AFL boss Gillon McLachlan makes brutal comments about Meat Loaf’s death after music superstar’s infamous grand final performance
- McLachlan says he’s relieved Meat Loaf is dead
- Rocker had a shocking grand finale show in 2011
- AFL boss says he ‘brought great shame’
Outgoing AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has brutally mocked Meat Loaf, more than a decade after the American rocker infamously butchered his AFL finals performance.
McLachlan, speaking at The Carbine Club Grand Final Luncheon at Crown, explained that the singer’s death in 2022 came as a great relief to him.
The AFL paid $500,000 to secure Meat Loaf for the 2011 Geelong-Collingwood grand final, in what is widely regarded as the worst entertainment ever at the biggest game of the year.
“I went down the (Big Freeze) slide as Meat Loaf and then Tim Watson asked, ‘Why are you Meat Loaf?’ and I got along really well,” McLachlan said at the luncheon, referring to his involvement in the annual event to raise money to fight motor neurone disease.
‘He brought great shame to the game, he brought great shame to the MCG, he brought great shame to the committee of the MCG, the AFL Victoria – and in fact he probably brought great shame to the whole of America.
McLachlan explained that one of his great reliefs is the fact that Meat Loaf is no longer alive
The music superstar’s performance at the 2011 AFL grand final was considered by many to be the worst entertainment ever at the biggest game of the year.
“I went down and (Andrew Dillon) was a bit ashen. I said, “What’s going on?”
He said, ‘I’m not sure that was ideal, there’s a good chance we’re dealing with slander there.’ He said something about my comments being noticed.
“And I doubled over and nothing really happened. I must say that although his death was a real tragedy for his family and of course for him, it was a great relief for me and me.”
In 2021, McLachlan admitted to Channel Seven that booking the American rocker was the biggest mistake he made during his time in the top job.
“He brought shame to the MCG, the committee was sacked, he brought shame to America,” McLachlan said.
“He said we underpaid him and we got half a million dollars, which is $499,000 too much.
“I’ve lived with it every day for ten years and it’s time to exorcise the demons and get it on everyone’s agenda.”
In 2022, Australian promoter Harley Medcalf revealed that Meat Loaf had serious health problems before the performance and should not have appeared on stage.
McLachlan, who dressed as Meat Loaf (pictured) in 2021, says hiring the American rocker was the biggest mistake of his time to run the competition
Following Meat Loaf’s death, it was revealed that he was battling illness on the day of the grand final
“The story was never told – I never talked about it – because Meat was so proud,” Medcalf told Channel Nine.
“He went on stage that day because he was always on stage. But he called me that morning – and I happened to be in Melbourne – and I spent three hours with him in the dressing room.
“He had a fever, he was shaking, he was coughing all this stuff out of his lungs. He shouldn’t have gone on stage.
‘If I could have taken that moment back, I would have grabbed him and walked him out the door. But he was under so much pressure. It was raining, there was no sound check, no gear check – nothing.
“He was literally thrown out of there. But the big Texan strongman (said), ‘I can do this.’
‘But he was sick and no one talked about it and no one ever defended him.
“It’s just wrong, this beautiful man’s part of his incredible legacy. He doesn’t deserve that.’