Sack Didak and change culture: Tony Shaw - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Sack Didak and change culture: Tony Shaw

05/08/2008 10:35:51 AM Comments (0)

Former Collingwood captain Tony Shaw says his nephew Heath Shaw should be suspended from the AFL club and Alan Didak should be sacked after Sunday's drink-driving incident.

Tony Shaw has also attacked Collingwood president Eddie McGuire's handling of the club's drinking and partying culture, saying double standards and McGuire's protection of players are hurting the Magpies.

Defender Heath Shaw crashed his car while drunk on Sunday night, with Didak as his passenger.

Both lied to the club about Didak's involvement, after a string of scandalous drinking incidents put Didak's career on the line last year.

After going on Shaw's word, denying Didak was a passenger all day, the club Monday night was forced to correct itself.

Heath Shaw's uncle Tony Shaw said on Tuesday Didak should be sacked.

"It's a big one, it's someone's livelihood ... I think he's had enough chances and to go down this track, it just takes it over the edge, so I would think maybe yes," Shaw told Fairfax Radio Network.

The 1990 premiership captain said Collingwood should have suspended his nephew this week, rather than choosing to let him play, while making him face the media as his punishment.

"I think just the protectionism that Eddie's trying to give his club to save the image in fact is detrimental to the very thing you're trying to build and that's the culture," Shaw said.

"He (McGuire) loves the club, he's got passion for the club, but this has been behind the scenes and they've always said they can handle it.

"Well it's four times in the last two years that this has happened, they aren't handling it well at all."

Shaw pointed to last year's handling of Didak's night out with Melbourne CBD killer Christopher Wayne Hudson.

After Didak admitted taking a wild late-night car ride with Hudson during which gunshots were fired, Collingwood chose not to suspend him.

Shaw said this was despite having suspended three less influential players the year before for leaving their hotel when forbidden to do so.

"Next year that Didak comes up, oh no, we'll change that now, we think it's detrimental to the team and you shouldn't impact the players," he said.

"Well it's like I said, you make your bed, you lie in it."

Tony Shaw was angry with the club's decision to "humiliate" his nephew for seven days.

"What happens if the kid doesn't cope with it?" he said.

Instead, he said, Heath should be dealt with by the law and suspended by the club.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert told ABC radio the club would announce what it is going to do with Shaw and Didak later on Tuesday.

"You will get some people that we can't be with them every minute of the day while they're making their decisions and all we can do is we can give them the support prior and we can make them accountable afterwards and they have to deal with the consequences," he said.

Victorian Premier and Collingwood supporter John Brumby said the club had a big drinking culture problem, but refused to comment on whether Didak should be sacked.

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