After a school friend of Eddie calls the Hot Breakfast team to defend his character, Eddie tears up and gets emotional. Courtesy Triple M

UPDATE: THE Collingwood board has offered club president Eddie McGuire its full backing despite the toxic fallout from his Adam Goodes comments yesterday.

McGuire broke down in tears on his radio show this morning as his emotions got the better of him after a turbulent 24 hours.

McGuire has been cited for breaching the AFL racial vilification policy over his "King Kong" reference to the Sydney champion on his Triple M show yesterday.

He offered last night to step aside from his role as Collingwood president if asked, but his position at the club now appears secure.

Eddie breaks down on air

On his radio show this morning, McGuire became emotional as he compared his feelings now to what Goodes and other vilified players must feel on a more regular basis.

"It's hard to be portrayed as the opposite of what you are," McGuire said.

"If I'm feeling it this morning, I can only imagine what Adam Goodes has felt all his life and Harry O'Brien...

"That's why I'm not turning it into the wailing wall for me. This is about these guys.

"I've copped it and, you know what, maybe I'm getting a feel for what they cop every day of their lives."

Collingwood board backs McGuire



Magpies vice-president Jack Kennedy said today that after discussions over the past two days, the board "overwhelmingly endorsed" McGuire to continue as president.

"While we accept that Eddie made a mistake that caused serious offence to Adam Goodes and many more, we balance this against the work Eddie and the board have done, and continue to do, to make Collingwood an institution in football and society that our entire 'family’ can be proud of. One committed to fairness, equality and social justice,” Kennedy said.

“Eddie has led with distinction for almost 15 years and a hallmark of his time has been a commitment to positive change on and off the field, at Collingwood and beyond.

“Eddie has been a magnificent president of this club and his ongoing leadership is essential.”

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said today he was "absolutely comfortable'' with Collingwood's decision.

Demetriou said the first step in the process was complete after Goodes accepted McGuire's apology yesterday, and that the welfare of the Sydney player was paramount.

"My first thoughts, my second thoughts and third thoughts are with Adam Goodes,'' he said.

"Eddie McGuire has spoken to Adam Goodes and he has apologised and Adam Goodes has accepted that apology.

"That was the first stage of the process. Now we get to the next stage where we put together an education program with the support of indigenous players and some indigenous leaders that Eddie McGuire will have to be involved in.

"Eddie McGuire has made a mistake, Eddie McGuire said things that were unacceptable and Eddie McGuire has apologised. He's apologised I reckon at least 100 times."

Demetriou defended his more forgiving comments yesterday morning when he said McGuire did not need to be punished by the AFL.

"I attended an opening of a facility at Burpengary yesterday. Just as I was arriving I just had a briefing, it was a very small briefing about what had happened on radio, that was about it,'' he said.

"When the journalist asked me the question, I answered as honestly as I could which was the comment didn't sound like Eddie, it was an un-Eddie like comment.

"I was then briefed on the matter extensively."

Buckley backs embattled president

Speaking this afternoon, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley described McGuire's on-air howler as "a bad moment, a poor comment", but echoed his board's support for his embattled president.

"In the equation of life, Eddie is exponentially in the positive," Buckley said.

"He definitely had no intent to incite hatred which is the true term for vilification,'' Buckley said.

"The person who is being hated at the moment is actually Eddie, for his comments, and he accepts that.

"But as you can imagine it's a tough time for him. It's a tough time for Adam Goodes.

"It's a tough time for Aussies in general because the very fabric of who we are and the way that we go about things, the casual racism as (Collingwood player) Harry (O'Brien) put it, the casual discrimination, not just of colour but religion, ethnic background, sexual preference.

"Anything that's different, we want to pick at it as Aussies. Potentially this is a wake-up call for everyone.''

Buckley said the issue was not just race, but discrimination of all forms.

"It affects everyone," Buckley said. "This is a bigger issue than just Collingwood, bigger issue than just footy. It affects every person.

