Eddie's 'bullying' call is the pot calling the kettle black

Eddie McGuire’s got some balls, suggesting the media attention given to Jordan De Goey was “almost bullying” of the 21-year-old.

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It’s a tough life being in the public eye, as Eddie knows only too well, but criticism comes with the adoration.



Athletes and celebrities are not held to a different set of standards compared to us commoners, they just have their dirty laundry hung on a much more visible clothesline, in the same way every half decent thing they do in their lives is pumped up to the max.

If a suburban footballer takes a massive grab on the shoulders of his opponent he might be shouted a few beers after the game, but if an AFL player takes a hanger he’s interviewed about it, praised through social media, triples his chances of getting laid that night and goes in the running to win a shiny new car at the end of the season.

If a suburban footballers volunteers to spend a couple of hours each week in a kids’ cancer ward he knows he’s doing something good. If an AFL player spends 20 minutes in a hospital he’s praised as a saint on the nightly news.

And if a suburban footballer gets done for drink driving on P plates he loses his licence for six months, the same as De Goey, and quite possibly loses his job as a consequence.

When the same people that pump up everything good you do then have an opinion on your mistakes it isn’t bullying, it’s doing their job.

Calling someone an ape is bullying. Talking about ‘boning’ employees is bullying. Suggesting people should have their heads held underwater because they rub you the wrong way is bullying.

Criticising football writers for writing about footballers is bullying, and don’t pretend there’s no underlying threat from Eddie of journos finding it a little more difficult getting access to Collingwood players if they don’t write the stories he wants to read.

That’s bullying.