James Brayshaw torches Eddie McGuire over 19-team AFL remarks

Former North Melbourne president James Brayshaw has turned a flamethrower on Eddie McGuire over comments about the 19th team.

Former North Melbourne president James Brayshaw has taken aim at Eddie McGuire after the former Collingwood president said some current presidents don’t want 19 teams in the league.

McGuire’s remarks were centred around North Melbourne with the club potentially finding itself in the firing line once Tasmania enters the competition.

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“If North don’t (expand their influence to northern Victoria), I can tell you - non-Victorian presidents and some of the Victorian presidents, don’t want to have 19 teams,” McGuire said on Nine’s Eddie and Jimmy podcast on Monday.

“There’s an easy solution for this. One will go.

“And it wasn’t that long ago that St Kilda were right under the microscope on this.”

His remarks were called out by Brayshaw on Wednesday night with the with former Roos boss not wanting McGuire to hide behind nameless identities.

Watch Brayshaw hit back at McGuire in the video player above

Eddie said current presidents don’t want a 19-team comp. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Look, I know from my time when I was doing the same job the commission head of the AFL all said the same thing and that is, ‘we will never allow a Fitzroy departure again, a 100-year-old club to not exist’ so that is nonsense for a start,” Brayshaw said on Seven’s Talking Footy.

“One of the catch-alls that seem to be leant on by a lot of people in the media now is they name unnamed presidents.

“They use that as a platform to say what they want. Name them. Which presidents want a 100-year-old club not to exist?

“I guarantee you not one president will put they name to that statement if push comes to shove.

“The other thing is they have just signed an eight-year multi billion-dollar television deal that needs nine games to be played every week.

“Tassie are a long way away from coming into the competition so in a lot of ways it is a nonsense.”

The former Roos president wasn’t happy with the comments. Picture: Sarah Matray

The Tasmania Devils are slated to enter the AFL competition in 2028 which will take the league to 19 teams.

While few believe axing an existing club is feasible, McGuire also called for the AFL to end the Kangaroos’ agreement with Tasmania to play more exciting fixtures in the state before the Devils’ introduction.

Just 5365 fans showed up to Bellerive Oval for the winless Roos’ 57-point loss to Adelaide, similar to last year’s crowds of 4378 (vs Gold Coast), 5025 (vs GWS) and 6310 (vs Port Adelaide).

“I think the AFL should move North out of there, pay them the money and start bulking up those games in Tasmania and send some of the big clubs down once a year to get the Tasmanian people lined up and excited (for their team in 2028),” McGuire said.

“They weren’t excited by the weekend, I can promise you.

“Send the good teams down there.”