Malinauskas made the comment at a press conference on Friday to announce that the AFL had selected South Australia over New South Wales to host its inaugural “magic round”.

During the press conference, he said he “didn’t want anyone else’s sloppy seconds – particularly Sydney’s”.

The slang term refers to someone having sex with multiple partners and is widely considered offensive.

Opposition women’s spokesperson Michelle Lensink and Greens MLC Tammy Franks this morning held a joint press conference to call on Malinauskas to publicly apologise for his use of the term.

Franks said the phrase applies to group sex or gang rape.

“Rape humour isn’t funny, we deserve better than that,” she said.

“When you’re a politician, words matter. When you’re Premier, they matter even more.

“I’ve been waiting four days for an apology. I’ve been waiting four days for the Labor Party to themselves call this out and correct it to say that they were sorry for a slip of the tongue.

“Whether it was in jest, in error or in ignorance, it was offensive.”

Lensink described the term “sloppy seconds” as offensive, sexually-loaded and akin to “locker-room talk”.

“It’s a pretty gross and disgusting phrase to use at best,” she said.

“At worst, it is yet another offensive slur against women and the Premier must apologise.”

Opposition women’s spokesperson Michelle Lensink and Greens MLC Tammy Franks speaking to gender equality advocate Georgia Heath at Parliament House this morning. Photo: Stephanie Richards/InDaily

But Malinauskas said he was unaware of the derogatory meaning of the term when he used it on Friday.

After Lensink and Frank’s press conference, he said he was “more than happy” to apologise for the remark.

“I honestly wouldn’t have used the sloppy seconds remark had I known the context that it has,” he said.

“I actually thought it was in reference to food – I don’t know if people are going to believe that or not but that’s the honest truth.

“I’d invite at least people in the media to think about it this way – does anyone seriously believe that I would have deliberately used that terminology had I understood its other meanings that are out there?

“Given the fact that I didn’t know what it meant and the fact I did say it in that context, of course I regret it and for that I’m apologetic.”

Earlier this morning, Malinauskas told ABC Radio Adelaide that he thought the phrase referred to “leftover seconds on a plate in respect to food”.

“When someone eats a meal on a plate, normally it can be characterised as sloppy by the time you’ve finished with it and I honestly thought that’s what the term referenced,” he said. 

“I came back into my office … and someone raised it with me and I said: ‘Yeah, so what?’ and then they explained to me that there’s another meaning to it that I honestly didn’t know and I thought, oh now the criticism is going to start and here we are a few days later.” 

Asked if he would use the term again now that he understood its meaning, Malinauskas said: “No, I think it’s a term best avoided, particularly in a press conference”. 

“I try and choose my words deliberately because I think when leaders speak, you speak with an elevated platform that brings with it responsibility,” he said.

“That’s something I take seriously and I certainly, in a press conference – particularly in a press conference where we’ve got exceptionally good news for the state of South Australia – am not rushing to use terms that create controversy.”

Lensink said she didn’t believe that Malinauskas was unaware of the phrase’s derogatory meaning.

“I just don’t buy that for two seconds,” she said.

“The evidence is the smirk on his face – he clearly thought he was being pretty funny at the time.

“I think it’s pretty broadly understood what this offensive terminology means.”

Franks added that if Malinauskas didn’t know the meaning of the words it “should be no problem to apologise by now without us needing to call the press conference calling for it”.

The Opposition has previously criticised Malinauskas for yelling “given up, girls?” at a group of Young Liberals during a run and then telling the media: “I don’t think there’s any point getting your knickers in a knot about it”.