AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has backed the code’s strong stance in support of same-sex marriage and says he would support any other campaign they decided to align with.
McLachlan dismissed claims by controversial Footy Show host Sam Newman on Thursday, denying the AFL were ‘grandstanding’ after they changed their logo to ‘YES’.
‘If this was about the AFL putting Yes on the football about climate change, or save the whales, or greenhouse emissions or whatever, I would have exactly the same opinion,’ McLachlan told 3AW.
‘The very fact it’s about the Yes vote for gay marriage is irrelevant, so please don’t hijack this into something it’s not.’
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has backed the code’s strong stance in support of same-sex marriage and says he would support any other campaign they decided to align with
Newman went on a bizarre and emotional rant during the Footy Show, accusing the league of taking sides and interfering on their fans rights
The AFL changed its logo to spell out ‘Yes’ at the AFL House in Melbourne on Thursday but took it down hours later after huge amounts of backlash
Newman went on a bizarre and emotional rant during the Footy Show, accusing the league of taking sides and interfering on their fans rights.
‘Keep your contrived and conflicted snouts out of people’s lives,’ he said.
McLachlan said Newman represented a ‘minority’ of fans and that he wasn’t worried about the backlash of fans.
The loaded rant had the 71-year-old questioning ‘who the AFL was’ and who gave them the right to ‘tell people what to do’.
‘You are nothing more than obsequious, fawning, sycophantic politic wh***s,’ Mr Newman said.
‘I don’t believe we’re grandstanding, I don’t believe we are political wh****, I believe that on this issue, which we believe is discriminatory, we are obliged … as an organisation to say what we think, not lecture people… make a discreet statement then get back to the footy,’ the AFL CEO said.
‘If we were out there campaigning and doing different things every day, or me going out there telling people how to vote, which I’ve never done, then I think he’d have a point.’
McLachlan said Newman represented a ‘minority’ of fans and that he wasn’t worried about the backlash of fans
Mr Newman (right) was interrupted by Eddie McGuire (left) who said the AFL were sending a message that they welcomed everyone to the game
The heated four-minute debate forced co-host Rebecca Maddern to end the discussion because the two men were ‘going around in circles’
‘Who in the hell are these people at AFL who are telling football public what they should do in their lives … and who to vote for.’
Despite the retired Geelong football player addressing that his opinion had nothing to do with the issue of same-sex marriage, Mr Newman said the AFL was only supporting same-sex marriage to ‘look grand’.
The loaded rant had the 71-year-old questioning ‘who the AFL was’ and who gave them the right to ‘tell people what to do’.
‘You are nothing more than obsequious, fawning, sycophantic politic wh***s,’ Mr Newman said.
However, the host was interrupted by co-host Eddie McGuire, who disagreed with Mr Newman’s stance on the AFL’s ‘yes’ logo.
Mr McGuire said the AFL was sending a message that they welcomed everyone to the game and promoted the safety of club for any future gay player.
‘Keep your contrived and conflicted snouts out of people’s lives,’ he said in a heated speech on the AFL Footy Show on Thursday night
The loaded rant had the 71-year-old questioning ‘who the AFL was’ and who gave them the right to ‘tell people what to do’
The heated four-minute debate forced co-host Rebecca Maddern to end the discussion because the two men were ‘going around in circles’.
The AFL changed its logo to spell out ‘Yes’ at the AFL House in Melbourne on Thursday.
However, following huge amounts of backlash, the club removed the logo less than 24 hours later.
A number of high-profile identities slammed the AFL’s decision to plaster its support for same-sex marriage on the logo, including triple premiership coach Mick Malthouse and NRL Footy Show host Erin Molan.
NRL Footy Show host Erin Molan was one of many high-profile stars to slam the AFL’s decision
A huge number of high-profile identities slammed the AFL’s decision to plaster its support for same-sex marriage postal vote (pictured)
Mr Newman made it clear he wasn’t attacking the same-sex marriage plebiscite, but was instead angered by the AFL’s involvement in politics