Collingwood AFL club's president and media figure Eddie McGuire is in hot water for comments made on radio last Monday which implied he would like to see Fairfax journalist Caroline Wilson drowned.
Appearing on Triple M's The Rub, McGuire joked with other panelists and fellow AFL club president James Brayshaw about seeing Wilson drown.
The panel was discussing the recent "Big Freeze" initiative held by the AFL, which sees celebrities and ex-players go down an ice slide into ice water to raise funds for motor neurone disease.
"I reckon we should start the campaign for a one-person slide next year," said McGuire. "Caroline Wilson. And I’ll put in ten grand straight away...make it twenty."
"And if she stays under, fifty."
McGuire then joked about charging "ten thousand for everyone to stand around the outside and bomb her."
"I'll actually jump in and make sure she doesn't [come up from the water] – I'll hold her under," said ex-AFL coach and commentator, Danny Frawley.
McGuire has a history of controversial statements. In 2010, his Winter Olympics commentary of the male figure skating was heavily critcised, after saying "they don't leave anything in the closet."
Freelance journalist Erin Riley brought attention to the comments on a blog post published yesterday, after hearing the comments on the Outer Sanctum podcast. "A lot of people [are] saying it's not sexist and not a big deal," she told BuzzFeed News.
Women's place in football is conditional of acceptance: we can't rock the boat too much. If we do, we are treated as Eddie treated Caro
"I'd say [the reception] is probably 75/25. Mostly positive, though a lot of people saying it's not sexist and not a big deal."
"A few [people] are telling me the usual stuff about just getting over it," she said.
Twitter reacted to the comments with anger, pointing out the comments also came during the AFL's white ribbon round – an initiative meant to "prevent men's violence against women".
So good the way these idiots think “criticising” is comparable to “wanting dead”. https://t.co/6OacU4m7bi
What hope do young @AFL players have to help stop violence against women when famous AFL boss advocates for drowning women? #EddieMcGuire
Eddie McGuire is mad that Caroline Wilson is capable of independent thought so he jokes about drowning her. https://t.co/jEVYC2D6VJ
Those Eddie Mcguire comments are awful. Not surprised however...
The world according to Eddie McGuire: indigenous men are gorillas and women deserve drowning but hey *just joking* #afl
Violence against women *is* pretty funny though. Said Eddie McGuire. Last weekend. https://t.co/oi6r8hFRkY
The AFL was also criticised on Friday for a tweet saying it will not tolerate "unacceptable levels of violence against women."
@AFL_House um what would you term 'acceptable' levels of violence against women btw?????