AFL boss Andrew Demetriou admits his code once had a similar culture of disrespect to women to that which has been laid bare in rugby league by the Matthew Johns group sex scandal.

Demetriou said he had no personal knowledge of group sex being used as a team bonding exercise at AFL clubs, either when he was a player in the 1980s or during his tenure at the league's helm.

But he admitted in previous years the disrespect of women had been an issue for the code - one the AFL worked hard to address and educate its players about in recent years.

"I'm sure we've had a similar culture in the past, there's no doubt about that," he told Fairfax Radio.

"I'll go broader than that, it's not just a culture that prevails in AFL football or NRL, it prevails in lots of work places, particularly amongst men.

"That's why four or five years ago we got together with the state government, Victoria Police and the University of Melbourne to come up with our Respect and Responsibility program."

"We've made significant progress, but it just reminds us all that we've got to be vigilant in this area because we've got to shift the culture and certainly shift the attitudes of many people, including our players," added Demetriou.

The issue of footballers' respect for women came to a head this week when it emerged Johns, a former Test player turned rugby league media personality, was one of several Cronulla Sharks players who took part in group sex with a 19-year-old woman in New Zealand in 2002.

He was stood down by the Nine Network after revelations by the ABC's Four Corners program of his involvement, and the effects the group sex session had on the woman involved.

Johns also quit his role as an assistant coach of the Melbourne Storm.

The AFL was involved in a furore involving players' attitudes to women last month.

North Melbourne players were heavily criticised over producing a tasteless video featuring a condom-clad rubber chicken performing sex acts, set to a gangster rap song titled Move Bitch.

In other news, Demetriou emphatically denied that the AFL had a hand in radio station SEN's decision to sack controversial commentator Grant Thomas this week.

SEN management insisted that the former St Kilda coach was laid off for financial reasons.

But there had been persistent media speculation that SEN responded to pressure from the AFL ahead of the latest round of broadcast bidding negotiations later this year.

Thomas has been a regular critic of AFL officialdom and the standard of umpiring.

"Grant Thomas has been sacked from many organisations and we've had nothing to do with that," said Demetriou.

"We never (put pressure on media not to criticise the AFL) and we shouldn't.

"Editorial free speech is absolutely essential in this modern day and age.

"But what we will do and we won't resile from is our right to correct things that are factually wrong.

"Our right to free speech is equally as important as the media's right to free speech."

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