Latest news with #HarveyBrunswickLeschenault
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sky News AU
Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club coach John Baggetta sacked over derogatory comment
A football coach has been sacked over a sexist and derogatory comment he made on social media about influencer Tammy Hembrow. The Harvey Brunswick Leschenault (HBL) Football Club in WA's South West released a statement on Friday saying coach John Baggetta had been terminated as league coach over a social media post. 'We do not condone these comments, they do not reflect the values or standards of the HBL Football Club at any level,' a statement from the club read. The comment was allegedly made on a post about Hembrow going on a date with AFL star Bailey Smith. An online feminist page shared the comment in a post about 'disgusting misogynist slurs by Australian men directed at Tammy Hembrow after she went on a date.' The post highlighted the football coach was a mentor to young men who shaped their points of view. HBL said in a statement its football community and others thought the comment was inappropriate and should not be tolerated. 'We are incredibly proud to have a women's team, female representation on our board and women actively involved in our club,' the statement read. 'We have consulted with our women's side and we are committed to offering them and all the females in our club any support necessary.' Mr Baggetta said the comment had nothing to do with HBL and it was a mistake. 'It's not what I stand for, I have apologised and will move on to do better,' he said. Originally published as Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club coach John Baggetta sacked over derogatory online comment about Tammy Hembrow
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Melbourne community football coach sacked after vile Tammy Hembrow comment
A community football coach has been sacked after making a crude social media remark about fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow's relationship with AFL star Bailey Smith. The Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club confirmed on Friday that League coach John Baggetta had been terminated after he posted the offensive slur to Facebook, where he referred to Hembrow as a 'c** bucket'. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The full comment read: 'He's trying to keep his relevance and she's a c** bucket.' Earlier this week, Smith and Hembrow were spotted on a Gold Coast date, kissing and sharing lunch at a waterfront restaurant. The sighting fuelled speculation of a new romance just two months after Hembrow's split from her former husband, Matt Zukowski. Later, she appeared online wearing what looked like Smith's jacket. Smith has not confirmed the relationship, responding only with a string of expletives when questioned by reporters at Geelong training. Their public outing attracted a wave of online commentary, much of it targeting Hembrow with misogynistic remarks. Baggetta's comment, left under a news article, quickly sparked calls for his dismissal. 'The board of the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club wish to inform all players, members, officials and supporters that John Baggetta has been terminated as League coach,' the club said in a statement. 'Regarding the social media post made by John, we do not condone those comments, and they do not reflect the values or standards of the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club at any level.' The club said such remarks were 'not to be tolerated in society'. Journalist Sherele Moody demanded his sacking in a post on social media. 'I shared a post recently with a range of disgusting misogynist slurs by Australian men directed at Tammy Hembrow after she went on a date,' she wrote. 'Old mate John Baggetta's comment was the worst – he called Tammy a C** Bucket. A man responsible for mentoring and shaping the points of view of young men is just casually throwing around sexist slurs.' The club said it consulted with its women's team and members before making the decision. 'We are incredibly proud to have a women's team, female representation on our board and women actively involved as members of our club. 'We have consulted with members of our women's side and we are committed to offering them and all the females in our club any support necessary. 'We also remain committed to supporting anyone else affected by these comments and welcome open communication with those who may have concerns.' It has been an intense week for Brownlow Medal fancy Smith and fitness queen Hembrow since news of their date first broke. Paparazzi photos showed the couple leaving a ritzy, chef-hatted venue at Burleigh Heads last Saturday — the day after the Cats' victory over Essendon in Geelong. According to The Herald Sun, it is the second time the pair have been spotted together on the Gold Coast. Love Island he was the one who chose to end their marriage. Smith's ex, Izzy Armitage, who dated the footy player back in 2021, earlier this week.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Regional WA football coach fired for online sexist slur against Tammy Hembrow
