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Carlton investigating a fan podcast after violent comments about supporter group Carlton Besties Ed Bourke

> Carlton is investigating a Blues fan podcast after they aired violent comments about a female-focused Blues supporter group called the Carlton Besties.

> The host of Carlton fan podcast ‘The Jumper Punch’ said he would “punch the f*** out of the Besties” while talking about which Blues content creators he thought he could beat in a fight.

> The Blues’ membership department are looking into whether the podcasters are members.

> The Carlton Besties are a women-led social media page and podcast for younger audiences, with a combined 30,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.

> Carlton fan Rocco Stagnitti made the comments on a live-recorded episode of The Jumper Punch on Tuesday night as he discussed with three other men whether they should organise a “charity boxing match” for Blues content creators.

> “Name one creator out there that I wouldn’t beat up,” Stagnitti says in the episode which remains published on YouTube.

> The four podcasters go on to discuss several Carlton fans who they thought would beat Stagnitti in a boxing match, before he said: “But anyone else … I’d punch the f*** out of the Besties”.

> The three other men erupted in laughter.

> “There you go, Respects Round mate right there, Respects Round mate,” one of the podcast guests said.

> That comment was understood to be in reference to the upcoming annual Carlton Respects game between the Blues and Geelong at the MCG next Friday night.

> Carlton Respects is the Blues’ flagship off-field initiative which aims to promote gender equity in a bid to prevent violence against women.

> The Jumper Punch podcast has no direct affiliation to Carlton, but the club confirmed it was aware of the comments and investigating.

> Besties co-founder Tori Saros said it was not the first time the group had felt like they were being targeted in the lead up to Carlton Respects Round, in which they play a significant part promoting the cause.

> “It seems to just always be during the weeks around Carlton Respects, when we start to speak up. We post more (on social media) during this time about Carlton Respects,” Saros said.

> “A fellow Carlton supporter and content creator going out there and saying what they did really isn’t where we stand or what we’d like to hear.

> “Obviously we are girls in a very male-dominated space, and the reason we started The Besties almost four years ago now was to put our foot in the door, get girls involved and create a safe space for women in football.

> “It’s really disappointing, because we worked so hard with other creators to get our foot in the door. This just sends us a step back.”

> Stagnitti was contacted for comment.

> He was yet to respond, but posted a statement on The Jumper Punch’s Instagram page in the early hours of Thursday morning.

> “Although my intentions were not malicious, I completely acknowledge that what I said promotes the wrong message, and made many feel uncomfortable,” Stagnitti said.

> “This is a position I would never want to put anyone in, but more importantly women.

> “For that, I am sorry, and I apologise to everyone that was affected by my comments.”