Damian Barrett & James Brayshaw Respond To 'Embarrassing' Mark Robinson Controversy

Damian Barrett & James Brayshaw have spoken about the controversy surrounding Herald Sun's chief football writer Mark Robinson. 

Earlier today Robinson tweeted an image of Alex Fasolo at Collingwood training this morning with the caption: “Good drugs - Clinical depression on Tuesday, training Thursday.”

“Well, given he ventured into the mental health space last year with his commentary - he clearly doesn’t understand it,” Barrett said.

“What we’ve learnt as an industry - you just don’t go down that path.”

“The words you say in that space can, and regularly do, have an impact on the individuals concerned.”

“It’s embarrassing the chief footy writer of that particular paper has gone down this path.”

Brayshaw agreed, saying that anyone who is not close with an individual struggling with mental health issues should not make comment from the outside.

“If you’re not inside the tent, you can’t know the extent of someone’s issues,” he said.

“Unless you’re part of the medical fraternity of the Collingwood Football Club or apart of Alex Fasolo’s family, you have no idea the extent of what he’s going through.”

“So to weigh into that area with an uneducated opinion is so dangerous to me.”

“You just can’t go there unless you absolutely know what you’re talking about.”

Barrett made comparisons to the story of Garry Lyon last year of which Robinson weighed in.

“Mark Robinson made comments on that last year - doubting Garry Lyon’s mental health, which was diagnosed,” Barrett said.

“He’s doubted other people.”

“For him to do so in the capacity as chief footy writer is embarrassing for the paper.”

Purple also said he was interested in hearing from some of Robinson’s affiliated organisations - including SEN and Foxtel.

Brayshaw acknowledged that anyone can make a mistake, but he was questioning if double standards were at play.

“It’s what happens from now that interests me,” Brayshaw said.

“If that had come out of mine or Eddie McGuire’s mouths - tomorrow, how many articles would scream ‘about time Triple M sacked this buffoon’?”

“So surely all that’s coming?”

Barrett agreed: “Susie O’Brien (journalist) must be pretty busy - I haven’t seen any commentary coming from her.” 

“Jon Ralph must be equally busy because he’d normally be buying into it as well.”

“And yet, there’s nothing.”

“It is on their website (Herald Sun), but you’ve got to go looking for it.”

“It’s a 6 or 7 paragraph story - I don’t think there’s any bi-lines on it - and there’s a small apology from the editor Damon Johnston and an acknowledgement that Robbo used the wrong words.”

Brayshaw finished by saying he hoped consequences would be consistent.

“I hope there aren’t any double standards, that’s all I’m saying,” Brayshaw remarked.

“You can’t club other people and then suddenly, because someone’s working for you, say nothing.”