It's hard to work out the worst thing about the awful comment this man made.

How many times will we have to read, hear or watch a footballer – current or retired – slip up then, once it’s out there, issue an apology that sounds suspiciously like his main source of sorrow is that he got caught?

Former Adelaide AFL player Andrew Jarman is the latest case in point. On Wednesday, on Triple M’s drive show in Adelaide, Jarman, co-host Dale Lewis and guest player Domenic Cassisi turned their chat to pregnancy – more specifically, how to induce labour (Cassisi’s wife Maiya is heavily pregnant). Jarman, who has three children, was asked for advice and offered up this gem:

“Just f— the guts out of ’em with your big c–k”.

Jarman last night said he "nearly fainted and went white" after he heard the comment had gone to air.

I bet he did. Because he thought he could rely on the editing fairies to keep any nasties in the vault. He thought the comment would never be heard outside the walls of the studio. Because, being a big name, someone pretty much always has his back.

But not this time. The comment went to air. And predictably, Jarman came out trying to paint himself as a good bloke who would never say anything to demean women. After all, he's married to one.

"I’m a proud family man, you don’t say those things. I let my family down to a degree,” he told South Australia's Today Tonight.

“I thought we’d give him some advice on some early childhood tips to bring the birth along quicker. I threw out there what my advice and tips that I used with my lovely wife Marion with our three children and the words came out. I apologised as soon as we heard yesterday ... I’m very respectful of women.”

Ummm...

Here's the thing, Andrew: You might be sorry for the language, but you don't seem sorry at all for the sentiment. The words come out so naturally it's difficult to believe they aren't what you really think. You sound sorry you got caught.

And "F--k the guts out of them"? If that's your first response to a pregnancy, I feel very sorry for your "lovely wife" and your three children. There's something that's just so seriously wrong here: aggression, vulgarity ... the woman in question doesn't even get a pronoun. She's bundled in the with the rest of '''em".

It's a very, very long way from the sort of comment any man who is genuinely respectful of women would make.

Jarman has faced widespread condemnation, and so he should.

But the worst of it? That ANYONE is defending him. Listen to the audio - there's a lot of laughter at the comment. Then there's this, from former player Chris McDermott on AdelaideNow:

" ...an old South Australian warrior, Andrew Newton Jarman, now Triple M Drive show co-host is back in the news following an on-air gaffe.

If only you could wind back the clock.

Andrew’s mouth has had its moments over the years.

Plenty good. Some not.

The longer you’re in radio the closer you get to one of those moments.

Andrew just had his. There is no hiding from it.

Let’s trust he gets the chance to make amends and continue a career behind the microphone that has entertained listeners for years and more importantly helped so many families doing it tough with his segment “Jars to the rescue”.

At the moment, it is Jars that needs rescuing!

I declare my hand as a Jarman fan.

Arguably his biggest."

And on the site's comments, this:

The site's online poll today showed 44 per cent of the 9700 or so people who voted thought Jarman should not be sacked.

If only I could think of a single reason why.

Jarman isn't the first footy player - AFL , league or other - to trip down this track.

Melbourne Demons players Dean Terlich and Alex Georgiou dressed up as convicted sex offender Rolf Harris and a young girl at last year's Mad Monday celebrations. Former player Spida Everitt famously tweeted in response to rape allegations against Collingwood players: "Yet another alleged girl, making alleged allegations, after she awoke with an alleged hangover and I take it an alleged guilty conscience". (He later tweeted: "My comments are solely aimed at warning females of the danger of being drunk or under the influence of drugs.") The AFL Footy Show's Sam Newman fondled a mannequin representing a senior female AFL reporter.

But apparently, we should excuse them. Because, as former radio presenter Amanda Blair said: “I think this reflects how no one in that studio seems to know how to use a microphone ... the comment’s pretty gross but what would you expect from a bunch of footy players.”

Really?

Triple M released a statement on Thursday afternoon apologising for Jarman's comment.

"Triple M Adelaide deeply regrets and apologises for the broadcast of inappropriate material yesterday afternoon," the statement read.

"The editing of the material prior to broadcast did not occur due to human error. An on-air apology was broadcast during the program. In addition, Andrew Jarman has been suspended by Triple M Adelaide as of this afternoon."

His suspension is indefinite, and the station says it is investigating. Presumably the editor who left the comment in the pre-record will come under scrutiny.

But let's remember who said the words. It was Jarman, not the editor. And commentators like him should have no place on our airwaves.

What do you think of Triple J's decision?