Eddie McGuire defends his racist comment on Adam Goodes, claims painkillers influenced him

Eddie McGuire has claimed his racial remark against Sydney AFL great Adam Goodes was all due to using painkillers. The Collingwood president further relates his comment to being under the influence of his prescription drugs at the time.

In 2013, McGuire was heavily criticised after saying that Goodes should be used to promote the musical King Kong. McGuire made light of this racist joke during his breakfast radio program just right after Goodes was racially harmed by a Magpies fan who called the athlete an ape.

After the issue erupted, the 51-year-old former CEO of Nine Network received heavy backlash for his offensive statement. While McGuire says he already apologised to Goodes, their good relationship was over since then. Now speaking with GQ Magazine, McGuire takes a defensive stance and opens up on his health problems back to the time he delivered his rash comment.

"I haven't really said this before, but I was on massive painkillers and crutches [for] an infection in my knee," McGuire told GQ magazine. "I was on heavy-duty painkillers, antibiotics and steroids."

McGuire furthers his excuse saying he did not mean to offend Goodes or the indigenous community. He says that as chairman of former AFL star Michael Long’s foundation, he’d been holding a function to raise a $300,000 worth of scholarships dedicated to the indigenous community.

“It burns me to the core that what I said would add any level of pain to Adam or the Indigenous community," McGuire says.

While McGuire tries to share his side of the story, revealing that his offence came while suffering from knee infection and using prescription drugs, the public doesn't take his excuse and continues to question McGuire's apologies or, even more directly, his moral and professional standards.

It’s been noted that Goodes is not the only victim of McGuire but also his co-worker Jessica Rowe. In 2006, McGuire purportedly said, “What are we going to do about Jessica? When should we bone her? I reckon it should be next week.”

Just the same, McGuire apologised for the matter but then later defends himself saying he wanted to say "burned" but was replaced with the distasteful term "bone."

As McGuire talks more about these issues in his interview with GQ magazine, the public has also come to share what they have to say against the Australian television presenter. Already creating a huge uproar, the people lash out on McGuire’s defences using the hashtag: #EddieMcGuire.