Collingwood president Eddie McGuire responds to Steele Sidebottom’s mammoth suspension

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire has come under fire for downplaying Pies star Steele Sidebottom’s COVID-19 protocol breach.

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire is “proud” of Steele Sidebottom’s response to the AFL’s “excessive” and “inconsistent” sanctions.

Collingwood Football Club president Eddie McGuire has responded to Steele Sidebottom’s mammoth suspension following his COVID-19 protocol breach on the weekend.

Magpies veteran Sidebottom was hit with a four-match suspension after he and teammate Lynden Dunn breached the AFL’s coronavirus protocols on Saturday night.

The 29-year-old reportedly caught an Uber — which is not currently permitted by the AFL — and visited the home of part-time Collingwood employee Daniel Wells, who is not among the approved staff members players can be in contact with.

Sidebottom was also allegedly driven home by police after he was found “partially naked” in Williamstown, according to unconfirmed reports.

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Steele Sidebottom has played 238 matches for Collingwood since his AFL debut in 2009.

Speaking to Channel 9 News, McGuire confirmed alcohol was involved in the incident and the midfielder became “disorientated” on Saturday evening.

“(Sidebottom) just had a bad night, did the right thing in terms of coming out to see his teammate whose knee had just been blown out,” McGuire said.

“Unfortunately, drank too much liquor that he was not used to, and became disorientated. There are a few things went wrong along the journey that have been articulated now.

“To his credit, he reported to the club first thing in the morning, reported it to the AFL, and when given the opportunity today to appeal the decision, he said, ‘No’. He wanted to take the four weeks.”

Collingwood released a statement on Wednesday evening, claiming Sidebottom’s suspension was “excessive” and “inconsistent”.

“Collingwood and Sidebottom share the view that his four-match ban is excessive, inconsistent with recent protocol breaches and contestable,” the statement read.

“However, club and player concluded that for the greater good of the game and the realities of our time it was necessary to end the matter.”

Not sure what the Pies achieve out of questioning the severity of Sidebottom's ban if they aren't appealing...

— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) July 1, 2020

Sidebottom did this on precisely the weekend the Afl is asking state governments to allow teams to hub, and play during mandatory quarantine. To keep the competition running. The timing couldn’t be worse

— Tom Browne (@TomBrowne7) July 1, 2020

If Sidebottom's hangover wasn't bad enough ...

— Michael Gleeson (@mickgleeson) July 1, 2020

McGuire agreed it was a “pretty hard suspension”, but was still “proud” of how the All-Australian conducted himself in the aftermath.

“(Sidebottom) wanted to support the AFL and also his teammates coming into Friday night’s game, and get it out of the way,” McGuire said.

“From a situation where there was no malice, but a bad result, he has made the most of it and we are proud of him tonight … proud of how he has handled the situation, understanding where he was involved in it.

“It has happened to plenty of people, who have walked out of these situations every other day of the week. As I said, it is how you recover from the situations that matters.

“He did not break any protocols until he was in a situation where he did not know he was breaking … He did not go to a nightclub, or a bar. We went to a place he felt comfortable, and drank too much on the night.

“It happens, we apologise, he has apologised, and he has taken four weeks suspension and taken it on the chin. For that, I think he has done the right thing by the game.”

Collingwood is reeling tonight after learning of the four-week suspension handed down to Steele Sidebottom for his breaches of covid protocols.

We're joined by @CollingwoodFC President Eddie McGuire for his response on the matter. @FootyClassified #9News pic.twitter.com/9Ef3FNjXXx

— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) July 1, 2020

On Channel 9’s Footy Classified, McGuire continued to play down Sidebottom’s actions, asserting the midfielder would not lose his position as co-vice captain of the Magpies.

“These days in the media, you could cure cancer and get a parking ticket on Monday, and the lead will be the parking ticket,” McGuire said.

“There’s only been one person allegedly without sin, and they put him on a cross.”

But Essendon great Matthew Lloyd delivered an explosive response to McGuire’s remarks, and the pair butted heads in a fiery war of words.

“You’re too close to this story,” Lloyd said.

“You’ve got a love for this guy, and that’s fine. I heard you three weeks ago, Ed. You said, ‘How are these guys doing it?’

“I said, ‘Ed, you know what someone else will make a mistake’. And you’re going, ‘These players, how could they do it?’

“I’d love to get it up if we could, because that’s exactly what you said.”

"I think you're over dramatising what I said."

Eddie and @matthewlloyd18 get a bit fired up over the Sidebottom situation.#9FootyClassified | Watch @9go pic.twitter.com/wANbNiJuP7

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) July 1, 2020

Speaking to Fox Footy’s AFL 360, McGuire referred to Sidebottom’s COVID-19 breach as “the old fashioned was asleep on the couch and got up to go to the bathroom and walked out the wrong door.”

But Herald Sun reporter Mark Robinson was not satisfied, and roasted McGuire for attempting to portray the incident as “a bit of a joke”.

“There are still holes in this story,” Robinson said on Wednesday evening.

“If you don’t tell the full story, what’ll happen is that story will eke out, and didn’t it eke out today.

“No one’s explained it. Steele Sidebottom says he can’t remember, and he may not, but witnesses have seen him.

“Eddie’s just trying to turn that into a bit of a joke, in my opinion.

“This story’s got legs still, and Collingwood will want this to go away … they will want this to end.

“Eddie McGuire, he whacked Geelong, whacked them over Jack Steven, ‘Tell the full story, if you don’t call a press conference, tell the full story.’

“Tell the full story then, Ed. Because you know what … the press release Collingwood sent out last night did not have that Steele Sidebottom was taken home by police.”

AFL 360 presenter Gerard Whateley agreed the four-week suspension was “well earned”.

Collingwood's Steele Sidebottom was named in the AFL’s 2018 All-Australian team.

Collingwood general manager of football Geoff Walsh also believed the punishment was a disappointing result, but praised Sidebottom for his decision to accept the sanction.

“To his credit, Steele considered what was in the best interests of the code and Collingwood,” Walsh said in a statement.

”He accepts that he made some poor decisions but he also feels it is the right thing to accept the punishment, a greater punishment than most believe is fair, to avoid a distraction that could create difficulties for the competition and his teammates. That’s the sort of person Steele is.

“As a club, we considered all options but our disappointment over Steele’s suspension is no greater than it is over the fact that two senior players breached the return to play protocols.

“Everyone knows Steele and Lynden started out with the best of intentions, to console an injured teammate, but our players and staff have been well educated on the protocols and we take our social responsibilities seriously.

“We respect the privilege we have to play and the conditions under which we must live in order to play.

“As a code and as a community we have to remain vigilant and disciplined. This episode and the circumstances out in the wider community reinforce the need to minimise the risk of transmission.”

Collingwood will face Essendon on Friday at the MCG.