Eddie McGuire’s hypocrisy exposed after old Footy Classified clip resurfaces

Video footage from only a matter of months ago has resurfaced that leaves egg on the face of Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.

The AFL community was left baffled by Eddie McGuire’s open and laid-back response to the Steele Sidebottom saga, and rightfully so.

Sidebottom was embroiled in a coronavirus protocol breach when he caught an Uber to visit the home of part-time Collingwood employee Daniel Wells, who is not among the approved staff members players can be in contact with. He was also allegedly driven home by police after he was found intoxicated and “partially naked” in Williamstown, according to reports.

As a result, the Magpies vice-captain was handed a four-week suspension from the AFL for three separate COVID-19 breaches last weekend.

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On Wednesday, McGuire jumped to Sidebottom’s defence, claiming he was still “proud” of how the All-Australian conducted himself in the aftermath.

“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 on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.

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

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

After claiming Sidebottom “just had a bad night” on 9 News, the Collingwood President also played down the 29-year-old’s actions on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, referring to the incident as “the old fashioned was asleep on the couch and got up to go to the bathroom and walked out the wrong door.”

Herald Sun reporter Mark Robinson roasted McGuire for attempting to portray the incident as “a bit of a joke”, while Essendon great Matthew Lloyd condemned the 55-year-old for his hypocrisy.

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

“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.”

Now, the damning footage has resurfaced, leaving McGuire stuck in the headlights with egg on his face.

You can watch the clip from April in the video player above

After three Fremantle players were caught ignoring social distancing restrictions in April, McGuire delivered a scathing rant, calling for any player who is caught breaching COVID-19 protocols to be fined $100,000 and suspended for the season.

Speaking on Footy Classified in April, McGuire claimed there would be “absolutely no sense of humour” about the AFL’s strict coronavirus breaches.

“This is the reason why the AFL are trying to show social leadership and do everything right along the way,” McGuire said.

“And I’m saying once we get back, there will be absolutely no sense of humour about anybody climbing out the window or letting someone climb in the window.

“That will be absolutely made clear.

“It has to be the last time. It really does.

“So maybe it has to be $100,000 and he gets suspended for the year. What do we have to tell people?

“We are trying to claw back five hundred to $600 million.

“No-one will have a job next year. Pull your heads in.”

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire.

In May, McGuire wanted Geelong to release more details surrounding Jack Steven’s stab wound, calling for full transparency. However, when news of Sidebottom’s breach leaked, Collingwood’s initial media release left out several important details about the incident, most notably the police involvement.

Media personality Neil Mitchell teed off at McGuire in May, labelling him “untouchable Eddie” for his response to Jack Steven’s stabbing incident.

“Don’t anybody accuse Eddie McGuire of hypocrisy or he’s behaving like a world champion hypocrite at the moment,” Mitchell said.

“Don’t accuse him of a conflict of interest or anything like that because he will go feral. After all, he’s ‘Untouchable Eddie’.

“Eddie said Geelong should just come clean on what happened with Jack Steven getting stabbed, just tell us what happened. Colin Carter responded pointing out there was a conflict between being a president of a club and a football commentator, which is painfully true and obvious often when Eddie opens his mouth, which is often.”

Robinson also noted McGuire’s hypocrisy on Wednesday.

“Eddie’s just trying to turn that into a bit of a joke, in my opinion,” Robinson told AFL 360.

“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 reporter Damian Barrett summed it up perfectly on AFL.com.au: “If Eddie, justifiably, wanted a proper public explanation around Jack Steven’s stabbing, then don’t be too hard on him that he didn’t want one on Steele Sidebottom. Ed’s public search for awkward detail applies only to players from 17 clubs.”