Daisy Pearce, Melbourne captain, re: inaugural AFL women's league
"It's great to have the opportunity to play an elite sport out on an elite arena in a professional environment. But more so, to look around today and see those little girls who will grow up knowing that's something they can achieve is amazing [...] I have to take myself out of the bubble and realise what an amazing revolution this is."
"In fact I reckon we should start the campaign for a one-person slide next year. Caroline Wilson. And I'll put in 10 grand straight away - make it 20. [laughter] And if she stays under, 50. [louder laughter]"
"This is why in the week where the AFL announced their first-ever women's league (yes!), and the Western Bulldogs and Geelong played in White Ribbon anti-violence match (yes!), we can't let the misogynist 'banter' of Collingwood president Eddie McGuire slip past."
"It was clearly banter..."
"It was such a pity they needed to default to that really vicious language. I don’t accept that it was just playful banter."
"The first notable thing about this is, of course, that is is absolutely awful. These are some of the most high-profile men in football joking about hurting one of football’s most prominent women. So much of our discussions about violence against women acknowledge the importance of language and of attitudes in shaping the way men think about women. As the current government campaign says, 'violence against women doesn't just start.' While McGuire and co were undoubtedly joking, the underlying attitude is dangerous: it reenforces the attitudes of those who are willing to take their hatred of women beyond a 'bit of banter.'"
"Clearly it was a poor attempt at humour, which I sincerely apologise [for], so we'll just leave it at that [...] As I said, it was a poor attempt at humour and it didn't go down that way."
"Anything at all that can be perceived to promulgate domestic violence is unacceptable."
"These are the powerful men who get to be the mouthpieces of one of Australia's largest sporting communities. And where do they find their platforms? On equally culpable radio stations like Triple M, where a sea of men find favour despite not only holding misogynist views but in some cases having documented histories of violence against women."
"[What] we need to ask is this: why was this story not picked up by the mainstream media? Why did it take our podcast, and our listeners, to generate this conversation?"
"Words and jokes have incredible power. The fact that the comments were made on radio a week ago and were not called out is an indictment on everyone working in football. The fact that we can argue that this may have been done in jest shows a lack in understanding of this issue. I understand that the men who made these comments feel horrified that they could be construed as creating an environment that makes sexist behaviours or a culture of violence against women more acceptable. But the truth is these kind of comments do. The statistics and data say so."
"No journalist no commentator, male or female, should have to put up with personal attacks for doing so. McGuire avoided the issue at hand. He played the woman and engaged a couple of willing blokes only too happy to do his bidding."