Tensions boil over between Eddie McGuire and Damian Barrett on set of The Footy Show

UPDATE: REPORTER Damian Barrett says he and The Footy Show host Eddie McGuire did exchange some terse words before last week’s show — but he says he’ll never say what it was about.

Eddie McGuire clashed with Damian Barrett. Picture: Mark Stewart

DAMIAN Barrett has tried to hose down last week’s pre-Footy Show feud with host Eddie McGuire, saying their heated exchange was all in the past.

Barrett appeared on Tuesday night’s Footy Show but he was a notable absentee last week, failing to appear for his regular news slot.

That came after tensions boiled over between McGuire and Barrett, who seemed to have very different opinions about the main news story of the night.

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The heated disagreement had the walls shaking and we’re told both parties didn’t give an inch.

Barrett didn’t appear on the show that night, but today said that decision was his.

“It was two people having a conversation before the show; it was as simple as that,” Barrett said.

“I spoke to Ed after the show, spoke to Ed again the day after and spoke to him at length on Monday and again yesterday.

“There was nothing to move on from.

“It was a conversation that happens every night before The Footy Show.

Eddie McGuire clashed with Damian Barrett. Picture: Mark Stewart

It’s understood the subject of the blow-up was a black and white matter.

A week earlier The Footy Show narrowly missed out on the young Magpie Sam Murray’s drug scandal story with Barrett breaking it online early the next morning.

Barrett said he’d never reveal the exact details of the disagreement.

“It was a discussion about a news story which ultimately required a few discussions,” he told Triple M.

“And as such, I made the decision not to go on.

“I will not be talking about what it was, and I will never be discussing what the story was about.”

McGuire has always maintained he isn’t conflicted in his media roles despite being the Collingwood president.

McGuire has been forced to defend the show’s poor ratings with the Channel 9 institution being smashed by Channel 7’s The Front Bar in recent times.

A new line-up including Chris Judd, Dane Swan and Brendan Fevola has failed to attract viewers while the parting of ways with co-host Rebecca Maddern also hasn’t helped.

The Footy Show aired at the special time of 9:10pm last night and posted 134,000 viewers.

Adam Goodes starred in his first match.

OUT CAHILL, IN: ... GOODES?

THE manager of Waverley Old Boys over-35s soccer club in Sydney wasn’t sure if it was the real Adam Goodes.

Andy Dorey was confused about the email he’d just received which was inquiring about wanting to play with the Eastern Suburbs division two side.

“We got an email from someone saying they’d played a bit of six-a-side soccer and they wanted to stretch their legs a bit on a bigger field,” Dorey told ‘The World Game’ on SBS.

“I recognised the name Adam Goodes and thought: ‘That’s interesting, I wonder if it’s actually the Adam Goodes?’

“I did a quick Google search of the email address and saw it was linked to his agent’s website, so I thought: ‘this may be the real deal, this is actually the Australian sporting legend and Australian of the Year Adam Goodes’.

“But I still didn’t quite believe it until he actually turned up the following weekend at a pre-season kick about.”

Goodes scored four goals in the first game of the season and revealed he was enjoying getting back to a sport he’d always loved.

“I only played AFL because we moved to a small country town in Victoria and there was no soccer club for me to play for so I tried AFL,” he said.

“I knew I was always going to play soccer again because the love for the game has never left me.”

GRAND FINAL STARS SET FOR UNUSUAL PREPARATION?

THE late season surge into premiership calculations by Hawthorn and Melbourne has caught some by surprise.

Clearly even some of their own players.

A flyer for a Grand Final Eve Footy Frenzy at Moonee Valley races has been circulated this week with the main prize for the punters two tickets to the GF the following day.

But the kicker is the special guests who will be course which include Hawthorn’s Jack Gunston and Melbourne co-captain Jack Viney.

Now that would certainly be a different preparation for the biggest game of the year.

THE WHISPER

WHICH former popular Victorian and Australian cricketer is set to land a gig in one of the new TV commentary teams?

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