St Kilda great Leigh Montagna is facing pressure to keep his job with calls for Triple M to stand him down on the back of the Barry Hall scandal.
Hall drew intense criticism after making a disgusting on-air comment in relation to the impending birth of Montagna's child, forcing the network to immediately stand him down from all media duties.
But the attention has quickly turned on Montagna for his contribution to the touchy conversation, joining in on the chorus of laughter.
MORE: Barry Hall breaks silence on vulgar on-air comments, begs for forgiveness
“It’s when the obstetrician just has a little feel and makes sure that you’re starting to dilate and puts a couple fingers up there and checks what’s going on,” he said.
“It’s a procedure they do before birth.”
Australian netball legend Liz Ellis demanded Triple M take disciplinary action and seriously consider a culture overhaul.
“Surely, how do they get to that point in the first place. What was Leigh Montagna doing talking about his wife like that?” Ellis told Channel Nine's Sports Sunday.
“And Mrs Montagna, what must she be thinking? Her husband is up there talking about her. It is a very intimate thing having an examination there with a doctor. The husband is talking about it and then Barry is joking about it. I don’t get it.
“All of those blokes are great blokes. Mark Howard was one of the hosts of the segment, he was laughing in the background.
“I worked with him for many years. Like them. The problem is, these blokes are great individually but you get them in the group and something happens.
“They have done the right thing and sacked Barry. But what are they going to do about everyone else who took part in the conversation and laughed in the background?
“Is it a cultural issue where when you are by yourself, ‘I respect women, the partner, someone who has a name, who is the mother of my child’. But what about the general female population?
“What are you doing about that? To me, it is not about getting more women involved in the coverage, but getting more women involved in football.”
Richard Freedman has called for Triple M to change the culture of the station and break the 'boys club' environment. #9SportsSunday pic.twitter.com/vLtlD7ML9k
— Sports Sunday (@SportsSunday) July 1, 2018
Hall has since apologised for his actions, reaching out to the Montagna's while publicly claiming his comments weren't a reflection of his character.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise for any offence taken from my commentary on Friday night’s Triple M footy coverage,” Hall told the Sunday Herald Sun.
But sorry just won't cut it for many.
Channel Nine's AFL Footy Show lined up to take their shot, bashing Hall and his colleagues for the vile remarks that has tarnished Triple M's reputation.
“It was sickening and embarrassing for everybody. It was unacceptable. He was removed by Triple M as soon as they got the first opportunity and as we said, it was offensive and embarrassing and we apologise to everybody,'' former AFL star Nathan Brown said.
Journalist Damian Barrett added: ''The controversy was highly offensive and disgusting and it was embarrassing that it did go to air. We want to reiterate what (Triple M head of content) Mike Fitzpatrick did say on Friday night, that we absolutely unreservedly apologise for what happened.”