"It's not a race issue, it's a respect issue."

Sydney coach John Longmire said this morning it was up to Goodes whether he would be fit to play against Essendon on Saturday night and that the player and the club are taking "one day at a time".

“At this stage, I expect him to play," Longmire said. "If that changes, well, I’ll support Adam in whatever he wants to do."

McGuire said today he would be open to undergoing counselling if he was required to by the AFL and that he would continue on the air as a radio presenter for Triple M.

"My boys are flying out today and I need to catch up with a few people to clarify my situation.

"I'm more than happy to do whatever the AFL has to do ... I'm happy to show that these are the things you have to do."

"I'm feeling terrible ... I made Adam Goodes' day a shocker yesterday, for when it was probably the first day where he could have lifted his head to the blue sky after what happened on the weekend.

"Also for all the people who heard those comments, as inadvertent as they are it doesn't make any difference, they hurt people and I'm not in the business of doing that so it cuts me to the core.

"It means a lot that I've upset people and brought a shadow on the game of AFL and on the Collingwood Football Club.

Massive mistake cuts me to the core

"I can understand people like Adam Goodes and Harry and people saying Is this guy for real? He comes and apologises to us on the Friday night and then says some off-handed comment a couple of days later, I'm well aware of that.

"It's upsetting not only for me but for the people who have trusted me in the past, and I've got to work hard to regain that trust."

McGuire said it was too early to address suggestions that he should take a break from his presidency at the Collingwood Football Club.

"It's too early ... I don't think so as my first instinct," he said.

He said he had discussions with Michael Long yesterday about whether he should step down from his role as chairman of the Indigenous Foundation.

"I said maybe I should step away from it and he said nah mate this is why we need you, you're someone that's worked closely with us and you've got great things to do."

"I won't work any less ... I'll just continue doing what I've got to do."

On his breakfast show today, McGuire reiterated his shame and disappointment.

McGuire agreed with co-host Luke Darcy that yesterday was "one of the longest days" of his life, and that he was feeling "absolutely gutted, shattered and a shell of a man in some ways on the back of what happened yesterday".

"I’m not going to sit here today and cry into my corn flakes and things like that," McGuire said this morning.

"I face up to things because that’s the way you do things. You attack things face on and when you make a mistake you admit it and try to do the right thing which is always been what I try to do in every phase of my life."

AFL had to act on Eddie

McGuire again acknowledged that what he said about Goodes was "absolutely abhorrent".

"I hope you guys know that wasn’t what I meant to say, and it wasn’t even what I was thinking," he said.

McGuire said fatigue may have played a role in the incident and said he would try to wind back his schedule.

"I was probably a bit too tired yesterday. I'm tired this morning as well. I'm probably more tired today to be honest," McGuire said.

NSW Deputy Opposition Leader Linda Burney described McGuire's comments as "horribly offensive", and called on McGuire to consider his position.

“The AFL needs to send a strong message that there is no excuse for anybody to make these sorts of comments - whether they be journalists, commentators, spectators or players," Ms Burney said.

“I urge Mr McGuire to consider his position, reflect on this experience and work out how he can best be a voice for reconciliation.”

Technically, McGuire could be fined or even jailed under racial vilification laws if anyone offended by his comments filed a charge, although prominent barrister David Galbally QC told 3AW radio it was unlikely to come to that.

End this disgrace and get on with footy

“I don’t see problems as far as the Victorian act is concerned because the comments certainly don’t incite racial hatred," Mr Galbally said. "Secondly, I don’t see problems under the Commonwealth law for very much the same reason."

However, Galbally warned that McGuire "may have a problem under the broadcasting legislation".

Late last night McGuire emailed Collingwood's 75,490 members, saying: "I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to the entire Collingwood family ... I am sad that my words have cast a shadow on this great club."

The AFL has ordered him to mediation with Goodes and to take tolerance classes, on pain of a fine of up to $20,000.

