Marty Sheargold and Triple M found in breach over sexist Matildas comments

Nathan Jolly

September 11, 2025 11:23

Marty Sheargold

The ACMA has found that four Southern Cross Austereo stations, including Triple M Sydney, breached the Commercial Radio Code of Practice by broadcasting derogatory and sexist comments about the Matildas football team.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority found four broadcast licensees — Triple M Sydney and Brisbane, Gold Coast FM, and Maryborough Broadcasting Company — in breach of decency rules, due to comments made by Marty Sheargold about the Matildas squad.

During a February broadcast, Sheargold interrupted a news bulletin to proclaim he would “rather hammer a nail through the head of [his] penis” than watch the Matildas play in the Women’s Asian Cup.

Sheargold continued: “You know what they remind me of? Year 10 girls. Now, I’m sorry to undermine the whole sport, but that’s what I think of it so you can stick it up your arse.”

The comments attracted widespread derision, including from the Federal Sports Minister, Anika Wells, who said Sheargold was “boorish, boring, wrong”.

Triple M’s parent company Southern Cross Austereo cancelled The Marty Sheargold Show in the midst of the controversy.

The ACMA ruling said: “The sexist comments, expressed in a demeaning and sarcastic tone, demonstrated a level of contempt and disdain for women’s sport, and more generally of women. The offensive themes were then exacerbated by the host referring to his genitalia in a further degrading comment about women’s sport.”

ACMA’s Carolyn Lidgerwood said the commentary “went beyond generally acceptable standards of decency.”

“Sexist comments like this don’t belong in Australian broadcasting,” Lidgerwood said.

“Even if the comments were an extremely ill-judged attempt at humour, a reasonable listener would have found them offensive and to have crossed the line.”

Sheargold later apologised for the comments, saying: “Any comedy including mine can miss the mark sometimes, and I can see why people may have taken offence at my comments regarding the Matildas.”