Dale Thomas has fiercely defended AFL media personality Kate McCarthy, calling out the “weak little men” who continually troll her on social media. McCarthy, a former AFLW All-Australian and premiership player turned analyst for Channel 7 and Triple M, released a statement on Tuesday slamming the incessant keyboard warriors who attack her because of her gender.
McCarthy's statement on abuse
In her statement, McCarthy expressed her frustration: “I am actually so f****** sick of being abused for having an opinion on football. Most of the time based purely around the fact that I’m a woman.” She acknowledged that while the messages are “just words,” the daily barrage takes a toll. “I have the right to have an opinion and present it in a fair and balanced way. And you’re all entitled to have your own take too. There are respectful ways to commute this. But to constantly be abused and diminished because of my gender is completely f*****.”
McCarthy urged trolls to “leave me alone and continue scrolling if you don’t agree with me and can’t have a respectful debate on the topic.” She emphasized that social media is not a license to abuse people and hide behind a keyboard.
Thomas's defence on The Agenda Setters
On Tuesday night’s edition of The Agenda Setters, Thomas led with a strong message: “I’m leading off tonight with a swipe to all the trolls out there, all the scared, weird little men that think it’s time to take aim at somebody with an opinion and that person is Kate McCarthy.” He highlighted her credentials, noting she is All-Australian, knowledgeable across football and cricket, and does the work.
Thomas added: “But to have these weak little men coming out, hiding behind names on Instagram — if that is you or somebody you know, I would advise you to go and have a good hard look at yourself and just have a think about is that the actions you want to be putting out there because it does nothing. And if it is something you want to put out there, maybe jump back into your cave, take your phone with you, throw it in the bin and don’t say another word. Enough is enough, see you later. Leave K-Mac alone and the rest of us.”
Support from Kane Cornes
Kane Cornes also voiced his support, saying: “Well done, Daisy. We are all Team K-Mac and we are right behind one of our very own who does an amazing job, one of the best analysts in football, there’s no doubt about that.”
McCarthy, who rose to prominence as an astute analyst, has faced a litany of abusive and sexist messages on her social media platforms. Her credentials as a former AFLW premiership player and All-Australian speak for themselves, yet the abuse continues. Thomas’s and Cornes’s public backing highlights the ongoing issue of gender-based trolling in sports media.
