‘Deeply disappointed’: Football Australia slams radio host Marty Sheargold after ‘unacceptable’ comments

Football Australia and interim Matildas coach Tom Sermanni have delivered a strong riposte to radio host Marty Sheargold and strongly condemned the Triple M presenter’s anti-Matildas and women’s football tirade.

Sheargold has received widespread criticism after he launched into a disgusting rant about the Matildas, littered with several misogynistic and sexist comments.

After comparing the Matildas to “Year 10 girls” due to “all the infighting and all the friendship issues”, Sheargold continued to make several disparaging comments.

“Now I’m sorry to undermine the whole sport, but that’s what I think of it, so you can stick it up your a...,” he said.

When it was mentioned Australia were hosting the Women’s Asian Cup next year, Sheargold said “I’d rather hammer a nail through the head of my penis than watch that.”

In a statement released on Wednesday morning, FA said they were deeply disappointed by the unacceptable comments and said Sheargold’s words had not only diminished the achievements of the Matildas, but failed to recognise the impact they had on Australian sport and society.

“The Matildas have inspired a new generation of Australians from young boys and girls to men and women who now see a future for themselves in football and sport more broadly,” the statement read.

“They have broken barriers, set new standards, and elevated the game to unprecedented heights.

“Their success has been instrumental in transforming women’s sport in Australia, and they deserve to be covered with the respect and professionalism they have earned.”

Speaking from America, where the Matildas are currently competing at the SheBelieves Cup, Sermanni said he was very disappointed to hear the comments.

“As sporting teams, we’re used to criticism, but sometimes, the comments cross the line and and that one certainly did cross a line,” he said.

“It was firstly, completely unnecessary and genuinely outrageous. It’s something, from a behvioural perspective is really very disappointing.

“That’s all we want to say on the matter. We’re here to play football, we’ll put that behind us, the Federation will deal with it moving forward from here and from now on, we’d just like to talk about football.

Both Sheargold and Triple M issued an apology, with Sheargold saying he could “see why people may have taken offence”.

But while Football Australia acknowledged the apologies, they said the incident was a reminder of the responsibility media outlets had in fostering respectful and constructive discussions about women’s sport.

“Every comment, every report, and every discussion shape public perception and reinforces our society’s values toward women and girls in sport,” the FA statement said.

“It is imperative that all media outlets and commentators uphold a standard of respect that reflects the immense contribution of the Matildas and all female athletes to our sporting culture and Australian story.

“All female athletes deserve to be covered with the same level of professionalism and respect afforded to their male counterparts.

“Football Australia remains steadfast in its commitment to equality, diversity, and ensuring that the next generation of women and girls in football see a sport that values and respects them.”

The Matildas have lost their first two games at the Shebelieves Cup and face Colombia in their final match of the tournament at 8.30am WST on Thursday.