Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has defended his viral antics within the wake of Brayden Maynard being cleared to play.
After a prolonged Tribunal listening to on Tuesday night time, Maynard was cleared and is now free to play in Collingwood’s preliminary last.
Watch each match of The 2023 Toyota AFL Finals Collection earlier than the Grand Last Reside & Advert-Break Free Throughout Play on Kayo Sports activities. Be part of now and begin streaming immediately >
Shortly after the information was introduced a video of McGuire rapidly whipped round social media.
The video, posted to social media by ex-Collingwood and Carlton star Dale Thomas, confirmed McGuire standing up and tapping his glass in a restaurant earlier than saying: “Girls and gents, justice has been achieved. Brayden Maynard is free to play for the Pies.”
The video divided footy followers with many not pleased with McGuire for celebrating the decision given Maynard’s hit may finish with Brayshaw hanging up his boots.
“Everybody was mucking round (within the restaurant) I walked in about 5 minutes earlier than that (video) occurs. Everybody as I walked previous had been asking ‘what’s occurring with the Maynard state of affairs?’,” McGuire stated on 9’s Footy Categorized on Wednesday night time.
“That was not any thought of that (Brayshaw) and I apologise if anybody really takes it that means.
“It was all about that Brayden Maynard had obtained via, a key participant for Collingwood going right into a preliminary last amongst quite a lot of Collingwood individuals who had come up and requested for images at that stage.
“It was pure enjoyable in what has been a really very uncooked state of affairs.
“You’re nonetheless allowed to have some enjoyable within the recreation and there was no slight or malice in the direction of anybody and unbridled pleasure {that a} champion of the Collingwood soccer membership will probably be proper to play within the last.”
McGuire was torn to shreds by radio host Jase Hawkins who launched a scathing rant over the footage.
Hawkins on Wednesday stated McGuire’s actions weren’t the picture the membership wished.
“Each time I discuss to a Pies supporter, I’m like why does the membership have such a foul identify, Eddie Maguire’s identify comes up each time due to w***** strikes like this,” Hawkins stated on on KIIS 101.1’s Jase & Lauren.
“Sit down you kn**. Justice has been achieved? There’s a participant now who has to take a seat per week out from concussion and his household is outraged as a result of he might not ever play once more and also you’ve obtained this d***head sitting up in eating places screaming stuff like that. That’s not the picture the membership needs.”
The AFL in the end elected to not attraction the Tribunal’s choice, as an alternative stating they’d be launching a assessment of gamers’ responsibility of care in the direction of their opponents earlier than the 2024 season.
AFL soccer boss Laura Kane stated the league would have appealed the choice if it felt there have been grounds for a problem.
“It’s a troublesome incident, it’s actually difficult for everyone concerned, however we didn’t really feel there have been grounds to attraction,” Kane advised reporters on Wednesday.
“If we did really feel there have been grounds to attraction, we might have.”
The league introduced the choice shortly after the 12pm deadline on Wednesday, saying in a press release it had given the decision “cautious consideration”.
“The AFL has determined to not attraction the Tribunal’s choice,” the assertion learn.
“The AFL understands that the end result of this case won’t sit properly with everybody who watches and performs our recreation.
“Nobody likes to see a participant undergo a critical concussion as Angus Brayshaw did and likewise see the impression the incident had on him, his household and pals, his teammates and his membership.
The assertion flagged a assessment of how incidents like Maynard’s tried smother can be policed heading into subsequent season.
“The well being and security of gamers in our recreation will at all times be the AFL’s precedence and whatever the tribunal end result this incident will probably be topic to shut examination on the finish of the season.”
Kane stated if guidelines had been tweaked round gamers’ responsibility of care over the low season, it could not be merely to handle the precise state of affairs involving Maynard and Brayshaw.
“We assessment all guidelines and laws, so the method that we undergo on the finish of every season is just not contained to at least one incident, essentially,” she stated.
– with Ed Bourke, NCA Newswire