An Australian radio presenter has left the network after comments he made about the country’s women’s football team – which have been branded as misogynist and disrespectful.
Marty Sheargold had said on nationwide radio station Triple M that the Matildas players reminded him of “year 10 girls” and implies that their matches were boring.
He apologised earlier on Wednesday, and was due to be back on air but did not appear in his usual time slot.
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), the parent company of Triple M, later said Sheargold and the station had agreed to “mutually part ways”.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sheargold said that he fully understood the gravity of his remarks and would like to “sincerely apologise to the Matildas and the broader organisation”.
The company said that it “takes its responsibility to listeners, shareholders, and clients seriously and its programming should align with the standards and expectations of its audience.”
“Right now, it’s clear this is a moment for reflection and review. Triple M, and the wider SCA network, will continue to take all necessary steps to support staff,” the firm’s chief content officer Dave Cameron said in a statement.
Earlier the sport’s governing body said the remarks “diminish the extraordinary achievements” of a team that were semi-finalists in the women’s world cup in 2023.
During his drivetime show on Monday afternoon, Sheargold interjected during a sports bulletin – which was discussing Australia’s defeat to the US in its second consecutive loss in the SheBelieves Cup.
“You know what they remind me of? Year 10 girls,” Sheargold said, to the laughter of his co-hosts.
“All the infighting and all the friendship issues… Now I’m sorry to undermine the whole sport, but that’s what I think of it.”
When his colleague mentioned the SheBelieves Cup by name, Sheargold interrupted saying: “Oh, she believes in what? It better be men.”
And when reference was made to Australia hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup next year, he said “oh god – the Asian Cup”, before criticising the event with an obscene comment. He then asked his co-host: “Got any men’s sport?”
Sheargold’s comments later went viral.
Minister for Sport Anika Wells called the comments “boorish, boring and wrong”.
“Australia’s most watched television event ever was the Matildas World Cup semi-final; the Tillies’ quarterfinal is the second-most-watched event in Australian history,” Ms Wells said.
Australian Olympian Ambrosia Malone, who represents her country in hockey, also criticised Sheargold.
“All I could think about was the young girls sitting in the car with their parents, maybe on the way to or from their own training sessions hearing this,” she wrote on social media.
“I’m sure many of them would have been hurt and confused… I was in disbelief.
“This is apparently acceptable on mainstream afternoon radio??? HOW??”
Football Australia said it was “deeply disappointed by the unacceptable comments” which “fail to recognise the profound impact they have had on Australian sport and society”.
“This incident is a stark reminder of the responsibility media outlets and personalities have in fostering respectful and constructive discussions about women’s sport and its participants,” it added.
