Eddie McGuire has issued a qualified apology after video of his celebration at a restaurant following Brayden Maynard’s successful Tribunal hearing divided opinions around the footy world.
McGuire, who served as Collingwood president up until early 2021, was filmed by premiership Magpie Dale Thomas revealing the Maynard news to fellow patrons on Tuesday night.
“Ladies and gentlemen, justice has been done! Maynard is free to play for the Pies!” McGuire explained.
The video quickly caused a stir, with many accusing McGuire of being disrespectful to the family of Angus Brayshaw, who sustained a serious concussion during his collision with Maynard that prompted the Tribunal hearing.
Speaking on Nine’s Footy Classified, McGuire said there was ‘not any thought’ in his mind that he was disrespecting the Brayshaws, saying it was ‘pure fun’.
“I walk in about five minutes before that happens and everyone as I walked past was asking, ‘What’s going on with the Maynard situation?’” McGuire said.
“I get a message through that he’s been cleared… Daisy Thomas was sitting there, there were a couple of boys from the 2010 premiership side. The whole idea was that Maynard was right.
“Now people have said, ‘Was that being disrespectful to the Brayshaws?’ There was not any thought even about that and I apologise if anybody actually takes it that way.
“It was all about Brayden Maynard… a key player for Collingwood going into a preliminary final, amongst a lot of Collingwood people who’d come up and asked for photos at that stage.
“It was pure fun in what has been a very, very wrought situation. That’s it, as simple as it is.
“You’re still allowed to have some fun in the game and it was no slight or malice towards anyone, and unbridled joy that a champion of Collingwood Football Club will be alright to play in a final.”
Maynard is free to play in the Magpies’ home preliminary final against either Port Adelaide or GWS next week, while Brayshaw is sidelined under the AFL’s concussion protocols for the Demons’ semi final against Carlton, and is a chance to miss the rest of the season given his history of head knocks.
His lack of suspension has led to a wide array of opinions around the footy world, with former Demon Shaun Smith, whose son Joel is one of Brayshaw’s teammates and who in 2020 was awarded a $1.4 million insurance payout from the league related to severe mental health issues stemming from a career’s worth of head knocks, blasting the decision to clear Maynard as ‘absolutely disgusting’ and referring to the Magpie as a ‘thug’.
However, AFL legend Malcolm Blight has defended the Tribunal’s verdict, saying Smith’s take on the collision is ‘wrong’ and slamming suggestions Maynard should have been suspended as ‘codswallop’.
We’ve heard the [Brayshaw] family and they are very emotional about it and I get that, but somewhere down the track if the boot was on the other foot, would they be a bit more understanding about the decision?” Blight said on SEN SA.
“The thing I’ve found, and I’ve watched everything I’ve possibly could, is that the current day players think it is the right decision. They’ve all agreed it was part of football and that’s what they signed up for.
“We have an opinion, the AFL has an opinion, the counsels have an opinion, but the blokes that are actually playing the game, every one I’ve heard has said exactly that bar family members of the Brayshaws.
“Just sitting back and watching this all unfold, some of the commentary around ‘oh they [the AFL] only referred it to the Tribunal because it was Collingwood’, it’s the greatest codswallop I’ve heard in years.”
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Poor old Ed, perpetual foot in mouth disease. It's all about Ed, and always with the most "convincing" and saddest of rationalisations. His rationalisations are right up there with the yapping chihuahuas.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
I prefer etchings
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Probably because the new wave of supporters are the kids of the toothless and, like it or not,education is,more or less,free to all. Not all Eagles supporters are Chardonnay-sipping la-di-dahs either. I should know... Do wish Eddie would take one of those empathy courses that Scott Morrison espouses.though. Still, he's free entertainment as ugly as he is. Says the oil painting over West
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Yeah you’re probably right. Running straight at Brayshaw at speed, jumps in the air, but couldn’t join the dots. Still classified as reckless though. Having a lack of intellect shouldn’t have got him off.
DTM
Roar Rookie
Personally, I think he should have been suspended. However, I think you are giving too much credit to Maynard - his trigonometry is not good enough to have calculated he would get Brayshaw high. He knew he was going to collect him but he would not have known or even wanted to get him high. I like what Fly has done but I do hope they miss the GF now.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
They use to be toothless but now the new wave of pie supporters are aristocratic or maybe cashed up bogans :stoked: No offence to my pie mates on roar the dog supporters are akin to both as well :cricket:
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Are you suggesting that Eddie can't see out of his fundament or his ear? I thought that was a prerequisite for a Collingwood supporter.
WCE
Roar Rookie
If it was Maynard that was knocked out little Eddie would have called for a public hanging
Tezza knows
Roar Rookie
Let's be frank .. he hosta a completely scripted million dollar show that if a monkey could talk, would be able to do that well. He is tbe product of a old era. If I was Channel 9 I'd move him on. I think they are beginning to exit him subtly.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
These old blokes are living in a past making judgements based on the way things were. Maynard knew exactly what he was doing and that he would hit Brayshaw high even before his feet left the ground. We won’t see a player get off for that ever again. Guaranteed if it was a home and away game or a “lesser” club a lengthy suspension would have occurred.
Johnno
Roar Rookie
Just a d#$k with money
Chanon
Roar Rookie
He’s a passionate man & when your got your blinkers on as we know prevents seeing from the rear & in some cases to the side :stoked:
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
And constant reference to 'the boys ...'. Seriously, grow up Eddie, you're not 15.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Yes, it was 'just a bit of fun.' How he gets a gig is beyond me.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
And "simple" fun. He'd know all about that. No, I don't hate Collingwood, 2018 gives me joy every time I watch the GF again.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Many Collingwoord supporters have had enough of him. Eddie will never get it. His excuses are like what you would hear at the Yr 9 Coordinator’s office. Embarrassing.
Tezza knows
Roar Rookie
These were ill conceived comments aside from the “ off” manic emotions we saw at. At that Chinese restaurant. I’d be totally pissed if I was at Chois as a customer and had to cop that rabid behaviour. Eddie lacks a lot. His overbearing behaviours, his interruptions of others on the footy show, particularly to Jimmy Bartels are a disgrace. There is a litany of others things where he has made a fool of himself.. I don’t take any notice of what he says any more.. Is there a problem, Eddie.
The Iron Dingo
Roar Rookie
But he makes it so easy, being such a cloth-eared, one-eyed, bigoted fool.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Well keep it private than and don't play up for who was holding the camera. As you tell.players that have made a mistake nothing's private anymore cameras are everywhere and you knew you were being filmed again id love to see.his face going red and exploding if it was the otherway around.
mrl
Roar Rookie
At last…Eddie said something stupid which was not racist.