The Sunday Footy Show has apologised for a disparaging remark about Jewish people made by former Richmond hard man Mal Brown.
While talking about his former teammate Kevin Bartlett, Brown said: “he was very Jewish, he never bought a drink in his life”.
The comment inferred that Bartlett was stingy with money and played on the negative stereotype that Jewish people love money and are reluctant to spend it.
A spokeswoman for Nine, owner of The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, said: “The comments made today were in poor taste and we don’t condone those stereotypes.
“We apologise for any offence it may have caused.”
The show’s host, Tony Jones, also apologised for the comments during the show.
The Sunday Footy Show goes live to air which made it impossible for the network to “dump” the comments as radio shows are able to do.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, welcomed the apology but said Brown needed to withdraw his “thoughtless and hurtful slur”.
“While we value the role of humour, sports figures, who are often role models, need to be mindful of not peddling offensive and demeaning stereotypes, especially those that are rooted in classic anti-Semitism, and which generate laughter at the expense of others.
“Putting down any religious group by suggesting that they are stingy and cheap is simply unacceptable and never funny. Mal Brown crossed the line with this tasteless remark that called up ethnic slurs and should realise that such language only reinforces harmful, pre-existing prejudices.
“And though he may not be aware of this, I will remind Mal Brown that it is often young people who the pay the price for such slurs by being taunted at school with crude, damaging smears. The bottom line: such jokes are never acceptable.”
In 2010, Brown described some AFL indigenous players as “cannibals”. He later said his comments, made at a lunch to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the EJ Whitten game, were “all in a sense of fun”.
“I am sorry that the comment has received the exposure, the publicity and I have learnt that it is inappropriate in 2010,” Brown said at the time.