Essendon legend Tim Watson fires back at AFL-employed journalist Damian Barrett
The feud between Damian Barrett and Tim Watson has escalated dramatically, with the Essendon legend launching a stinging attack on the AFL-employed journalist, declaring he will now be known as ‘the Voice of Treason.’
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The feud between Damian Barrett and Tim Watson has escalated dramatically, with the Essendon legend launching a stinging attack on the AFL-employed journalist, declaring he will now be known as ‘the Voice of Treason.’
The spat began on Tuesday, when Barrett was quizzed on the standing down of AFL Media reporter Mitch Cleary on his Sounding Board podcast.
Comments made by Watson were put to Barrett, suggesting that as a senior reporter at AFL Media, he should have spoken out in support of his younger colleague.
Barrett angrily responded by bringing up Watson’s involvement in the Essendon supplements saga.
“Tim Watson gives a lot of advice to a lot of people. He gave a lot of advice to Essendon Football Club people during the drugs saga - and how did that work? So what would he know about what journalists should do in that situation?”
Speaking on Wednesday morning on SEN radio, Watson responded by calling out Barrett for his “holier-than-thou attitude towards journalism” despite being “inconsistent in his own values.”
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“I used to listen religiously, as you did, to their podcast and you know all the reasons why in the end I had to turn it off and I couldn’t listen anymore,” Watson said on SEN.
“I just have this to say about the ‘Voice of Treason’ and that is who he will be known as henceforth.
“I know he is a mate of yours (Garry Lyon) but in fact you’re to blame. You created this Frankenstein, you and your mates at Triple M and Channel 9.
“But this holier-than-thou attitude towards journalism, but he is inconsistent in the true values of journalism.
“This is how I see it, he holds biases, he holds petty grudges, he loses his balance which is a fundamental plank, I think, of journalism.
“I know he thinks I know nothing about it but it is what journalism is all about. What this episode has taught me and informed me and I think everyone else out there that didn’t already know is that he is beholden to the AFL. If you work at the AFL, fair enough, we all need a paycheck, don’t we? You need a paycheck, I need a paycheck.
“But don’t do a podcast lecturing everyone on the principle pursuit of being a journalist if you’re compromised like everybody else. And he is compromised like everybody else. We know that he is beholden to the AFL. We know the AFL put out a statement to say that they’re not journalists. What exactly were the words that they (the AFL) used? They’re employees.”
Not done there, Watson had one last crack at Barrett.
“I have been talking to you (Lyon) about the beautiful burgundy glasses. They’re a fine hand blown Austrian zalto glass,” he said.
“They’re very expensive. Can you remember the conversation we had about them?
“You can put them in the dishwasher but they’re very easily broken. They’re very fragile. The Voice of Treason’s jaw I think is made from the same glass. And that is all I’m going to say this morning. That is as much as I want to say.”
Watson’s co-host Lyon agreed that the comments from Barrett were out of line.
“It sounded like someone that was under a bit of pressure when he spoke those words. A bit frustrated and I didn’t like where he went with that.”
On Tuesday, Barrett backed the AFL’s handling of the controversial Cleary situation.
Cleary was banished from his duties at AFL House after he posted on social media the Instagram post from Brooke Cotchin that saw the Tigers fined $45,000 for COVID protocol breaches.
Asked on Tuesday morning if it was the right decision, Barrett said: “Yeah, it was … it was the right decision for an organisation to reflect upon what he did, yeah ...
“He didn’t get stood down. He was looked at over the action of the tweet .. and any organisation has the right to do what it wants to do and sees fit ...
“Mitch obviously tweeted or retweeted or reposted an already public photo … in a time frame in which he shouldn’t have. That doesn’t make him a bad journalist by the way. He’s an outstanding journalist.”
Barrett confirmed that the AFL had enforced an “edict” for its inhouse reporters not to identify the partners of players involved in COVID breaches.
“I was aware (of the AFL policy). But was Mitch? I would think by what he said himself, no,” he said.
Pressed by co-host Craig Hutchison on his Watson comments, Barrett said: “He’s read the news, yeah … I wouldn’t take the advice of Tim Watson ...
“My support for Mitch was done behind the scenes, from the moment I was made aware of it ...
“There’s layers to it and I’m glad there has actually been a resolution to it because hopefully all these people making comments, including a lot of journalists, have all calmed down now and realised it was a situation that had a level of complexity.
“There are so many layers to this and Mitch touched on this himself effectively in the statement that was released last night and in his own words on his own podcast … whereby he was unaware of an arrangement to not name partners involved …
“It was an unfortunate event … and I feel for him ...
“And for the people at the Herald Sun who are listening to this, because that’s what they do, they listen to it and they hope that I say something that they can deliberately misconstrue, there is no independent media organisation.
“Media independence does not exist. That is a statement of fact.”
Barrett rejected a Hutchison suggestion his public comments “weren’t interesting enough to drive (online) traffic”.
