AFL commentator Brian Taylor was benched from his radio duties yesterday and will be forced to undergo counselling after he called Geelong star Harry Taylor a “big poofter” on live television.

Taylor was at the centre of a social media storm on Saturday night when he made the gay slur during Seven’s Saturday night pre-match coverage of the game between Sydney and Carlton.

Despite calls for him to be sacked, he will be back on TV next weekend as usual.

Taylor was, however, absent from commentating on 3AW yesterday having been urged by management to “take the afternoon off” to “collect his thoughts” following his remark — the second offence in the space of a month.

“I’ve spoken to (3AW) management and they have chosen to give me a day off to collect my thoughts, so I’ll take the opportunity to have a day off,” Taylor told 3AW Football.

“My apology of (Saturday) night absolutely stands unequivocally.

“I made a blue, I apologised accordingly at the first opportunity to the Seven viewers where I made the blue.”

The commentator said he had also personally apologised to Harry Taylor.

But it was too little too late for Taylor’s bosses at 3AW, with the station’s general manager, Shane Healy taking him to task on air and apologising to listeners for the bad-taste remark.

Earlier in the season Taylor had also remarked on radio of his 3AW colleague, Seb Costello’s dress sense: “ I don’t want to offend his upbringing or his parents ... but he looks gay.”

Healy also apologised on behalf of the station for Taylor’s remark.

“Even though these (latest) comments weren’t made on 3AW ... we do take this extremely seriously,” Healy told listeners.

“We just want to let our listeners know that we’ll be talking to Brian ... and we’ll be certainly commending to him some quite serious counselling.”

Speaking at the club’s Auskick Superclinic on Sunday morning, Harry Taylor said while he wasn’t personally offended by the slur he felt there was no place for such words in football or society as a whole.

“He’s apologised now and we accept the apology, and I certainly accept the apology.” Taylor said.

“Our club respects diversity in our game and in our society and I know all of our players are very big on that and I don’t think those things should be said in our game but also in society.”

Seven Melbourne’s managing director, Lewis Martin, said, in a written statement: “Comments such as those made (by Taylor) are unacceptable and should not and will not be tolerated.

“Brian has been censured, and will be supported through counselling and education to ensure this mistake will never happen again.”

Taylor’s comments were quickly slammed on social media with many calling for him to be sacked.

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said that whether Taylor should be further disciplined for his actions was a matter for Seven to decide.

But Mr Keane said that if a player had used the same term during a game he would face action under the rules of its National Vilification and Discrimination Policy.

“The AFL immediately contacted head of Seven, Lewis Martin, not long after he (Taylor) said what he said and said that in our view it was completely unacceptable,” Mr Keane said.

“We were told that they were already in the process of telling Brian that he needed to apologise and that apology was then made at half time.”