Marty Sheargold made a series of on‑air remarks about the Matildas that were widely condemned as misogynistic and disrespectful.

What he said

  • He said he would rather hammer a nail through his penis than watch the Matildas play in the upcoming Asian Cup.
  • When told the Matildas were playing in the SheBelieves Cup, he quipped “She believes in what? It better be men.”
  • He asked if there were “any men’s sports” instead of watching the women’s team.
  • He compared the Matildas to “Year 10 girls” , suggesting they were full of infighting, friendship dramas, and that “the coach doesn’t like me, I hate training, and Michelle is being a pain.”
  • He also wrongly claimed their World Cup run ended before the quarter‑finals, even though they actually made the semi‑finals.

Fallout and reaction

  • Football Australia said it was “deeply disappointed” and that his comments undermined the Matildas’ achievements and impact on Australian sport.
  • Current and former players, as well as sporting figures like Leisel Jones, publicly criticised the remarks as disgusting, pathetic, and deeply misogynistic.
  • After the backlash, Sheargold apologised to the Matildas and women’s football and acknowledged the seriousness of what he’d said.
  • He and Triple M’s parent company Southern Cross Austereo ultimately agreed to part ways, and he left the network.

TL;DR: He joked he’d rather mutilate himself than watch the Matildas, said “any men’s sports?”, likened them to “Year 10 girls” with drama, and those comments led to heavy criticism, an apology, and his exit from Triple M.

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