Magpies great refuses to dial down McGuire spat

COLLINGWOOD premiership legend Tony Shaw says Eddie McGuire’s passion for the club can cloud his judgment.

Shaw yesterday hit back at the 19year Magpies president for suggesting his comments on the Jordan de Goey saga was “dial-aquote stuff”.

“I get along well with Ed, but sometimes that passion clouds the realism,” Shaw said.

The 1990 grand final hero this week questioned the disciplinary standards at Collingwood after de Goey, 21, was caught drink driving in Port Melbourne.

“I’m still involved in the industry and people still ask me for my opinion,” Shaw said.

“He [de Goey] has had two issues now, and we had Jamie Elliott last year having a piddle in public and we’ve had two drug cheats in the last two years [Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas].

“Hopefully people think I know what I’m talking about. And if those issues haven’t been issues, have we made them up have we?

“As in the discipline, I’m not saying everybody [is undisciplined] — but Ed is passionate about the club and he wants to protect the club — but you’ve got to get it right.

“Dial-a-quote — I think that’s a bit disrespectful really, from Ed to myself ... but that’s life.

“If those four issues that I’ve brought up aren’t disciplinary problems, well something is wrong. Every club has them, but we’ve had a few.”

McGuire, who yesterday claimed media coverage of de Goey’s drink driving incident was bordering on “bullying”, said on Monday that Shaw had no insights into the club’s inner workings.

“I don’t know why Tony says that,” McGuire told Triple M.

“Tony’s a great supporter of the club, great friend, one of our greatest ever people but has no insight at all in to what’s going on in the club. That’s dial-a-quote stuff — you don’t need that.”

Shaw said he texted 2010 Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell yesterday to check whether he had any issues with his comments.

“He said he was putting in place some programs that he hoped would stop these issues from arising,” Shaw said.

Maxwell has returned to the club in the newly created role of leadership and culture manager.