Collingwood president Eddie McGuire hit out at radio talk-back host Neil Mitchell at the end of his show last week, after the 3AW broadcaster named the Collingwood duo, Dayne Beams and John McCarthy, that were questioned by the police for sexual assault, on his program.
“Collingwood Football Club, of which I am the president, has not said anything other than it will protect the rights of people,” McGuire said.
“Collingwood Football Club and the players involved have openly co-operated with evey situation asked of us.
“Neil Mitchell is a self-appointed, self-important windbag.
“He talks of fairness? This is the hypocrisy of Neil Mitchell.”
McGuire said Mitchell promoted the rights of all people to be equal in the eyes of the law “unless they’re someone he wants to name.”
“It is damned well irresponsible.”
“But to put the word ‘club threat’ sounds like we’re bullies. It is a complete an unmitigated lie and misrepresention of the situation.”
The investigation centres around an alleged sexual assault in South Melbourne hours after Collingwood’s historic premiership win last weekend.
No charges have been laid. The pair have denied any wrong doing. It may be that they are witnesses only because they were at the house at the time of the alleged incident.
The identification comes hours after Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe slammed the circulation of the alleged players’ names online.
“Victoria Police hasn’t released any names whatsoever,” he said.
He said he assumed investigators had been consulted about one of the players allegedly involved going overseas.
AFL Players’ Association spokesman Ian Prendergast said the players were “vigorously denying the allegations”.
He emphasised that no charges had been laid.
“We encourage everyone to respect that and not pre-judge it,” he said.
It is not the first time Beams, taken with pick 29 in the 2008 draft, has caused headlines for the wrong reasons.
Collingwood suspended the tattooed forward for the club’s last practice match this year after a member of the Magpies “family” spotted him out late at night and dobbed him in.
Gold Coast-bred Beams, 20, starred in his debut season last year, playing 18 games.
McCarthy, 20, was drafted from the Dandenong Stingrays in 2007.
The tall midfielder-forward was impressive in the handful of games he played in 2008 before being hamstrung by injury last year.
He only managed two games this year.
Some Pies stars celebrated the flag – the club’s first in 20 years – at Eve nightclub in South Melbourne on Saturday night.
Other teammates, coaching staff, sponsors and supporters partied at a private gathering at Tonic bar at Crown on Saturday night.
Buford Balony says: Get over it Eddie. If it was any other club but yours you wouldn’t give a shit. Collingwood is just some club like all the others (except the mighty Wests Tigers who stand above all others) and it’s about time you lot pulled your head in about everything. By the way if Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, etc., can have an away jumper,your little club can get one as well. Talk about up yourself wankers.
