Eddie McGuire has defended himself after vision was posted on social media of the former Collingwood president enthusiastically celebrating the decision to clear Brayden Maynard’s suspension.
It comes after premiership Magpie Dale Thomas uploaded an Instagram story featuring an ecstatic McGuire trumpeting the Maynard tribunal news to diners at a restaurant.
“Ladies and gentlemen, justice has been done! Maynard is free to play for the Pies!” a passionate McGuire said.
McGuire addressed the vision on Channel 9’s Footy Classified, apologising after some people criticised him for being “disrespectful” to the family of Angus Brayshaw, who was concussed in the collision.
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‘The evidence was really clear’: Wright | 02:33
“Everyone was mucking around,” McGuire opened.
“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?’. I get a message through that he’s been cleared … then I find out there was a question mark left off on my message, it came through a couple of minutes later and we did that again.
“Daisy Thomas was sitting there, there was [sic] 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?’.
“That [sic] was not any thought even about that and I apologise if anybody actually takes it that way. It was all about Brayden Maynard had got through, 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 sleight or malice towards anyone and unbridled joy that a champion of Collingwood Football Club will be alright to play in a final.”
Maynard on Tuesday night was found not guilty of rough conduct against Brayshaw despite leaving the Demon concussed after a marathon four-hour tribunal hearing.
The public reaction to the tribunal’s verdict was predictably mixed.
Melbourne great Shaun Smith, for instance, slammed the “absolutely disgusting” decision to clear Maynard’s suspension in a seething social media post.
Smith, who was awarded a $1.4 million insurance payout from the AFL in 2020 related to concussion symptoms post-career, took to social media to condemn the decision, saying: “AFL you are an embarrassment and an absolute joke!!!!”
The father of current Demon Joel Smith added to the post: “Absolutely disgusting …. The AFL is a disgusting organisation … I wonder who was on the take to clear this thug.”
The 54-year old, who retired in 1998, responded to one comment: “I’m sure you would say the same thing if it was your son…
“This thug KOs (knocks out) someone, potentially ending their career, and he gets off.”
The AFL, who originally overruled the Match Review Officer by taking the case to the tribunal, still has a call to make on whether to appeal the decision by Wednesday midday.
Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas highlighting the legal implication facing the competition given the series of lawsuits it’s faced from ex-players who’ve battled concussion post-career.
“Sanity prevails. AFL still considering appealing against decision,” Thomas posted on Twitter.
“So they disputed and overturned MRO decision and sent it to tribunal. Now they’re considering challenging their tribunal decision. All for the “look” as evidence against future litigation.”
Maynard cleared to play by AFL Tribunal | 02:32
Carlton veteran Sam Docherty says he’s “pleased” Maynard escaped suspension, claiming the incident that left Brayshaw concussed was “an unfortunate accident”.
Premiership Eagle Will Schofield, who said the AFL should appeal the tribunal’s call, wrote on X: “In the end, where you sit on this Maynard tribunal decision comes down to whether you like Collingwood or not. Let’s be honest.”
Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley replied: “Or you could have some integrity…”
Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, a measured Docherty said AFL players understood the dangers associated with playing the game and that unfortunate accidents occur.
“I think there’s an inherent risk in playing AFL footy that sometimes in football actions people are going to get hurt, whether that’s concussion or other injuries. In my eyes, this was an unfortunate accident,” Docherty told AFL 360.
“He’s gone up in a game that’s very important to the football club to smother the ball on the way down, you’ve got 0.15 of a second to try and change your body position or get out of the way … the duty of care would’ve been to not jump and smother, but smothering in our game of footy is an integral part.
“I don’t think we’ll find too many situations where this will exactly happen, but there’s risk in playing – and that’s OK, we all go out there knowing that. It’s very unfortunate for Angus to be in the position he’s in, but I’m pleased he (Maynard) has got off.”
Maynard smothering deemed ‘reasonable’ | 01:15
Giants captain Toby Greene added: “I honestly thought he’d get off, so I’m not too surprised. I know there was a lot of conjecture over it, but was expecting him to get off – and he did.”
AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley said the thorough nature of the case meant an AFL appeal would be unlikely.
“I’m totally comfortable with the way that case unfolded, that it’s an outcome matches the circumstances, that it was reasonable to embark on the smoother, that the impact was possible but not inevitable – I totally accept that listening to the whole case – and that the 0.15 of a second just doesn’t allow a conscious decision. All it allows is the flinch – and the flinch here is regrettable and has an awful outcome – but it was a flinch and not a conscious decision. That’s from the experts, that’s what the science will say,” Whateley told Fox Footy.
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