Carlton AFL coach Mick Malthouse says it would be wrong to paint Collingwood president Eddie McGuire as a victim over the racism affair involving Adam Goodes.

Malthouse, who has had a long-running feud with McGuire dating back to his messy departure from the Magpies in 2011, said on Friday he was shocked by McGuire’s racial comment directed at Sydney’s Goodes.

Malthouse is annoyed Australian society remains too tolerant of what Collingwood’s Brazil-born defender Harry O’Brien has labelled casual racism.

While Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says it has been a tough week for both Goodes and McGuire, Malthouse showed no sympathy for his former club president.

“Adam is a very caring person,” said Malthouse, who once coached an Australian International Rules side captained by Goodes in Ireland.

“So when that took place, I was not thinking of who delivered it.

“I was thinking of more the consequences of the way, in my brief association with Adam Goodes, how he would take that on board.

“I have no doubt he would be wearing those comments for all indigenous people or anyone who was offended by those remarks.

“I felt very sorry for Adam Goodes.”

Asked if McGuire’s long-serving attempts to help indigenous people should outweigh his on-air comments this week, Malthouse said: “Eddie’s not the victim in this.”

“The thing I get very very annoyed at here, we don’t walk in some other people’s shoes,” Malthouse added.

“Sometimes we need to walk in someone else’s shoes and find out what it’s really like.”

On Thursday, Collingwood’s board gave McGuire its full support after he apologised for his comments during a radio program which led to the AFL charging McGuire with a breach of the league’s racial vilification policy.

McGuire had suggested Goodes could star in a promotion of the new King Kong musical.

Goodes was also called an “ape” by a 13-year-old Magpies fan during last Friday’s Collingwood-Sydney game at the MCG.

“I was totally shocked,” Malthouse said of the McGuire comment.

“I’ve had the history of growing up with some indigenous people, playing then coaching. I’ve seen the ugly side.

“We have got a long, long way to go.”

Asked if McGuire was a racist, Malthouse replied: “I would say no, but at his own admission he said it was a racist comment.”

James Hird, who’ll coach Essendon against Sydney in Saturday’s round-10 game at the SCG, says McGuire’s comment was disappointing and hurtful.

“Everyone feels for Adam Goodes and people in the indigenous community that this issue is not a one-off,” Hird said.

“The people of Australia need to realise that it is a very big issue and it has to be dealt with.

“I also believe and know Eddie reasonably well and I know he’s not a racist person.”

AFL chief Andrew Demetriou says McGuire may face only one session of counselling.

McGuire doesn’t have a racial bone in his body, Demetriou has told 3AW.