Susie O’Brien: Hey Eddie, it’s all about respect — or your lack thereof

Eddie McGuire can’t apologise his way out of this latest offensive gaffe by saying it wasn’t anything to do Sydney Swans coin-tosser Cynthia Banham — because it had everything to do with her, writes Susie O’Brien.

Dear Eddie, you don’t seem to understand why people are upset over your comments about coin-tossers, so let me explain.

You think you can apologise your way out of this latest offensive gaffe by saying it wasn’t anything to do with Sydney Swans coin-tosser Cynthia Banham. You beg forgiveness because you say you didn’t know about her history as a plane crash survivor and double amputee.

But it had everything to do with Banham because you made the comments about the way she threw the coin. You knew nothing about who she was and yet you felt entitled to suggest she should be fined for doing a bad job.

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Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.

You said: “I think we should issue a $5000 fine for anybody who is tossing the coin and can’t do it properly. Every week, we have someone dropping it on their foot.

“Come on, toss it up properly for goodness’ sake.

“Practise in the week, you know you’re going to do it. It can’t be that hard, can it guys, seriously.”

It’s not a matter of ignorance, it’s about respect, and your lack of it.

In making the comments, you showed a lack of insight, not just for Banham, but for any person who’s not a white, male able-bodied, privileged person like yourself.

No one seriously thinks you have it in for people with a disability, or meant to have a go at Banham. But your nasty, flippant remarks about coin-tossers reveal a callous disregard for others.

You talk first, obtain information later.

Sydney Swans Ambassador Cynthia Banham.

In this case, the facts — which were no doubt in briefing notes which you failed to read — was that Banham survived the 2007 Yogyakarta plane crash that killed 21 others. She nearly died, had both legs amputated and has burns to 60 per cent of her body. Since then, she has obtained a PhD in international relations, become
a mother, and published a highly acclaimed memoir.

After the accident, she worked hard to walk on prosthetics, unwilling to accept the change in status that she found came with being in a wheelchair. She’s worked even harder to rise above her disability and get back some semblance of her old life.

Someone so determined not to be defined by her disability would likely have been happy to remain in the background, but as a passionate Swans supporter, she no doubt relished the chance to toss the coin at the Swans’ first home game of the year.

But it doesn’t really matter who Banham is. She could have been pensioner Flo from Flemington who won a competition, and you would have still felt entitled to have a go if she fumbled.

You, who are used to the spotlight, forget that tossing a
coin is often a person’s one moment of fame. They don’t deserve to be disparaged by someone of your status.

You’ve since said that you are “devastated and apologetic” and keep on insisting you wouldn’t have said anything if you’d known Banham’s story.

“Once I realised who and what it was, I was totally devastated and apologetic,” you said.

“I would never have made light of a person with a disability,” you said on radio.

It doesn’t make any difference.

You didn’t know, but spoke out anyway.

This is why people are upset.

You should do what you have to in order to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Eddie, you are a club president, a radio host, a game show host, a father, and a former chef de mission of the AFL International Rules. You have done much at Collingwood to improve access and inclusion for people with a disability and further the AFLW, but your so-called “tangent of jocularity” puts you right back at square one.

Take some time away from the microphone and listen and learn from others. It wasn’t just an “unfortunate sequence of events”, it was your ignorance, arrogance and disregard for the feelings of others — whoever they might be.

What saddens me the most is that Banham wasn’t in the middle of the SCG on Friday night as a disabled coin-tosser or a double-amputee coin-tosser.

She was there with her family and friends, as the Swans’ No. 1 ticket-holder.

She, and anyone else in that position, deserved more respect from you.

Regards, Susie

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