“If we lose Cloke I will have a war chest and will declare war on the world. And first port of call will be Fremantle, don’t worry about that. You think I’m joking don’t you? I’m not joking, I promise you.”
These were the words of Eddie McGuire at Saturday’s presidents lunch before Collingwood versus Fremantle. It was not dissimilar to how he threatened GWS if they made an attempt at Scott Pendlebury a little under a year ago.
In both these circumstances, McGuire has ‘declared war’, as well as threatened to steal each clubs’ young talent. At least in this declaration of war against Fremantle he stopped short of saying he would ‘go feral’ and ‘make it my life’s ambition to run them into the ground’.
Eddie, don’t forget your role. You are the president of a football club, not a list manager, not a recruiting manager. You are not the coach, you are the president. This essentially means you control finances and have a minor say in what players should be maintained/recruited to the club, in which you only really say what salary they should receive.
Maybe consider your premiership ambitions before you decide to go after young players specifically because of revenge, but if you want to recruit Matt De Boer, Michael Barlow and Ryan Crowley to a midfield already consisting of Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury, Luke Ball, Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams, good luck to you.
The fact is whatever shred of likability that McGuire creates while hosting Hot Seat is lost when he makes ridiculous statements like this. It reeks of arrogance and being a sore loser. He is acting like to the kid in the sandbox who screams and stomps if his toy is taken away from him.
All in all that’s what McGuire is sometimes, a big kid who makes a obnoxious fuss whenever something doesn’t go his way. Let’s not forget the ongoing complaints he made about Collingwoods 2012 fixture when they have probably had the easiest run of any team for the past 4-5 years.
It’s having people like McGuire at the forefront of your football club which makes opposition supporters hate them, a stance embraced by Collingwood in their most recent membership campaign slogan It’s us against them.
Let’s hope Fremantle’s senior figures come out and make a statement against McGuire. With any sort of luck Fremantle might declare war back on Collingwood for there poaching of Chris Tarrant after they dumped him there in the first place.
Jsteel
Roar Pro
Didnt mean to diss the freo players at all, I was mentioning players that Collingwood could get in return that they don't need
Oracle
Guest
Won't be long before Eddie declares war on himself
Jsteel
Roar Pro
Counting 2012 is irrelevant as Collingwoods fixture is generally thought of as being difficult this year Lets compare the other Victorian clubs in 2011 to Collingwoods 4 interstate games (which there first was in round 15) Interstate 'away' games Geelong - 6 St. Kilda - 6 North Melbourne - 6 Carlton - 4 Melbourne - 3 + 1 'home' interstate game Essendon - 5 Richmond - 5 + 1 'home' interstate game Hawthorn - 5 + 4 'home' interstate games Western Bulldogs - 5 + 1 'home' interstate game The reason why I count the 'home' interstate games is because the clubs usually do this in a deal with the AFL that the amount of 'away' interstate games will be limited (aside from Hawthorn, who count Launceston as a 2nd home). For the record I wasn't meaning recent times as in only 2010/2011, here is there away games in 2009 and 2008 2009 - 4 2008 - 4
Knoxy
Guest
As a paid up Collingwood Legends member I think that Eddie has done a magnificent job as the president of our club. Having said that I really wish that he would just shut up for a bit. He's not doing the club any favours with these public rants. The other incident earlier in the year in which he had a go at Malthouse for a comment he made about Collingwood (his job now that he's in the media) also annoyed me. It only added to the pressure already on Bucks and the team after the loss to Carlton. Full credit to Buckley for the way he handled himself. It must have been frustrating for him. Eddie just needs to pull his head in and let Buckley and the team go about there business without any unnecessary distractions.
Syd Marty
Guest
I'm a paid up Collingwood Member, and have been so for a number of years, but Eddie is fast becoming embarrassing. Don't get me wrong, he has done a lot of great things for the club, but increasingly he treats the club like his own private play thing. Collingwood is fast becoming an extension of Eddie and he has lost all perspective of where he and the club start and finish. I think its time he take some of his own advice and we as a club start to look at succession planning at the Presidential level. After all if it was good enough for Mick.....
Luke
Guest
Quick research - I had my wires crossed a little with Richmond. But here is a breakdown of the terribly unfair, completely bias, Collingwood-rule-the-earth, draw of the last 3 years: Richmond - 2010 MCG Games: 12 interstate away games: 5 2011 MCG Games: 12 interstate away games: 5 2012 MCG Games: 13 interstate away games: 6 Melbourne - 2010 MCG Games: 14 interstate away games: 4 2011 MCG Games: 13 interstate away games: 3 2012 MCG Games: 13 interstate away games: 4 Collingwood - 2010 MCG Games: 14 interstate away games: 4 2011 MCG Games: 14 interstate away games: 4 2012 MCG Games: 14 interstate away games: 5 Essendon: interstate away games: 2010: 3 2011: 5 2012: 5 And this whole MCG is their home ground crap - they don't train there, don't have offices there. Yet people think it is a conspiracy when the biggest club plays a lot at the biggest venue.
