Eddie McGuire to step back from Fox Footy commentary: Reports

Eddie McGuire is set to move on from another role this AFL season, scaling back his Australian media empire even more.

Eddie McGuire will reportedly not be on Fox Footy this season as he continues to scale back his commitments in recent years.

McGuire, who walked away from his 11-year Triple M breakfast show at the end of 2020 and his 23-year tenure as president of the Collingwood Magpies in early 2021, is set to scale back his commentary commitments on Fox Sports.

SEN’s Sam Edmund tweeted: “Eddie McGuire won’t be returning to Fox Footy this year.” on Friday, while the Herald Sun reported McGuire would be scaling back his on-air duties.

The 57-year-old, who has spent more than 30 years as one of Australia’s most influential media figures, has been the face of Fox Footy for the past decade as the prime-time host.

The Herald Sun reported McGuire would be looking to “expand his business interests overseas and has expressed a desire to be a ‘global citizen’ now that the world is opening up following Covid”.

McGuire will also negotiate with Foxtel over future projects.

Eddie McGuire and Sarah Jones, who are co-hosting the Million Dollar Lunch to raise funds for children with cancer. 03/07/2021. . Pic: Michael Klein

McGuire will continue to host Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Wednesday nights and Millionaire Hot Seat.

McGuire’s career began as a reporter on Channel 9 before he was made the host of Channel 9’s Footy Show in 1994 until 2006.

He returned to the role in 2017 before landing his role on Footy Classified in 2020.

McGuire has often hit the headlines with his comments, including in 2019 when he made insensitive comments about the way a Sydney Swan ambassador and double amputee Cynthia Banham tossed the coin before a match.

The media figure in 2011 described the home of the AFL’s newest club, the GWS Giants, in western Sydney as “the land of the falafel”. It sparked a long-running slanging match with the Giants’ inaugural coach Kevin Sheedy.

He has also shared a long-running public feud with Swans chairman Andrew Pridham and his predecessor Richard Colless.

In 2013, just days after Swans champion Adam Goodes was called an “ape” by a young Collingwood supporter, McGuire was forced to apologise for suggesting Goodes could be used to promote the King Kong Musical featuring in Melbourne.

More recently McGuire has also offered an apology to veteran journalist Caroline Wilson during the annual Big Freeze at the MCG event where he appeared to suggest he would donate money to see Wilson go down the ice slide and stay under the water.

Eddie McGuire with Travis Cloke after the 2010 decider.

McGuire also left the Magpies earlier than expected after resigning amid the release of the “Do Better” report into racism at the club.

Having said he would stand down from the role at the end of 2021, McGuire decided to leave the post early.

He copped a wave of criticism when he failed to say the word “sorry” once during an hour-long press conference as he touted the club’s efforts in fighting for racial equality.

Instead, he called it a “historic and proud day” for Collingwood

Originally published as Eddie McGuire to step back from Fox Footy commentary: Reports