The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Kevin Sheedy sticks by comments

1785 Reads

Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy says he meant nothing untoward by Sunday’s comments in which he described Western Sydney Wanderers’ A-League success as getting a leg-up from the “immigration department”.

While pondering the crowd of just 5830 that turned up to see the Giants against Adelaide, the lowest at a regular-season AFL match since Fitzroy’s final year of existence in 1996, Sheedy suggested soccer in Sydney had a distinct advantage.

“We don’t have the recruiting officer called the immigration department, recruiting fans for Western Sydney Wanderers. We don’t have that on our side,” he said.

His comments triggered a Twitter backlash.

Sheedy was branded a “muppet” by Wellington Phoenix’s Sydney-born captain Andrew Durante, labelled a disgrace by soccer pundit Craig Foster and plenty worse by a plethora of fans.

It came just over two weeks after Sheedy met with the immigration department in Canberra, discussing the concept of his side’s round-19 clash with Melbourne becoming an iconic game to celebrate diversity.

Sheedy, an anti-racism campaigner who has worked to improve indigenous-player pathways in his 29-year coaching career, on Monday stuck by his comments while looking to add context and perspective.

“No, no, no. Not at all (do I wish I didn’t say that). It’s a throwaway line to make sure that everybody understands that is why soccer can get such a quick crowd,” Sheedy said in Sydney.

Advertisement

“And of course, quite amazingly why it’s taken so long to put another (A-League) team in the west, because they’ve got an enormous fan base there.

“… When I said the immigration department was one of the best recruiting agencies for soccer, well I didn’t mean anything untoward by that. But it’s a fact.”

In a wide-ranging press conference that covered the plight of indigenous Australians and the nation’s immigration policy, Sheedy talked of the barriers he felt he’d broken down regarding sport and race – adding that: “I don’t think indigenous people would call me a racist”.

The 65-year-old suggested he was thick-skinned enough to cope with the abuse that has been directed his way on social media.

“Racist is a pretty broad term. But people have their opinions,” the four-time premiership coach said.

“Our job is to get out there and get on the front foot, withstanding – not to hurt anyone’s feelings.

“But I think people just get a bit touchy on certain things, and I’m not touchy in that area at all.”

Advertisement
close