A senior coach at a regional West Australian football club has been stood down after he directed a graphic sexual slur at fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow on social media. Harvey Brunswick Leschenault (HBL) Football Club, which counts among its alumni West Coast Eagles rising stars Brady Hough and Clay Hall, today informed its players and members that John Baggetta had been "terminated" as league coach. The termination came in response to an offensive remark Mr Baggetta made online about Tammy Hembrow after she was allegedly spotted on a date with Geelong star Bailey Smith. The comment, which the ABC has decided not to republish, has since been deleted — but not before being reshared by other pages. "We do not condone these comments, and they do not reflect the values or standards of the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club at any level," HBL's board said in a statement. "We are incredibly proud to have a women's team, female representation on our board and women actively involved as members of our club. "We have consulted with members of our women's side, and we are committed to offering them and all the females in our club any support necessary." Mr Baggetta told the ABC he had apologised for the comment. "I have owned my mistake and have apologised unreservedly," Mr Baggetta told the ABC. Mr Baggetta's remark about Ms Hembrow has also drawn attention to other offensive social media comments made by the former coach in the past. In one post from March 2023, Mr Baggetta said West Coast Eagles' AFLW senior coach Daisy Pearce — then a development coach at Geelong — "obviously can't cook or she [sic] be in the kitchen". In another post from September 2017, Mr Baggetta used a homophobic slur in the caption of a picture he shared of a same-sex marriage plebiscite postal survey. When asked about previous sexist and homophobic comments made on social media, which remain online, Mr Baggetta said: "The other matters are irrelevant to this matter." Mr Baggetta, who also commentates South West Football League (SWFL) games for SEN, initially parted ways with HBL at the end of 2021 after three years as league coach. He was reappointed in April after Derek Hall stepped down and was meant to see out the rest of 2025 and 2026. SWFL president Barry Tate said Mr Baggetta's behaviour was not something the league wanted to be associated with. "I'm pretty disappointed," he said. Mr Tate said HBL was doing "everything possible to make sure this is not put underneath the carpet". He said it was an important wake-up call to all clubs to make sure they set clear standards. It comes three years after another SWFL club, South Bunbury, was accused of condoning sexist and racist behaviour, prompting over half of its women's football team and their coach to quit halfway through the season. The SWFL president said it was important local leagues cracked down on sexist behaviour as they represented the "grass roots" of the AFL community. "It's really important for the young kids coming through that they do have good role models," he said. In a joint statement to the ABC, WA Football and Country Football WA said Mr Baggetta's comments did not reflect their values. "We are aware of a social media post from a senior coach in country WA and strongly condemn the sexist, vile nature of the comments made," they said.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy coach SACKED after posing vile comment about Tammy Hembrow's date with AFL star Bailey Smith
A Western Australian footy coach has been sacked after making a vile comment about fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow on social media. Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club formally sacked League coach John Baggetta on Friday following his slur against Hembrow that went viral, calling her a 'c** bucket'. AFL star Bailey Smith and Hembrow were recently spotted together on the Gold Coast, sharing lunch at a popular waterfront restaurant and showing public displays of affection. The outing fuelled speculation about a new romance, coming only two months after Hembrow's split from her ex-husband. Later, she appeared on social media wearing what seemed to be Smith's jacket. Smith has declined to clarify the relationship. Photographers and reporters turned out to Geelong training with Smith the centre of attention, but the Cats star only responded with a tirade of expletives in their direction. Their alleged union on the Gold Coast sparked enormous chatter on social media platforms, including plenty of horrendous comments directed at Hembrow. One of the worst of those slurs was posted in the comments section of a news article by Baggetta. 'He's just trying to keep his relevance,' Baggetta posted about Smith. 'And she is just a c** bucket,' he then posted about Hembrow. His comment sparked a barrage of calls for him to be sacked, with the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club officially wielding the axe on Friday. 'The board of the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club wish to inform all players, members, officials and supporters that John Baggetta has been terminated as League coach,' the statement read. 'Regarding the social media post made by John, we do not condone those comments, and they do not reflect the values or standards of the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club at any level. 'We have a large Junior base of players, parents, supporters and officials and others that also believe that such comments are not appropriate, and not to be tolerated in society.' Bailey Smith returned to training where he was not happy to see a media scrum waiting for him Australian journalist, femicide researcher and feminist activist Sherele Moody had initially called out Baggetta for his comment and demanded the club sack him. 'I shared a post recently with a range of disgusting misogynist slurs by Australian men directed at Tammy Hembrow after she went on a date,' Moody posted. 'The comments by these men were utterly disgusting and unjustifiable. 'Old mate John Baggetta's comment was the worst - he called Tammy a C** Bucket. 'John's a coach with the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football Club in Brunswick, Western Australia. 'A man responsible for mentoring and shaping the points of view of young men is just casually throwing around sexist slurs like confetti (turns out he drops a few bangers on X as well).' The club said it consulted with its women's side and members before making the decision to sack Baggetta. 'We are incredibly proud to have a women's team, female representation on our board and women actively involved as members of our club,' the statement continued. 'We have consulted with members of our women's side and we are committed to offering them and all the females in our club any support necessarry.
