AFL grand final 2021: Eddie McGuire questions WA government after being denied entry

Eddie McGuire says Western Australia’s decision to block him entering for the grand final is bad for business and denied he wanted to “skip the queue”.

Eddie McGuire says it did not make sense for Western Australia to lock him out if they wanted to promote the state during Grand Final week.

The former Collingwood president said the AFL had asked him to be in Perth in the lead up to the September 25 playoff and he was not trying to jump a queue.

McGuire was denied entry by the WA premier Mark McGowan’s government.

McGuire said his application made it all the way to the Commissioner for Police and State Emergency co-ordinator Chris Dawson before it was denied.

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“It does all our heads in the political world we live in nowadays,” McGuire told Channel 9.

“We were going over to do shows over there we had it all going with WA tourism they put it together, the AFL wanted us there then we got knocked off and we said ‘no problem’ but then it became a thing and everyone piled on.

“It doesn’t make any sense if you’re wanting to promote the state, but there you go.”

McGuire admitted he was disappointed to miss his first grand final in 45 years.

Eddie Mcguire receives a Covid vaccination from Dr Sam Zagarella at Niddrie Medical. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“I wasn’t (trying) to push to the front of the queue but that’s what happens when a politician gets in front of a microphone,” McGuire said.

“I’ve had a few days to ponder it. I don’t mind them having strict rules but in the end it suits them to say we have tough rules. It’s an easy one for them to give me a belt and say ‘aren’t we being tough’.

“We were going to be there, hire people and stimulate the economy.

“It doesn’t matter though I don’t want to skip the queue. If I did I would go to Tassie now and then go to Perth.”

Eddie McGuire denied entry to WA for grand final

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has been denied entry to WA for the Perth-based AFL grand final.

McGuire confirmed the reports on Wednesday morning, saying he is “disappointed” but respects the decision made by WA authorities.

“Yes, I’ve been denied,” McGuire told Triple M Breakfast.

“I’m disappointed as we had planned to do a lot of great things around the grand final … I put forward a smorgasbord of options — we were going to bring Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to Perth so all the Perth people could get stuck into it, but that was probably a bridge to far.

“I’m disappointed as I thought I could bring a bit of fizz to the occasion. We could have some fun.”

McGuire confirmed his application, which he completed and submitted himself online, made it all the way to the Commissioner for Police and State Emergency Co-ordinator Chris Dawson and Premier Mark McGowan for the final word.

“I put in my application for one person, it was rejected electronically, we had been speaking to everyone from Channel 9 to Crown to Fox Footy to the WA Tourism to the Premier’s department, and it ended up getting to the WA Police Chief, who put the cross there.

“That’s his job. That’s his call and I respect all of that. I hope it’s a wonderful grand final. Get along, Perth people.”

Premier Mark McGowan was unapologetic.

“He’s not happy, he wanted to come in. Unfortunately, Eddie can’t come, he’s not essential to the game, so he has to stay in Melbourne,” McGowan said.

Eddie McGuire will have to watch the grand final from Melbourne.

Reports first surfaced when broadcaster Steve Price spoke on Triple M Perth, explaining the frustration some eastern states based media and sporting heavy hitters are facing with the WA Government’s strict entry measures.

“A bit of a whinge overnight in a text (message) I got from an old friend of yours and mine, one Edward McGuire, former Collingwood president, said he’s not allowed in … I’m giving it to you first hand, I’ve got the text in front of me, ‘I expected to be in Perth. They won’t let me in’,” Price said.

McGuire is expected to anchor part of the grand final coverage for Fox Sports.

“This will be the first finals series I’ll miss since 1972 and the first grand final I would’ve missed since 1976,” McGuire said.

The West Australian understands McGuire had applied for entry into WA for himself and his two sons, Alexander and Joseph, who were listed on the application as producers for his production company, JAMTV, despite them not being listed on the media company’s official website as employees.

McGuire came under fire last year when he travelled to Queensland for the 2020 grand final and was spotted partying at a Gold Coast nightclub, The Pink Flamingo.

At the time he said he ventured out of the Queensland AFL bubble to see how to better understand how similar venues could reopen when Melbourne was still in lockdown.

WAHealth and WA Police have been contacted for comment.

Originally published as AFL grand final 2021: Eddie McGuire questions WA government after being denied entry