Sam Newman says friends should be ‘ashamed’ for abandoning Eddie

“Cowardly” friends who failed to come to the aid of Eddie McGuire after he became “a lightning rod for vitriol” should be ashamed, Sam Newman says.

Sam Newman has described the “witch hunt” that forced Eddie McGuire to resign as president of the Collingwood Football Club as a disgrace.

And Newman said the lack of voices publicly supporting McGuire or providing some balanced commentary on his huge and passionate contribution to the club was “cowardly.”

“It is an absolute unmitigated disgrace for a number of reasons,” Newman said.

“First of all it is a witch hunt. This is a witch hunt.

“Eddie McGuire has been at that club for more than 20 years, he has had heavy hitters on his board of directors, he has had various CEOs, he has had coaches that have been on the journey with him, and the only person they round up is Eddie McGuire.

“This is a witch hunt and has nothing to do with the case at hand.

“Where are all the other people who have been at that club?

Eddie McGuire announcing his resignation from Collingwood. Picture: Collingwood FC

“Why aren’t they condemned, for god sake.

“Eddie is the president, he (was) not there on a daily basis. There are people actually employed to be there on a daily basis.”

McGuire stepped down as Collingwood president last month after 23 years in the role.

His departure came after his description of the release of the club’s Do Better report as a “proud” and “historic” day.

The report found systemic racism was endemic at the club.

When announcing his resignation McGuire said Collingwood was not a racist club and explained he was stepping away as he had “become a lightning rod for vitriol.”

Newman, a close friend of McGuire’s, said he had spoken to McGuire several times since he fell on his footy sword.

Eddie McGuire and Sam Newman in their Footy Show days.

“I have spoken to him several times of late. I have asked him how he is going. He is going all right,” he said.

“Bemused is the best word I can use. I think he would be absolutely bemused at this.

“It is all right to be rounded up by people who don’t like you for whatever reason but (for) your acquaintances and even your friends, not to come to his rescue, not that he needs rescuing, but to come and say ‘hey come on, give us a break here, how about you examine some of the facts here’ people should be ashamed of themselves.

“It makes you feel almost embarrassed and ashamed.

“Honestly there are really weak cowardly people who would normally come to his aid, but don’t want to get involved because you know the most overused and incorrectly used word in the English lexicon at the minute is racism.

“Racism is about hate and it is about trying to decry, defile or degrade someone, thinking you are more superior than them or trying to dominate them.

“None of that is going on at that club. It was probably loose talk.”

McGuire has taken a break from his media commitments following his resignation from Collingwood.

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