“That’s actually not true,” he said
AFL CENSORSHIP: JOURNOS SILENCED OVER STORY CHOICES
Jon Ralph
Media Hall of Fame journalist Mike Sheahan says the AFL has destroyed any independence its media arm had established by its “stunning decision” to stand down Mitch Cleary.
The AFL on Monday allowed Cleary back to work after internally discussing a two-week penalty but only after he was forced into an apology to the league.
The Herald Sun revealed on Sunday night that Cleary had been indefinitely suspended by the league after he posted on social media the Instagram post from Brooke Cotchin that saw the Tigers fined $45,000.
The league said that AFL Media had made an editorial decision not to name Cotchin or any other families involved in COVID breaches but Cleary “mistakenly” didn’t follow the decision.
“Upon speaking to his Editor and then realising his tweet was at odds with AFL Media’s editorial decision, Mitch immediately removed his tweet and has acknowledged it was a mistake on his behalf,” the league said.
It is understood Richmond played no part in the decision over standing down Cleary, surprised to be told that the AFL had suspended him indefinitely.
Richmond had strongly complained about Brooke Cotchin being named but did not ask for Cleary’s punishment.
Sheahan told the Herald Sun the league had done untold damage to a media arm it set up to be a lucrative media company.
“In my view it was a stunning decision. It clearly undermined the independence of the AFL website which was always going to be an issue when they created it. I just can’t understand the logic of it. Mitch is a respected and ethical journalist and Brooke had already been identified.
“I don’t think he has done anything wrong and I cannot understand why they brought up the independence issue voluntarily,” he said.
“I just find it hard to believe that Gillon (McLachlan) would have been a party to this decision.”
While the AFL believed its decision supported Richmond, other AFL officials working to help clubs in their Gold Coast hubs had been frustrated by a list of demands from wives and girlfriends including Brooke Cotchin.
They have less sympathy for her because as an Instagram influencer she posted about a company that she would have usually profited from as she sought a treatment at what she called a “licenced medical facility”.
It is only the latest in a series of decisions that have worried AFL Media journalists, with some complaining they have been censored about story choices and had exclusive breaking stories pulled by management.
Clubs have long complained about strong attacks on their coaches and cultures from AFL Media but been told it was an independent media arm of AFL House.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said the Cleary decision showed it was the AFL calling the tune about the media company, with the Pies boss likely to push for changes given the weekend’s events.
The decision to sell off the profitable AFL Record also floored many long-time staffers given its popularity and solid track record.
MORE NEWS:
Brooke Cotchin breaks her silence over COVID protocol breaches and Mitch Cleary being stood down
AFL Media journalist Mitch Cleary stood down over Brooke Cotchin tweet
HOW IT PLAYED OUT
The AFL decided to stand Cleary down on Friday night in a decision that destroys the veneer of independence between the AFL and its media arm.
It is only the latest in a series of decisions that have worried AFL Media journalists, with some complaining they have been censored about story choices and had breaking stories pulled by management.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said he wasn’t aware of any link between the club and the decision to stand Cleary down.
The AFL is a laughing stock, bullies
— Brad Green (@bradgreen18) August 2, 2020
While the AFL was angered by the decision to name Brooke Cotchin, some AFL officials on the Gold Coast believed her post about a day spa was particularly negligent because it was advertising a private business.
The Herald Sun understands the AFL viewed him as an AFL employee ahead of his obligations as a journalist.
Brad Green was among the huge number of people outraged by the decision, labelling the AFL “bullies” for its decision.
“That’s terrible,” he tweeted.
“The AFL is a laughing stock, bullies.”
If this is true serious questions need to be asked of the @AFL - @cleary_mitch doing his job and reporting a breach of policy around #cotchin in unprecedented times - seems he does not deserve to be stood down from where I am sitting. #mitchcleary #afl #Gil https://t.co/s2vwL27pd2
— Paul Johnson (@pjohnson_sports) August 2, 2020
This is a very sad day in media, I’m pretty confident @cleary_mitch was just doing his job. Sad to hear this news Mitch. https://t.co/J2uzEWaiMR
— Shelley Ware (@ShelleyWare) August 2, 2020
Unless there’s more to the story, I am very surprised and disappointed the @AFL has stood down @cleary_mitch, one of the best and journos and best blokes in the industry.
— Nathan Templeton (@nathantemp7) August 2, 2020
AFL Media has fought hard to be able to say that they're an independent media organization that can report footy news without bias.
— Brayden Cocks (@brayden_cocks) August 2, 2020
The Mitch Cleary news undoes a lot of that hard work. It's a real shame.
Really hope the AFL wasn’t pressured into making this decision.... 🧠#AFL #mitchcleary
— Caty Price (@caty_price) August 2, 2020
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Mitch Cleary reporting on something that had been self-published on Instagram?
— Andy Maher (@AndyMaherDFA) August 2, 2020