Eddie McGuire has apologised on-air after he appeared to criticise double amputee Cynthia Banham‘s coin toss before the Sydney Swans clash against the Adelaide Crows.
[jwplayer cqPTgQVQ]
Banham, a Sydney Swans ambassador, had her left leg and part of her right leg amputated after a plane crash in Indonesia in 2007.
When she seemed to struggle with the toss while leaning on her walking stick, McGuire said he thinks the AFL should “introduce a $5000 fine to anybody who’s tossing the coin and can’t do it properly.
“Every week, we have someone dropping it on their foot. Come on, toss it up properly, for goodness sake. Practise in the week, you know you’re going to do it. It can’t be that hard can it, guys? Seriously.”
At halftime, McGuire apologised “unreservedly” for his words but said his comments were not about Banham.
“It had nothing to do with Cynthia Banham, who was the coin tosser tonight at the SCG who has a disability,” he said. “I just want to apologise for if this was communicated in the wrong way. I did not mean to offend anyone, especially Cynthia and I apologise unreservedly to her and her family, friends, Swans supporters and anyone watching tonight who took it that way. My apologies there for that comment.”
Eddie McGuire’s apology on Fox Footy tonight regarding comments he made of the coin toss. pic.twitter.com/7975b22Es9
— Rhett Bartlett (@rhettrospective) March 29, 2019
