Australian automaker Holden said that it is speaking to Australian Football League side Collingwood to "discuss the future of our sponsorship" in the wake of comments made by club President Eddie McGuire on radio, according to ABC. The motoring company is one of four "premier partners" of the AFL club, and has made several posts on its Twitter account to convey its "disappointment" with McGuire. Holden said, "We are engaging with Collingwood to directly express our disappointment & discuss the future of our sponsorship. ... We pride ourselves on diversity, inclusion & social responsibility." McGuire apologized on Monday for joking about drowning Fairfax AFL journalist Caroline Wilson while talking about The Big Freeze, "a charity event where football personalities were to be dunked in freezing water" (ABC, 6/20). In Sydney, Chris Johnston reported it is understood Collingwood and Holden are "desperately trying to arrange a meeting" with Collingwood CEO Gary Pert and Holden Chair Mark Bernhard, who are both overseas. The Collingwood board "censured its own president on Monday night." It said in a statement, "The very clear view of the board of Collingwood is that there is no place in our community for the support of violent behaviour or language, even in humour." Holden is "currently a second-tier or platinum sponsor of Collingwood." It is believed to be worth more than A$3M ($2.24M) annually -- "one of the biggest club sponsorship deals in Australian sport" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/20). In Sydney, Danielle Miletic reported McGuire has issued a general apology over his "joke" about drowning Wilson but has "stopped short of saying sorry to the journalist herself." After Wilson hit back at comments made by McGuire that she believes "crossed the line," McGuire went on air on two Melbourne radio stations to "offer an apology." He said, "I say from the bottom of my heart that I am so sorry that those comments have resonated that way, I am so sorry that anyone could even think that's what anyone was thinking" (SMH, 6/20).
ENOUGH SAID: In Melbourne, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said that he hopes women will not "feel let down by a lack of sanctions" toward McGuire and North Melbourne President James Brayshaw. Questioned whether an apology was "enough of a response from McGuire," Brayshaw and All-Australian selector Danny Frawley, McLachlan said, "I do." Asked whether he had "called upon McGuire to resign, McLachlan declined to comment about private conversations," other than to say that he did not ask McGuire to "stand down," even though he "technically" could have done so (THE AGE, 6/20). In Melbourne, Michael Warner reported Wilson said on Monday night that she "has accepted the apologies" of McGuire, Brayshaw and Frawley and has been in contact with the latter "but has not had a call from the North Melbourne president." She said, "I accept their apologies. Danny called me yesterday and has been in touch with me today. James hasn’t called me. Ed left me a message yesterday to call him but at that point he was adamant he wasn’t going to apologize and relayed that message to people I know" (HERALD SUN, 6/20).
