Senior AFL journalist Caroline Wilson has jumped to the defence of regular sparring partner and Collingwood president Eddie McGuire while demanding coach Nathan Buckley apologise for the club’s latest bungle.

Wilson said she has “enormous sympathy” for McGuire after Buckley and assistant coach Brenton Sanderson were sanctioned for a hub protocol breach involving a tennis match against Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik.

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The Pies were fined $50,000, with half of that suspended, the pair in question will pay out of their own pocket.

“I have enormous sympathy for Eddie McGuire on this one,” she told Footy Classified.

“I didn‘t like his response to the Steele Sidebottom issue. I thought he embarrassed his club and made it worse for his club. In this one, I agree with everything he’s said.

“I think the AFL should have been tougher and I think Nathan Buckley owes him an apology.

“I think Nathan has actually let his whole club down, he‘s let his players down … and he’s really let his president down.

“He‘s gone soft on Nathan. He did say from now on they should be sent home and he’s rescinded that with Nathan, but people would beg the question why Nathan got such a relatively limp fine.”