POWERFUL AFL figure Eddie McGuire referred to the Victorian sports minister John Eren as a “soccer loving Turkish born Mussie” during the code’s annual general meeting in March.

McGuire’s latest controversial comment occurred in a room at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium packed with the AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick, commissioners and club presidents during a ‘brainstorming session’.

Don’t get caught up in the syntax all the time. People refer to me as Broadie boy, Toorak toff, who cares, it’s part of the fun

Eddie McGuire

An observer said AFL Commissioner Sam Mostyn “clearly cringed” when McGuire used the term. Several officials told the Sunday Telegraph they privately took exception to the Collingwood president’s reference to Mr Eren.

But McGuire, who is also president of Collingwood football club, told The Sunday Telegraph he made no apology for using the term in the March 25 AGM.

He used the phrase when the conversation turned to the “shifting world” and that AFL need to get more organised and “do more” in competing with the soccer market.

media_camera Victorian Sports Minister John Erin at the MCG.

“The quote that I said, because I referred (in) this to the Minister himself, is as a ‘soccer loving Turkish born Mussie’ to emphasise the point that no longer do we have an Anglo Saxon former AFL footballer as the sports minister,” McGuire said.

“Because ‘Mussies’ (is) the way that my Muslim friends refer to themselves.”

“I don’t think you should go around calling people the old insulting terms, but the terms that show you are a friend.

Mr Eren yesterday called McGuire to discuss the remarks after a call from The Sunday Telegraph.

“This is a timely ­reminder that leaders in the community need to be careful about how they ­express themselves,” Mr Eren said.

“As a fellow Broadmeadows boy, I’ve known Eddie a long time. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it.

“As Minister for Sport for a great multicultural state, I’ll get on with the job of working with all codes.”

McGuire said ‘Mussie’ was not a racist term.

“I was sitting in a room of 30 people, it wasn’t like it came out of the corner of my mouth.

“I was making a point, that’s the way I talk with people, that is my vernacular, people know that, they watch Hot Seat, they like it, they listen to my radio shows, I’ve been doing it for years, that’s what I am about.

“I don’t have any issue with any nationality. Collingwood is the most multicultural football club in the AFL and has been for 100 years.”

McGuire said he was actually trying to show how far Australia has come.

“The point I was making was that we’ve got a Turkish born soccer loving Mussie as sports minister, (it) shows you how far we have moved, this is what it is all about.”

McGuire said Mr Eren was a personal friend.

“John Eren’s a mate, I’ve worked with him, he’s the minister of an area I am heavily involved in, we talk every other day,” he said.

“You know I’ve spoken to him about the thing he needs to do as a soccer loving Turkish born Mussie, you know, you are going to have to bring people with you.

I don’t think you should go around calling people the old insulting terms, but the terms that show you are a friend.

Eddie McGuire

“That’s what it is about, it’s about taking people with you, people don’t get this, one of the key points, I am actually quite passionate, you’ve got to understand where people are and what they are trying to achieve.“

McGuire pointed out that he “grew up in the first wave of Turkish Muslim people (living in Australia) who are my friends” and said he was involved with multicultural projects with the Muslim community in Broadmeadows, Victoria.

McGuire also said some of his dearest friends and supporters are Muslim.

“This is how people in the real world talk to each other with affection,” McGuire said.

“You know what, what we have to do is just calm down, and look at what people actually do in reality. What do people stand for?

“What are people trying to achieve?

“Don’t get caught up in the syntax all the time. People refer to me as Broadie boy, Toorak toff, who cares, it’s part of the fun ... I am all those things. It’s no big deal.

“The point I was making this a multicultural society we live in now. Guys, you have to wake up to the fact you have to appeal far deeper into this wave of new people coming from the Horn of Africa, from the East, the point I was making was I go out every year and run a thing we do with the Muslim community out in Broadmeadows around ANZAC Day ... we don’t do enough in these areas.”

In January this year McGuire also referred to the Australian Muslim community when he ‘roasted’ Australia Post boss Ahmed Fahour during a post race function after the KPMG Couta Boat sailing regatta at Sorrento.

“You’ve got to love Australia, when all the Muslims are delivering the postage and parcels,” McGuire said of the top-ranking public servant.

McGuire maintained no one took offence to his roast of “good mate” Fahour.