Truth behind Mark Robinson’s axed Trade Radio audio comes to light

An AFL powerbroker has revealed the truth after audio from a radio segment was scrubbed from the internet late last week.

SEN boss Craig Hutchison has revealed the truth behind why audio from a Trade Radio segment was scrubbed from the internet last week.

Veteran football reporter Mark Robinson appeared on the station alongside Tom Morris and AFL legend James Hird as the trio discussed some blockbuster trades from years gone by.

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Robinson then took aim at Geelong’s Bailey Smith over his late season antics and also scorched the league front office over the hiring of Laura Kane.

Audio from the discussion was briefly posted on the AFL website before it was taken down and scrubbed from the internet.

While Trade Radio is owned and run by SEN, it is housed on the AFL.com.au website. It’s removal however ignited conspiracy theories among the football community.

While many believed either the AFL or SEN higher ups had made the call to axe the audio, Hutchison set the record straight on Monday.

“There was certainly no directive not to post the podcast,” Hutchison said on The Sounding Board podcast.

“That was an editorial judgement I think from one of the team, and then it was interpreted as censorship.

“The AFL didn’t know, they didn’t ask for anything (from the) podcast to be removed, and nor did I. It was just merely that was the circumstance of the day.

“The first I knew about it was when I read it in the paper on the way home from Shepparton. I’d been speaking at a lunch for two hours, I get in the car, look at the dot com of the Herald Sun, and there’s ‘censorship row’.

“But I can assure you, there was nothing from the AFL, or from me for that matter, on the podcast.”

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Robbo didn’t bite his tongue during the segment. Picture: FOX FOOTY

Hutchy said it wasn’t his call to have the audio removed. Photograph by Arsineh Houspian.

Hutchison was making his way to Shepparton when the segment was taking place and said he didn’t hear Robinson’s remarks until later in the day.

“It was a peculiar day to be fair,” he said.

“I was on the way to Shepparton for our SEN Goulburn Valley launch at lunchtime so I’m in and out of range a bit in the car on the way in the morning.

“I hadn’t heard the interview or that Mark was on and I got alerted by one of our digital staff that Mark had indeed been on and said some things that were right off script from what the interview was intended to be and (was asked) how best to handle that.

“I offered a view that it wasn’t in our best interests to be writing a story on SEN.com.au on about whatever the tone of the interview was. I hadn’t heard it, didn’t know what he said.

“I don’t think there is any point in amplifying the content on our platform because it is quite a unique situation.

“We as a business Sports Entertainment Network provide the content to AFL.com.au and that deal was done at the time when we didn’t have SEN as an owner of our own platform so I thought it would be a bit cheeky to further amplify whatever those comments were on our platform.”

What did Robinson say while on air?

“Some of the players are really starting to s**t me.”

“I want to talk about Bailey Smith and everyone is going to call me a woke, silly old fool, but for Bailey Smith to abuse the photographer is one thing, that’s really poor.

“For Bailey Smith to be a part of an Instagram photo with (Holmes dressed as) Caroline Wilson and put a (colloquially) semen emoji up there is one of the most disgusting things I’ve seen a player do.

“If it was my mother, or my sister, or my wife … I can guarantee you myself and my three brothers would be going around to say hello to Bailey Smith.

“Who does he think he is to put a semen emoji on a photo of (Holmes dressed as) Caroline Wilson?

“It’s not woke to call it out. It’s decency. Be a decent person. And for the AFL to allow that to go unpunished is one of the most disgusting inactions by the AFL in my time in football.

“We can all laugh at Bailey Smith and say he’s just a young man, you can have fun without being a pig.

“I’m disappointed in Greg Swann and in Andrew Dillon for allowing that to go through to the keeper without punishment.”