He also said it was a concern it had taken a week for the comments to be called out as encouraging domestic violence, for which McGuire apologised on Monday morning.
"It's not good enough, we can't say that we as an industry have a commitment to making change if we don't step up and call it out," McLachlan said.
McLachlan said he felt McGuire's eventual apology was "legitimate and acceptable".
The CEO of the Our Watch initiative between major sporting codes to tackle sexism and violence against women said the comments were unacceptable, coming the same week as the initiative was launched.
“There is a definite link between sexism and violence against women and language does really, really matter”, said Mary Barry, Our Watch CEO.
“Any comments that trivialise, joke or condone violence against women are totally unacceptable from anyone, but particularly from high profile media personalities.
“It is this culture and attitude that we really need to address if we are to prevent violence against women.
Ms Barry said following the comments Our Watch had called for an urgent meeting with the AFL.
"We want to call a meeting through the AFL with all the presidents of the sporting clubs so that we can discuss with them the connection between sexism and violence against women."
The call has been backed by anti-domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty.
"It wasn't meant to be harmful, but that's the very point of being aware of the language you're using," Ms Batty said.
Caroline Wilson drowning comments 'clearly banter': McGuire
McGuire apologised to Caroline Wilson, retracting comments about the journalist which he understood could have been construed as encouraging domestic violence.
"I apologise and retract them in the spirit of what we're trying to achieve, and that is to look after women and children in our community," McGuire said.
The Collingwood president had earlier failed to apologise on both the Nine Network and in his first statement on Triple M, however he later returned to the controversy after Wilson said he had crossed the line.
McGuire came under fire on early morning television and radio on Monday, and said he was devastated that his radio banter had been interpreted in such a way.
"No one spoke of Caroline in the context of being a woman," he told 3AW mid-Monday morning, after hours of being under siege for the comments made a week ago.
"I would have thought equality was that we can joke with each other without fear or favour in that situation."
McGuire, North Melbourne chairman James Brayshaw and All Australian selector Danny Frawley are at the centre of a controversy after suggesting Wilson should be the only participant in next year's charity ice slide at the AFL's Freeze MND charity match.
He said he would pledge $50,000 "if she stays under", before going on to describe Wilson as "like a black widow" spider.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire takes part in the Big Freeze Ice Slide challenge fundraising event for Motor Neurone Disease (AAP) Source: AAP
McGuire had earlier offered only a qualified apology on the Nine Network, while also referring to a similar conversation broadcast on 3AW on the same afternoon.
"I'm sorry that that was the way it was certainly perceived," he told Today.
"These things are just - they are totally out of context and in context. At the very same time in the next commentary box 3AW were same doing the same jokes alongside Caroline Wilson, everyone was laughing about it."
Wilson told 3AW off-air that the joke between herself and 3AW colleagues was different because she was there and it stopped when ex-Collingwood captain and coach Tony Shaw overstepped the line.
However, she said the McGuire comments had offended her.
Plibersek, Hanson, Wong and Keneally weigh in
Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek weighed into the controversy on Monday morning, saying it was wrong for “big strong footballers” to joke about drowning women.
“People who are used to hearing jokes about violence against women, don’t get disturbed when they hear jokes about violence against women,” she said.
“It is a very inappropriate thing to be laughing about.”
Labor frontbencher Penny Wong echoed her deputy leader's view.
"We ought not speak in ways that are suggestive explicitly or implicitly of violence ... and ways that demean people on the basis of their gender," Senator Wong told reporters in Canberra.
Pauline Hanson told Seven Network it was obvious Mr McGuire was joking.
“Some of these journalists, I’d drown half of them,” she said.
Ms Hanson, who is standing again for the Senate, said she had been subjected to similar comments over the years.
Former NSW premier Kristina Keneally asked for feedback on McLachlan’s efforts.
The AFL said on Sunday they had only become aware of the comments at the weekend.
"AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan tonight said he contacted club presidents Eddie McGuire and James Brayshaw late today regarding an on-air radio discussion they had been a part of before last week's round 12 Melbourne v Collingwood match at the MCG," an AFL statement issued on Sunday read.
"Mr McLachlan said the AFL had expressed the strong view to both club presidents, and All Australian selector Danny Frawley ... that although seeking to be light-hearted, the language and tenor of the wording could be seen to be supporting violent attitudes or actions against women, and was therefore clearly not appropriate."
Brayshaw said he would pledge money in reply to McGuire's comments.
Frawley apologised for his part in the conversation in which he said, 'I'll actually jump in and make sure she doesn't (surface) - I'll hold her under".
"Last Monday on radio I made a couple of insensitive and inappropriate remarks about Caroline Wilson," Frawley said on Fox Footy on Sunday night.
"Clearly it was a poor attempt at humour for which I sincerely apologise."
The Western Bulldogs-Geelong game on Saturday night supported the White Ribbon campaign to prevent violence by men against women.
