- Essendon president David Barham has come under fire
- Insulted club great Ted Fordham in a recent phone call
Essendon president David Barham has admitted to insulting club legend Ted Fordham, telling the premiership hero and Hall of Fame member to ‘go and barrack for another f***ing football club’.
Fordham, 85, was stunned after receiving the abusive phone call – and has questioned whether Barham is the right man to be in charge of the Bombers.
‘His final words to me were, ‘Why don’t you go and barrack for another f***ing football club,’ Fordham told News Corp.
‘Those were his exact words. ‘I was disgusted. I thought if that’s the sort of bloke that is leading our club, God help us.
‘And I think our performance (this season, where they finished 15th, after just six wins) bears that out.’
Barham has conceded he crossed the line with Fordham – but made no apologies for ‘being passionate about our football club which I will always defend.’
Essendon president David Barham (pictured) has admitted to insulting club legend Ted Fordham, telling the premiership hero to ‘go and barrack for another f***ing football club’
The drama started after Fordham was a guest speaker days after Essendon’s round 18 loss to Richmond, where he questioned if Brad Scott is the best option as head coach
Fordham (pictured) – who booted seven goals in the club’s 1965 grand final triumph – was taken aback by Barham’s aggressive nature in their phone call following the club function
He also felt the matter was closed after ringing Fordham – who booted seven goals in the club’s 1965 grand final triumph – to belatedly apologise.
The high-profile pair got offside following a premiership reunion staged at Windy Hill in July.
Fordham was a speaker days after Essendon’s round 18 loss to Richmond at the MCG, where he questioned if Brad Scott is the best option to remain as head coach.
Many agree with Fordham given the Bombers finished the season with 13 successive defeats.
It comes after Essendon were this week accused of undermining star midfielder Zach Merrett, with the captain seething at claims he acted disrespectfully towards the Bombers’ AFLW squad.
Merrett, 29, is reportedly pushing for a trade to Hawthorn.
A report claimed Merrett was deliberately being disruptive when the AFLW team were in a training session being conducted by head of development Ben Brown.
Merrett was completing a kicking drill indoors at the club’s Tullamarine base at the time.
Channel Seven reported Merrett encroached on the team’s space, with the footy star adamant the claim was leaked to the media by Essendon in an attempt to slur his character.
