Eddie McGuire’s Urgent Appeal to the AFL: ‘Eliminate the Pain Before It Arises’ Following ‘Embarrassing’ Tribunal Incident

Eddie McGuire has urged the AFL to consider appointing full-time officials to oversee tribunal proceedings, while James Hird has come to the defence of juror Jason Johnson amid his conflicting obligations in the Zak Butters case.

The recent tribunal hearing concerning Butters took a comical turn when it became clear during the online session that Johnson had stepped away to drive somewhere.

McGuire noted that, although Johnson, who also works as a real estate agent, had agreed to be available for the hearing, he informed the AFL he needed to attend an inspection at 5:30 PM.

Tribunal chair Renee Enbom had also indicated her willingness to participate in the hearing but mentioned to the league that she had another commitment, according to McGuire.

The tribunal hearing last Tuesday, which centred around Butters’ alleged misconduct towards umpire Nick Foot, was rescheduled multiple times.

McGuire shared his thoughts on Nine’s Footy Classified on Tuesday evening.

“Why don’t we have full-time people?,” questioned the former Collingwood president.

“There are enough qualified individuals at the AFL capable of handling these responsibilities.

“It’s similar to the umpires. When will we implement full-time umpires so they aren’t juggling roles at Sportsbet or similar jobs?

“Let’s prevent issues before they arise.

“This scenario was bound to occur. It was inevitable. So when it does happen, people ask, ‘What on earth is going on here?’

“It’s so simple to rectify.”

Butters was fined $1500 for allegedly remarking to Foot, “How much are they paying you?”

However, Port Adelaide took issue with this ruling, and the AFL appeals board surprisingly overturned the decision, citing “a miscarriage of justice and an error in law”.

Johnson has faced considerable backlash for his decision to leave the hearing mid-way to attend the inspection, but Hird believes such criticism is unfounded.

“I think Jason’s been unfairly targeted,” Hird said on Footy Classified.

“… The meeting was rescheduled two or three times throughout the day.

“It reflects poorly on the professionalism of the organisation. It’s not the fault of the tribunal members themselves; it’s a flaw in the system that has been established.”

Garry Lyon condemned the tribunal hearing as “humiliating”.