Suspended Giant Josh Fahey speaks publicly for first time about Wacky Wednesday regret

Suspended GWS player Josh Fahey has spoken publicly for the first time of his regret after being one of the Giants banned for his part in the club’s Wacky Wednesday scandal.

GWS youngster Josh Fahey says he let his friends and family down when he dressed up as a former rugby league player and simulated inappropriate acts on a sex doll during the Giants’ end-of-season gathering.

In his first interview since the Wacky Wednesday incident which resulted in him handed a four-match suspension by the AFL, Fahey has reflected on the night which saw more than a dozen Giants hit with sanctions.

Fahey, 21, copped the heaviest punishment of any of the players involved. Other players received either two-match bans or $5000 fines.

During their investigation, the AFL found that Fahey dressed as a former rugby league player — which this masthead reported was Jarryd Hayne — and “simulated inappropriate acts on a sex doll” during the Giants’ end-of-season gathering. Hayne was jailed in 2023 for sexual assault, but had his conviction quashed and was released from jail in June 2024.

The GWS defender has played seven matches across three seasons for the club and was delisted at the end of 2024 before being selected on the rookie list.

He described his actions as “stupid” and believes the playing group has taken accountability for what occurred at the function.

Josh Fahey at pre-season training.

Fahey copped the heaviest punishment of the GWS players who were sanctioned.

“I’ll just acknowledge that as a club, we’ve learned from our mistakes,” Fahey said.

“We’re really apologetic towards not just the club but everyone that was affected by this.

“We let ourselves down as a club and it’s not who we are as a club or the values we hold. What happened was a stupid mistake. It’s not who I am as a person.

“We’ve educated ourselves around those topics to make sure it never happens again. And I educated myself around … the effects it can have on people.”

Fahey said that the hardest conversations he had about the incident were with his family. They made it clear that they were disappointed by his actions, and he believes that in time, he will continue to earn back the respect of not only them but everyone in the Giants and the wider AFL community.

“(The lesson) was everything, letting my family down, letting my teammates down,” Fahey said.

“(They’re not conversations) you like to have. I definitely feel I have the trust of the playing group and staff here. But I want to move on now and focus on getting back to playing footy.”

When asked what advice he would give to others in similar situations, Fahey said it is important to consider the potential impacts of one’s choices.

“I’m not really going to comment on what other people want to do or can do,” he said.

“But it’s just being aware and educating yourself around more specific topics. Yeah, as I said, I’ve learned my lessons.”

It was left to GWS captain Toby Greene to front the media after the incident.

When the sanctions were handed down to the players, the Giants stated that they had committed to further and meaningful education for the AFL playing group. On Monday, the club confirmed that is ongoing and will continue throughout the year.

Following the incident, club captain Toby Greene fronted a staff-wide video meeting to apologise for the incident.

The Giants’ AFLW playing group also voiced their disappointment with the men’s playing group in the immediate aftermath, with captain Rebecca Beeson releasing a statement.

“It is important that we make it known that we were deeply hurt and angered when learning of the behaviour that occurred,” the statement read.

“Playing the game we love gives us a platform to speak to the community, fans and young people. As the AFLW playing group, we feel it is of great importance to stress that the behaviour that included references to gender-based violence is completely unacceptable under any circumstances.

“The values of respect, diversity and inclusion are as important off the field as they are on it. We look forward to the AFL playing group learning from this incident and as a club, we are united in ensuring everyone feels safe within our game.”

The relationship between the men’s and women’s programs remains strong, but Fahey has also taken accountability for how his actions would have affected them.

“We all have a lot of respect for our women’s team,” Fahey added.

“I know the incident impacted them too. But, the lessons I’ve learned have made me a better man.”

Fahey will be sidelined for an extended period beyond his suspension as he deals with a stress fracture in his foot, expected to keep him out for at least the next month.

Originally published as Suspended Giant Josh Fahey speaks publicly for first time about Wacky Wednesday regret