Steve Price: Mitchell-McGuire stoush sprayed venom that has existed between them for years

The bitter exchange of insults and accusations that aired on radio revealed a real truth rarely spoken – Neil Mitchell and Eddie McGuire hate each other.

Neil Mitchell and Eddie McGuire don’t like each other and never really have.

A colossal bitter exchange peppered with insults and accusations that aired on 3AW on Thursday proved that once and for all.

The truth — the real but rarely spoken truth — was finally spat out.

Despite happy snaps of the pair together over the years and membership of cosy mover and shaker lunch clubs the two of them are polar opposites.

Neil, the pompous self-righteous and self-appointed judge and jury of what’s right and wrong about Melbourne, and Eddie, the showbiz kid from the wrong side of the tracks and consummate networker.

Up until the savage blow up over Mitchell’s character assassination of Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey on Wednesday – calling him a Bali Boofhead – the pair had kissed and made up many times over the years.

Not this time they won’t. There was a bitterness to the clash that sprayed historical venom between the two all over the airwaves, and it’s not fixable.

It was nasty in a personal way not previously heard and quickly became not about De Goey but about Neil and Eddie’s dislike of one another.

Neil Mitchell whinges and whines and sweats the small stuff. Picture : Nicki Connolly

Previously they would repair their differences at a lunch dubbed the Fix the World lunch held monthly in the front room of Chinatown’s Bamboo House restaurant.

Others on the table joked about the stoushes the two often had and then helped them buddy up again.

The group included former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, ex Federal Treasurer Peter Costello, one time Labor leader Bill Shorten, Herald Sun executive Peter Blunden and former Qantas heavyweight Ken Ryan.

In simple terms, Melbourne’s self-appointed movers and shakers.

It will take even more than that esteemed group of business and political operatives to repair this blow up.

This was a rare glimpse into the fragile relationships often forged in Melbourne out of necessity … you stroke my back, I’ll look after yours.

People who in normal times wouldn’t give each other the time of day grit their teeth and do the right thing for Melbourne and of course for their careers.

Neil has the power of the No.1 radio talkback show in town and Eddie when he was Collingwood President and Channel 9 star and executive needed Neil sometimes to do him an on-air favour.

Mitchell likes to sell himself as the voice of Melbourne featuring Premiers, Police Commissioners, Lord Mayor’s and AFL bosses. That was until the current Premier Daniel Andrews put him in the freezer and refused to go on the show.

Eddie by comparison doesn’t need a radio show to network with anyone — it comes naturally to Ed.

He had a solid relationship with the Andrews Government and the Premier until his brother Frank was dumped from the Labor team.

McGuire-Mitchell explosion on-air though included language neither would probably now regard as necessary.

Neil accused Eddie of being “a nasty bastard” which is a bit rich coming from the broadcaster who that very morning referenced two regrettable incidents Eddie has apologised for many times.

Mitchell started his show indignantly saying he wouldn’t be lectured to by a person with a track record like Eddie’s.

He said: “Remember this is the same Eddie who called Adam Goodes ‘King Kong’ and wanted to drown Caroline Wilson at the Big Freeze.”

That’s a drive-by shooting in anyone’s language.

Eddie McGuire sees sunshine and has ideas, makes money and enjoys life. Picture: Getty

McGuire has offered genuine — and has had accepted — apologies from both and now employs Caroline on his Footy Classified program on Nine.

Eddie countered with his own vicious sledge suggesting the radio presenter had driven people (with on air comments) to “very dark places”.

McGuire when quizzed by Mitchell wouldn’t elaborate on what he meant and the two argued over Eddie calling Neil a liar.

The difference between these two couldn’t be starker. Neil whinges and whines and sweats the small stuff, while Eddie sees sunshine and has ideas, makes money and enjoys life.

Neil is anti-social while Eddie is the life of the party.

On a personal note, I have known Neil for 40 years and Eddie for 30.

Neil Mitchell was the best newspaper editor I have ever worked for, and he gave me my start in radio producing him on 3AW’s drivetime show for two years. He’s been my boss and I’ve been his.

Eddie McGuire is the best live TV performer in Australia and should be a role model to any young Australian proving hard work and passion will get you a long way. He’s sorely missed on radio.

I’m not playing peacemaker and Neil should accept Eddie’s remark about using his show more wisely so as not to damage the mental health of people in dark places. It has happened to people I know.

Eddie should understand Neil is nearing 70 years old and might just be reflecting his age and the age of his audience and not take it so personally.

I’m told McGuire will return to Mitchell’s radio program in a newly created slot next week.

Sadly, for all of us, Neil won’t be there. He’s on holidays.

Giant egos occupy talkback radio, and I should know I’ve been doing it on and off air now for 35 years.

It’s rare though for the biggest of those egos to go head-to-head live on the same radio show as Eddie McGuire and Neil Mitchell did on Thursday morning.

Normally the microphone is used to sledge a radio opponent or a TV personality without them having the right of reply — certainly not a live right of reply.

The 20-minute debate between Ed and Neil around Neil’s derogatory comments the day before surrounding Collingwood star Jordon DeGoey started off civilly enough, but ended spraying the venom that has existed between the pair for years all over the place.

It was riveting radio especially for someone who knows them both so well.

Make no mistake, this pair don’t like each other and never have, but this went to another level.