Inside Eddie McGuire and Neil Mitchell’s long running feuds
With a shake of the hand ten years ago, Melbourne’s bitter radio war between Eddie McGuire and Neil Mitchell came to a peaceful end — until this week when Mitchell labelled “Everywhere Eddie” a “world class hypocrite”. So will these old foes ever bury the hatchet?
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Eddie McGuire and Neil Mitchell emerged from a long lunch in Chinatown with a cordial shake of the hand.
No, not this week. It’s been a long time between drinks. The breaking of bread, or devouring of dumplings ended a war of words on the airwaves. The Collingwood president had taken umbrage at Mitchell naming two Pies players in a sexual assault investigation.
The Collingwood footballers were never suspects and were cleared by police of any wrongdoing, but Eddie was seeing red through his black-and-white tinted glasses.
It took a long lunch at the front room of Bamboo House, sitting down with political heavyweights Peter Costello, Steve Bracks and Bill Shorten along with former Qantas executive and consumate networker Ken Ryan and gun media lawyer Justin Quill to lower the temperature.
Page 13 hears their secretaries dubbed the every six-week get together the World Savers Lunch.
Ten years on and simmering hostilities have bubbled over.
No surprises here. Alpha-males mark their territory with the odd spray and can hold a grudge for a very, repeat very, long time.
Neil doubled down on “untouchable Eddie” for being a “world class hypocrite” this week after he called out the Geelong Football Club. He said the Cats should have been more transparent about details surrounding the stabbing of star recruit Jack Steven.
Eddie returned fire, calling Neil an “over puffed windbag” on a “highway for clickbait”.
He likes the description. Eddie called Mitchell a “self-appointed self-important windbag” in 2010.
Mitchell told Page 13 he has been feuding with Eddie on-and-off for years.
His main gripe is that Eddie has a conflict of interest in his role as Collingwood president and radio host.
“From my point of view it is an intolerable conflict,” said Mitchell.
Eddie has his own view in this battle of the super egos.
“This caper is a contact sport, so he can’t complain if he cops a whack occasionally.
“I’m just a bit disappointed when people who should know better want to be part of the click bait generation.
“Reporting on that rather than the truth of a position is where many are leaving themselves open for criticism. Good journalism, vigorous debate and advancing the cause is what life is all about.
“Feuds are for hillbillies”
Back to Mitchell, who is a Demons tragic and says he has been regularly sounded out for the Melbourne Football Club board but has always declined because of his role on radio.
Melbourne champions Gary Lyon and the late Jim Stynes once cornered him at a function, pressuring him to run for president.
That was not long after Diamond Joe Gutnick’s reign as president. “I said I can’t, I’ve got radio, it’s a conflict,” Mitchell said.
Eddie has long maintained he wears his “media hat” when he is on air and his “Collingwood hat” at the club, but Mitchell is calling bull on that.
“I don’t think it is possible to chop and change hats like that,” says Mitchell.
“Who are you loyal to? Someone is going to end up getting dudded.”
Mitchell is used to blueing on. Frenemy Derryn Hinch, no stranger to some argy bargy, says Mitchell is known for it.
He says the talkback host and his 3AW colleague, Tony Tardio, didn’t speak for 20 years in spite of walking past each other in the corridor almost everyday.
Mitchell says some mayonnaise has been added here, but admits to a few schoolyard run-ins.
“I’ve had blues with (Steve) Pricey, with Derryn, with Eddie and a few with Ross Stevenson, but that hasn’t happened for a while. It goes with the territory.
“I get a bit annoyed when it all gets personal. Eddie has a style where he is a bit like Bob Hawke.
“He goes out hard and hits you in the head and then backs off and is your mate. I’ll wait for that to come around.”
Gill McLachlan has offered to play peacemaker between the warring radio giants but that seems doomed to failure.
“He’s untouchable Eddie, even you won’t have a go at him,” Mitchell told the AFL boss on air.
McLachlan was diplomatic. “I don’t have a go at you either Neil, you’re both untouchable,” he said.
But a decade on and any dumpling détente is on hold, Mitchell told Page 13:
“I rarely go out for lunch these days.”