The Adam Goodes saga boiled over on a live radio show on Tuesday afternoon when former Hawthorn player Dermott Brereton and journalist Rebecca Wilson clashed when offering their wildly differing views on the topic.
Sydney-based Wilson was doing her regular slot on the Run Home show on Melbourne sports radio station SEN when she was asked for her opinions on the treatment of Swans player Goodes, who has been subjected to consistent booing from opposition fans and become the focal point of a national debate on racism in Australia.
“I’m incredibly disappointed where this has got to the point now where this is out of control,” said Wilson, who writes for Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. “It’s 17 out of 18 clubs that are now booing, and not just one or two thousand but basically a majority of the crowd is booing one player.
“To me it’s absolutely disgraceful. I’m embarrassed to be Australian. It makes me want to cry to be honest. And the fact that Dermott Brereton can come out today and says ‘I actively encourage it’ [the booing], have a look at what he’s done.”
Brereton, a player of over 200 AFL game for the Hawks, Sydney and Collingwood in a career spanning 13 years, had been quoted in an article in the Herald Sun as saying, “People will boo, they will cheer, they will hiss, sometimes they will swear — it’s the behaviour of the player that can stimulate those responses. Adam Goodes would do well to look at what he’s done bad or good or indifferent and work out what he can do to change that.’’
Brereton, who commentates on the AFL for SEN, then called into the show to defend himself against Wilson’s allegations – which is when the fireworks began.
“Hey Rebecca,” he started. “That is the most moronic statement to paraphrase me and say that I have actively encouraged people to act in this behaviour. That is doing your job without reading any research whatsoever. I am livid, livid, livid that you would say that and go ahead with that and just shoot from the hip. For a journalist that is complete and utter stupidity.”
Wilson said she would go back to the article and check her facts, to which Brereton responded: “Please do. And find the place where I say I actively encourage it. That is moronic. And to tip me in, Rebecca, is the poorest piece of journalism I have ever heard you commit to.”
The pair continued to trade verbal blows with raised voices before Brereton eventually threatened legal action against Wilson. “If you have tried to tip me in the deep end and made me out to be racist, I tell you what, you will have legal papers on your desk by midday tomorrow,” he said.
The show’s presenters eventually called a halt to proceedings, apologising to Wilson for what might have been perceived as some kind of “ambush”. “Fair dinkum,” Wilson responded.
LISTEN | If you missed it, things got fiery between Rebecca Wilson and Dermott Brereton on the Goodes issue https://t.co/6USC1sgqJ4
— The Run Home (@TheRunHome) July 28, 2015
