Garry Lyon ‘not in a good space’, Sam Newman says

SAM Newman has revealed he has spent time with Garry Lyon on a number of occasions since the Footy Show scandal erupted.

SAM Newman has revealed he has spent time with Garry Lyon on a number of occasions since the Footy Show scandal erupted.

Newman said Lyon was “not in a good space” and moved to remind people that was the reason Rebecca Maddern had joined the show in the wake of stinging criticism.

Maddern has been a hot topic of conversation since it was announced last week that she will be hosting the traditionally male-dominated AFL program. She replaces Lyon, who left the show after it emerged he was in a relationship with the ex-wife of his once great mate and fellow Footy Show star, Billy Brownless.

“What we have forgotten is that unfortunately the position for Rebecca Maddern to come on The Footy Show has been made vacant by Garry Lyon suffering a mental illness of depression,” Newman told Nova 100’s Chrissie, Sam & Browny on Monday morning.

“I have seen Garry a couple of times and he is not in a good space, he genuinely has depression.”

Garry Lyon is “not in a good space”, according to Sam Newman.

Newman, the Footy Show’s linchpin, said Lyon’s condition had “nothing to do with Bill Brownless and that private matter that went on”. He also explained why the show opted to address the scandal with a polarising Brownless interview last month, even though Lyon’s medical advisers asked them not to.

“We addressed that [the scandal] on The Footy Show because we thought if we didn’t it would be hypocritical,” Newman said.

“We were advised not to by his medical overseers, by people who counselled Garry and said it might make him more depressed.

“We made a considered judgement, if we have any credibility because we beat the living suitcase out of anyone else, we will touch on it and we did.

“Rebecca Maddern is one the show because Garry Lyon is not. We looked for someone else to replace him, when I say we the company did, she, gender not withstanding was the best person we could come up with.”

‘THESE PEOPLE ARE IRRELEVANT’

Sam Newman and James Brayshaw with their new Footy Show co-host Rebecca Maddern.

Newman also lashed out at critics who claimed Maddern’s appointment was baffling, given the sexist nature of the program.

“I find it intriguing, bemusing, I welcome it, these people are irrelevant, insignificant to me,” Newman said.

“They set up their own arbitrary framework of reference and then go to base any judgement they have on the false premise they have set up themselves.

“They are insignificant people, they’re arm chair critics, they are like eunuchs in a harem.

“They are there every night, they see it done every night, they see how it should be done but they can’t do it themselves.

“They are just irrelevant people. I welcome anyone having any opinion about me, it doesn’t worry me at all, I know what I am. We parody and use satire for men and women.

“Ninety-five per cent of the people we parody or have satire to do with are men. When you treat people equally, that is treat women equally, they all want to be treated equally but when you start treating them equally they start whingeing.”

Maddern makes her debut as Footy Show host on Thursday night. In a recent column for the ABC, Terri Psiakis wrote she was “baffled by the announcement this week that an intelligent, accomplished, award-winning journalist will be The Footy Show’s first female co-host”.

“Has she not seen the show?” Psiakis asked.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love footy (although as a heartbroken Essendon supporter there won’t be much for me to love this season). The problem with the Footy Show is that it’s not just about footy. It’s also about sexism, racism, homophobia and misogyny. Not to mention Sam Newman’s genitals.”

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Originally published as Garry Lyon ‘not in a good space’, Sam Newman says