On Fox Footy last night, asked if he should stand down during an enforced AFL mediation process, McGuire said: "I'll speak to the board ... tomorrow."

McGuire told Fox Footy: "If that's appropriate (to step aside), if that's symbolic, if that makes a difference, then I will.

"I would have no problem if Triple M said have a spell, if Fox Footy said, 'You know what? We don't want you to be the face of footy this weekend'. Then I would happily do that and I'd cop that blemish on my impeccable record."

McGuire insisted he did not racially vilify anyone when he suggested on his radio show that Goodes promote the new King Kong musical.

When co-host Luke Darcy said the huge gorilla hand jutting from the Eureka Skydeck was a "great promo" for the show, McGuire said: "Get Adam Goodes down for it, d'you reckon?"

The AFL said McGuire's comments were "totally unacceptable" and that he would be dealt with under Rule 30 of the AFL Player Rules - a rule introduced to combat racial and religious vilification in the league.

In his email, McGuire offered apologies "particularly to our indigenous and ethnic supporter groups. Regardless of my intentions, I acknowledge that the comments referring to Adam were offensive and for that I am truly sorry. It was thoughtless but absolutely said without malice".

Just five days ago he had condemned a teenage girl for calling the dual Brownlow medallist an ape during Sydney's 47-point defeat of Collingwood.

Goodes, one of footy's most decorated indigenous players, was "gutted" by her remarks.

But Sydney Swans chairman Richard Colless said McGuire's comments had shattered Goodes even more.

"If anything I'd say (Goodes) is in more of an emotional state as a consequence of this than of the incident on Friday," he said.

Goodes tweeted: "Morning Australia this is what I have woken up to", linking to a story about the gaffe.

Harry O reveals pain of race barbs

McGuire was quick to apologise on-air over what seemed to be a joke gone horribly wrong. But later, he was adamant he had not been trying to be funny, saying it was a "slip of the tongue".

"I wasn't racially vilifying anyone ... I made a comment," he said.

"I was thinking the opposite. I made a slip and it's one that I regret. It happens sometimes. I wasn't on my game. But there's no excuses. I put my foot in it and I stand here today to say I did the wrong thing."

Colless didn't agree.

"A slip of the tongue is one word mispronounced. This was a few sentences," he said.

Eddie slipped up. That's all

He said while Goodes had accepted a personal apology from McGuire, it did not excuse what had been said.

Pie Harry O'Brien slammed his club's president.

He tweeted: "It doesn't matter if you are a school teacher, a doctor or even the president of my football club I will not tolerate racism, nor should we as a society.

''In my opinion race relations in this country is systematically a national disgrace and we have a long way to go to reach a more harmonious and empathetic society."

The 13-year-old girl who ignited the controversy after shouting the word "ape" at Goodes in the MCG on Friday night also weighed in, branding McGuire a hypocrite.

She said she was surprised and confused after her apology to the AFL great.

"Why would he say it again after all the trouble I got into? And he said something like that should never be repeated again, and then he goes and says it," she told the Herald Sun.

"I don't understand why."

The girl's mother, Joanne Looney, said McGuire owed her daughter an apology.

But the pair said McGuire shouldn't stand down as club president, nor be fined.

The girl's grandmother, Lucy Reynolds, said this morning what McGuire said was far worse than what her granddaughter had shouted at Goodes, but said the issue should now be let lie.

"With the week that he’s had and the week we’ve all had, I think things should die down a little bit," she said.

"It was a mistake, same as (my daughter) did."

The AFL's Racial and Religious Vilification Policy requires McGuire first speak with Goodes, which he did. He'll now go through league education programs.

Triple M acknowledged McGuire's comments could have been interpreted as racist and apologised to any listeners who were offended.

- By Greg Davis, Jessica Evans, Rebekah Cavanagh, Christopher Gillett, Angus Thompson and AAP

Goodes' hurt turns to anger