Anthony Albanese slams 'offensive' Marty Sheargold's Matildas comments on Triple M as 'disrespectful'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has publicly condemned Marty Sheargold's remarks about the Matildas, the Australian women's national football team, calling them "appalling," "completely unacceptable," and "offensive." Prime Minister Albanese stated during a call to Melbourne's Nova radio program on Thursday morning that these comments "shouldn't have happened."

Albanese emphasized that these remarks are not only disrespectful to outstanding athletes but also disregard women's contributions to the sports field. He pointed out that at the 2024 Paris Olympics, 30 of the 53 medals won by Australia were won by women or women's teams, including 13 of the 18 gold medals. The Prime Minister also highlighted that the Matildas have historically been more successful than the men's team and praised Ellyse Perry as Australia's greatest cricketer of all time.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen also commented on the matter, stating in an interview with Channel Nine that Sheargold's remarks "was not his finest comedic moment." Bowen acknowledged that Sheargold had brought him joy in the past, but this time the remarks were "over the top" and had a "1970s feel." He emphasized that women's sports are real and fantastic, and Sheargold made a serious mistake and has suffered the consequences.

Four-time Olympic champion Libby Trickett stated in an interview with ABC News Breakfast that her first reaction upon hearing Sheargold's comments was "pure anger," but she was hardly surprised. Trickett expressed great disappointment at hearing vulgar comments about women's sports on a national primetime program, stating that it was unbelievable that it was happening in 2025. She lamented that despite the Matildas' performance in the Women's World Cup, which garnered 11 million viewers, Sheargold's misogynistic remarks indicated that a cultural shift has not been fully realized.

Trickett believes that Sheargold's comments set up "another barrier" for children who want to continue participating in sports. She said that these remarks might break the hearts of young girls who were planning to participate in sports training, because they would feel that someone is publicly declaring that they are not performing well. Trickett emphasized that 57% of children who drop out of school at age 14 are girls, and these remarks would hinder young people's participation in sports, which is crucial for their development.

Former Matildas captain and goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri stated that she was disappointed in Sheargold but encouraged by the public's reaction. She recalled that ten years ago, when a former football player disparaged women's football, they had to fight a large number of misogynistic comments online alone. Barbieri stated that the new generation of Matildas has brought them into the public eye, and public support is crucial for them. She also said that this controversy will not disrupt the Matildas' preparation for the match against Colombia.

Another former Matilda and Olympian, Kate McShea, added that the comments were shocking and a "major blow" to female athletes. McShea stated that she felt like she had gone back in time twenty or thirty years and was very disappointed that someone with a wide audience like Sheargold would send such a negative message. She believes that the public has begun to support women's sports, and Sheargold's remarks only represent the attitude of a small percentage of men. McShea hopes that his departure from Triple M will send a message that the broadcaster has clear standards for what content is acceptable.

McShea further questioned whether Sheargold's apology was sincere or merely because he was caught and caused a media storm. She stated that this may be a question that will never be answered.