Marty Sheargold made a series of crude and widely condemned remarks about the Matildas on his Triple M radio show, which ultimately cost him his job.

What did Marty Sheargold say about the Matildas?

Multiple reports say that during a segment discussing the Matildas’ performances at the SheBelieves Cup in the United States, Sheargold launched into a disparaging rant about the team.

Key reported comments include:

  • He said he would “prefer to hammer a nail through his penis” than watch the Matildas play, in reference to Australia’s women’s national team.
  • He asked his co‑hosts if they had any “men’s sport” to talk about instead, implying women’s football was not worth discussing.
  • He compared the Matildas to “Year 10 girls,” elaborating with a stereotyped description about teenage drama, friendship issues, and a player being a “b*tch,” which was widely criticised as misogynistic.
  • He suggested “there’s something wrong with the Matildas,” referencing their form after two losses at the tournament, despite the team’s strong 2023 World Cup run.

These remarks were described by Football Australia and many fans as “unacceptable,” “disgusting,” and a clear example of sexist commentary in sport coverage.

What happened after the backlash?

The reaction was fast and intense:

  • Football Australia issued a public statement saying it was “deeply disappointed” and called the comments “unacceptable.”
  • Matildas players and supporters expressed anger on social media and in interviews, saying the rant crossed a line from criticism into outright disrespect.
  • Marty Sheargold and Triple M both released apologies, with Sheargold admitting his attempt at comedy had “missed the mark” and saying he understood why people were offended.
  • Shortly afterward, Triple M’s parent company Southern Cross Austereo announced that they had “mutually agreed to part ways” with Sheargold, effectively ending his role on the network.
  • There were also public calls for him to be removed from other high‑profile roles, including TV work, because of the incident.

Why did this become such a big story?

Several factors pushed this beyond “just” a bad joke:

  1. Context of women’s sport
    • The Matildas have become one of Australia’s most popular national teams, especially after their deep run at the 2023 Women’s World Cup on home soil.
 * Their success has been central to broader conversations about respect, funding, and visibility for women’s sport, so the comments were seen as undermining that progress.
  1. Tone of the remarks
    • Critics argued this wasn’t normal sporting criticism about tactics or performance but personal, mocking, and gendered attacks framed as “comedy.”
  1. Media responsibility
    • Southern Cross Austereo said the episode was a “moment for reflection and review” and that programming needs to meet audience expectations, signalling that misogynistic commentary is out of step with where audiences are now.

Different viewpoints in the discussion

The online and media reaction wasn’t completely one‑sided, even though most coverage was strongly critical.

  • Strongly critical view
    • Many fans, journalists, and officials argued this was blatant misogyny, not banter, and that losing his radio role was an appropriate consequence.
  • “Bad joke gone wrong” view
    • Some defended him as a comedian whose jokes went too far, suggesting a suspension or warning might have been enough, and worrying about over‑correction in sports media. (This stance appears more in forum discussions and comment sections, rather than in official commentary.)
  • Impact‑focused view
    • Others used the incident to highlight how comments like this can discourage young girls from playing sport and to argue for better standards around how women’s teams are discussed on mainstream platforms.

Quick fact list

  • Commented about: The Matildas (Australia’s women’s national football team) during the SheBelieves Cup in the USA.
  • Key lines: Nail‑through‑penis remark, “Got any men’s sport?”, “They remind me of Year 10 girls,” plus stereotyped “drama” description.
  • Immediate fallout: Massive backlash from Football Australia, fans, players, and media.
  • Outcome: Sheargold and Triple M apologised; he then departed Triple M after a joint statement saying they had mutually agreed to part ways.

TL;DR: Marty Sheargold mocked the Matildas with crude, gendered jokes (including preferring to hammer a nail through his penis than watch them, and comparing them to “Year 10 girls”), prompting public outrage, official condemnation, an apology, and his exit from Triple M.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.