Gippsland league coach sacked over sledge at rival club on podcast
Traralgon coach and former VFL assistant Tim McGibney has lost his position over comments he made about an opposition club on a Gippsland football podcast.
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A senior country football coach has been sacked over a sledge at a rival team on a podcast.
Traralgon coach Tim McGibney, a former assistant at VFL club Casey Demons, was last night dumped over remarks he made on “The Low Footy IQ’’ podcast three weeks ago.
McGibney, 32, said he questioned what he regarded as the rough-house tactics of an opponent in the Gippsland league.
The podcast was quickly taken down when the club complained to Traralgon and the league.
About 300 people had tuned in.
McGibney said he had also written a series of apologies.
“But the club informed me last night that I was pretty much being sacked over it,’’ he said this morning.
“I certainly didn’t make that decision. My commitment was to the playing group and getting them through the strange times we’re in.
“The club had different ideas. It’s been a strange 24 hours. I made an error of judgment but it’s not a sackable offence. I made it quite clear last night the crime does not add up to the punishment.’’
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McGibney said he made comments about “the certain way a team played against us last year … and that if it happened again we’d be prepared to fly the flag’’.
“I got told that because I made them publicly … that was the reason for the committee’s decision,’’ he said.
He said his remarks were “a bit offhand but said in strength’’.
“I didn’t go overboard. I questioned if certain people were still playing the game for the right reasons, because I had seven or eight clips … in hindsight I should have sent them in (to the league) but I didn’t,’’ McGibney said. “So yeah, it was just disappointment with how they’d played the game and I tried to show some strength for my young group, which was obviously an error of judgment.
“The rival club made a complaint, it went through the relevant bodies, the rival club took the right steps and I got a please-explain. I ticked every box. I’ve now written official letters of apology to the opposing club, to my club and to the league and to AFL Gippsland, and I’ve agreed to do an online course around social media and I’ve accepted there was a breach of the code of conduct. I can wear that. I’m not scared to put my hand up and take accountability where I need to.
“My number one thing was being a strong leader for my playing group. As I said to the club, it’s not a bad thing for the human side of a football coach to show. We make mistakes, it’s about taking accountability and owning them.’’
Tralragon president Kevin Foley confirmed McGibney was no longer with the Maroons but declined to comment further.
McGibney joined the club last year from Casey Demons, where he was a senior assistant.
McGibney said he had the support of the squad and he wished the players and Traralgon well.
“I’m not holding any resentment to the club. I want to make that clear,’’ McGibney said.
“In their four walls I’m sure they think this is a strong decision. Of course I’m going to think otherwise.’’