Luke
Guest
But what I am saying is that it is simply not true. If you don't believe me, go and do the math. Most years (every year as far as I know) Richmond and Melbourne play more games at home and fewer away games interstate. I am excluding teams that sell a game interstate. Surely that should not be counted (ie: that is not the draw's fault). What I am saying is the belief that Collingwood get more advantages than anyone in the draw is a myth that people uncritically choose to believe. Before last season a major paper published an article saying C'wood once again had the easiest draw and cited how when we do play away we always get the easy interstate matches - except we got the two hardest interstate draws that year (Freo and Syd - all the other interstate teams were shite except WC went from wooden spoon to top 4). Kasey criticises the "when" component of our interstate draws. Well this year they play WC in round 22 in Perth and Sydney and GWS a handful of weeks earlier, right before finals. What I am saying is that it is fun to say Collingwood have the easiest draws, but when you analyse the draws it is just not true.
Australian Rules
Guest
The more chance of Buddy lining up for the West Sydney Wanderers...
Jsteel
Roar Pro
I have no problem with presidents speaking with passion about there own club. James Brayshaw does it well and even Frank Costa back in his time at Geelong. The thing I take issue with his when a president is arrogant and appears to try and bully other clubs into not touching there players. Did you see Geelong doing that in the Gary Ablett saga, Melbourne during the Tom Scully saga, Adelaide with Patrick Dangerfield or even West Coast with Chris Judd? (Even though in each circumstance, and this one, it is the players choice.)
Jsteel
Roar Pro
I don't hate Collingwood mate, far from it. If you want me to post Collingwoods recent fixtures I will, even though for years there was complaints from opposition club's and there supporters about the ease of there draw. The reason for this was because most Victorian clubs want to play them as there home game in Melbourne, leaving more games for Collingwood at home against interstate clubs. While from Collingwoods standpoint its not there fault, but it did lead to them having relatively easy draws there for a while.
Jsteel
Roar Pro
Interesting idea, if there's one thing Eddie has its a good head for business. Wouldn't surprise me if this was his angle, if it is his done his job in outrage opposition supporters
Westy
Guest
Good one johno, I would love to see Bluddy Franklin in that purple outfit because it keep the Hawthorn mob quiet for a change.
johno
Guest
Fremantle fans are extremely disparaging of our senior figures aka "the Steve's" - these two perma-tanned clowns don't speak for the Freo faithful so the less they say the better. Eddie is doing what Eddie does best - creating the news. As all Dockers fans know - Cloke is a ruse, meanwhile in the background the real leg work is being done for Buddy..... We can only dream of such delussions of competency by our recruiters.....
Redb
Roar Guru
Your post runneth away all the way over to code war. Boring dribble.
Scott
Guest
"Let’s hope Fremantle’s senior figures come out and make a statement against McGuire. With any sort of luck Fremantle might declare war back on Collingwood for there poaching of Chris Tarrant after they dumped him there in the first place." There's as much chance of that happening as there is of Fremantle winning the Grand Final this year. Nada! Zilch! Zero!
Kasey
Guest
Don't forget it's also 'when' these trips interstate occur. This season alone the pies were in Melbourne for all of rounds 1 through 6, giving them plenty of time to build up a head of steam before undertaking the arduous trip north to the gabba. A potential banana skin is much easier to avoid when oone has ones tail up after a 4-2 start with fully 4 of your first 4 games at the MCG(aka home) No other team gets that boon. Sh*t some teams don't even get to play on the MCG once per season. The AFL draw is a FIX-ture, not a draw and is hopelessly compromised of its integrity in the chase for bigger crowds and TV money. The year before IIRC Collingwood didn't leave Melbourne for the first time until about June/July!
Matt F
Roar Guru
Yeah I can't wait until the Bulldogs take on Port Adelaide at the MCG on ANZAC Day.......
Luke
Guest
That game would still involve Collingwood at present. C'mon guys, Google searches are easy
Luke
Guest
illegal?? C'mon dude that is just silly.
Luke
Guest
4 times Kasey - on par with most Melbourne based clubs (save for those who sell home games interstate) and one more than some clubs. They also played three of the top 4 teams from the previous season twice (Collingwood were the 4th top 4 team). That did not include hawthorn, who they also played twice. They also played the Bulldogs twice at the Bulldogs' home ground. As I said, the author just didn't fact check. Your opinions about Eddie may well be right on the money though