power as Eddie has, you can't 'swap hats' that easliy. Two weeks ago, as President, he threatened to take away Melbourne's home ground Queen's Birthday game (as if he could). Here are some other Eddie quotes (from 25/02/12): "I'll give Melbourne a nice heads-up - keep going after my players and I'll knock off all your sponsors," he said on Triple M. "And not only that, I'll go to the AFL and say they've obviously got too much because they're paying over the odds, so stop giving them money. That's the way I roll on these things." Are they the words of a simple "journo"?
BigAl
Guest
A late addendum to all this - Patrick Smith just doesn't have a great radio voice/personna. Just does not come across as inciteful and authoritative as he does in print
stabpass
Guest
Is it still a conflict of interest, when everyone is a winner .... just saying ....
Lucan
Opting himself onto the board of Athletics Australia and overseeing both the shift of Athletics to Lakeside AND the Collingwood takeover of the Oly Park facility is the biggest conflict of interest we've seen from McGuire. Why isn't more of a deal made about this?
amazonfan
Roar Guru
He acted like a typical bully. Ed has done some great things but he also has an ugly side, as his bullying of Melbourne shows.
AndyMack
Guest
Anyone is allowed to approach Collingwood players and ask for interviews. The correct response that all AFL players are taught is "sorry, you have to go through the club". Not sure why the journo is at fault. I guess its because it is Eddie!!!!
stabpass
Guest
Yes, that is true, my take is, that this is above football, this is a matter of life and death, not some footballers shagging their teammates missus, or defacating in a hotel hallway, it is a extremely complex cultural issue. Its a credit to the posters on this site that the normal suspects from the other codes respectfully stayed out of this one and did not add their point scoring negative jibes.
stabpass
Guest
Tim Lane also went to town on Keiran Jack, about his drafting, and ended up with not just a egg, but a omelet all over his face. No one is perfect, let alone Eddie Machins, but Eddie bleeds Black and white, more passion in his little finger than Lane.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Great post :D I couldn't agree more.
stabpass
Guest
Your continuing interest in Australian Football is heart warming.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
This isn't the first time Ed has been hypoctitical. He threatened to sue Malthouse, and anybody who induced him to break his contract, yet when Ed recruited Malthouse from WCE, Malthouse still had a year left on his contract!
AndyMack
Guest
Sorry, if you are a journo, the aim is to get the story. If every journo respected the "media rules" in place, whether in sport, politics or anything, how would they uncover any story thats been covered up!!? If Melbourne's media rules have been violated, they have been violated by the player. It's like blaming the journos for Watergate. I still stand by the fact that if Eddie doesn't carry a story that shows the Pies in a negative light, there are 100 others more than willing to pick up on it. Since when did Eddie become the only journo in town?? All people involved in footy have an allegience somewhere. Most people are able to filter this out, whether its Bartlett talking, or Eddie, or Kennett or whoever.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
I remember that scene, Plugger throwing his crutches at someone down the corridor - I never realised that was McGuire - that's quite funny.
shirtfront
Guest
Let's not forget Eddie was the journo that copped Plugger's crutches in the 80's. He has always been tenacious. Is this compatible with the Collingwood presidency? Probably not.