Sometimes too much of a good thing can extend too long a time, and success on and off the field can cloud just when the time has come to move on.
In many ways this is the case of the Collingwood Football Club and in particular the tenure of its president, Eddie McGuire.
Full disclosure before I start. I am a fourth-generation Collingwood supporter whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all born in Collingwood. My father’s uncle Jock was said to have had black and white running in his veins. I grew up with the Colliwobbles and I celebrated my 21st birthday on the day Collingwood broke their 32-year drought with the 1990 grand final victory. So I have a great deal of my life invested in the Collingwood Football Club.
Since his investiture as president back in 1998 Eddie and his fellow board members over that period have done an amazing job reinventing the club and bringing it back to prosperity both on and off the field. Six grand finals (including the drawn 2010 decider) have only brought one premiership but the team has been competitive and there is hope for further success this season.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Eddie’s face and voice within the media, on television and on radio, has been a major part in the revitalisation and growth of the Magpies over the last two decades. His leadership, along with that of the Collingwood board, to bring in sponsors and advertising capital as well as building the enormous membership base the club now enjoys has been a major fillip.
In recent times, however, it has become more obvious that Eddie’s presence across so many platforms is beginning to impinge on the club, and it feels as though it was time that a change was instituted – that the face and voice of the organisation must move with the times and give the club some clean air in the constant debates it is involved in.
When outsiders hear about Collingwood one word consistently raises its ugly head: racism. Unfairly or not, somehow the Magpies seem to be in the centre of the storm. Nicky Winmar’s stance at Victoria Park – to be fair, before Eddie’s time at Collingwood. Heritier Lumumba’s public battle against sections of the club from his playing days. A teenage supporter racially sledging Adam Goodes – though hers would hardly have been the only voice.
That’s just a very short and immediate list of the more visible and audible cases that centre on racism within the club and also the fan-base.
Eddie has hardly held himself perfectly through this discussion. At best he was ‘casually racist’ when it came to linking Goodes to King Kong in one of his radio discussions at the centre of the whole debate of the booing of that player. He has staunchly stood up and defended the club in other instances – certainly in the Lumumba case – made some thoughtless comments on his live radio program that often seem to conflict with any current talking point to further outrage certain groups and communities and just this week felt the need to find a way to lessen the blame on Steele Sidebottom after his brainless escapades.
He becomes overly belligerent when asked tough questions and overly contrite when a major boo-boo occurs. On occasion, it does the club and the debate more harm than good.
Much the same way as I would cringe watching the Australian cricket team verbally abusing their opponents in the months leading up to the sandpaper scandal, it is how I cringe every time a Collingwood player or the club gets dragged into yet another off-field saga. Behaviour that is cultivated over a long period of time sometimes seems like it is too hard to change, and yet Australian cricket under Tim Paine and Justin Langer has shown that it can be done.
Nathan Buckley’s softening attitude over the past two years has given hope that the club can follow suit, but it needs new leadership at the top. Someone who is not inextricably tied to the media, someone who will take a serious look at the club culture and bring about an open and honest discussion on the processes in place without looking for a media spin on it all.
Unless Eddie is not involved, there will always be a doubt in the football public’s mind as to the process involved and the conclusions reached to any problems that crop up within Collingwood.
We can’t ever stop Eddie talking about the Collingwood Football Club. And neither should he. He was a fan long before he was an advocate and the president of the club. His passion within the media will always fuel any debate that goes on that has even the slightest slice of the Magpies involved. But let that be the part he can play, showing his support and love for his club without being the one who is tied up in the decision-making process.
He has done a wonderful job making Collingwood one of our best sporting institutions. Now it is time to let someone else guide it into the future.
Rich1234
Roar Rookie
Really interesting article Bill so thank you for posting. Fascinating that a number of pies supporters and you think this way. I am not a pies supporter but I like to see a strong collingwood team but I tend to agree with you. He may have done a good job but he is now too conflicted and just continuously makes dumb mistakes and comments. I can’t listen to him anymore I am afraid. For me the Goode’s comment was the last straw. However, here is the bad news. He is absolutely going nowhere anytime soon. Without the pies job I think his days in the media are numbered. His profile will wane, his influence and ability to be an influencer and a ‘power broker’ will diminish if not disappear and his ego is way way too big for that to happen. Who is going to tell him that it is time for a change and to move on because he won’t do it. Nope, I think you will probably have him for at least another 20 years or so. Cheers
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Eddie Likes the Sound of Eddie's voice too much for him to give the Pies some "Free Air"
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Not arguing against you, just that you can be a hard man or woman, as the case may be.
Pieman
Guest
well interesting article. Collingwood was around a long time before Eddie was and yet its become his. He is way out of line with the extent that his dictatorship has ruled. I was a pie supporter all my life...now i have moved on because im sick and tired of ed and buckley...no other club in the world would keep a coach so long without success...ed thinks he knows best. Well the best is if they both moved on 4 years ago. He is too full of himself to think pies could succeed without him. Unfortunately some gullible supporters have blind faith in his speel that it gives him a baseless platform to continue. Maybe he has developed Collingwood financially .......ed is just another money man who thinks he knows better than anyone else. Time to go
Johnno
Roar Rookie
Eddie has 4 areas he is involved in - President, supporter, media & AFL senior war member (forgot the real name). He does 2 really well & 2 very poorly (from a non Victorian)
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Adelaide should be using the "too much Vodka / Wrong Camp Door" excuse?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Eddie has defended his but attacked theirs with his hypocritic oath.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
They like to be put in power for as long as they can.
Nick
Roar Guru
Just stating the truth. If you have a president that refuses to condemn errant player behaviour, then what do you expect? The fact then that his legion of dullards then line lock step behind him and defend the message means they deserve the ridicule.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Spruce, you are a bit like Buddha. There is a crowbar in that handbag. :silly:
Kane
Roar Rookie
Eddie wouldn't allow the change in constitution whilst he's in charge, too bloody arrogant and self entitled.
Mooty
Roar Rookie
Twenty two years, how has he lasted that long? Don’t Collingwood have annual membership elections for officials, if so they mustn’t be embarrassed by him. I don’t think any other clubs constitutions would allow a president to stay in office for that long. Very few democratic countries in the world allow it.
Nick
Roar Guru
True. She's perfect. She's even done time behind bars so can sympathise with the fan base.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Pauline Hanson is available after losing a tv gig this morning, perfect fit to succeed Eddie
Nick
Roar Guru
When people start to think club presidency is more important that the football arm of the club, then they are the wrong person for the role. And the fact is that Eddie McGuire thinks he is the most important aspect of Collingwood and not the football team(s). He needs to jog on.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Eddie should do like Jeff Kennett and step aside once it's clear he's getting in the way of things. No reason Collingwood don't go back to him in the future when there's a crisis in 10 years, much as the Hawks did with Jeffrey. Pies fans deserve a break from Eddie, he's been in charge for over 20 years - it should not be a job for life.
RT
Roar Rookie
The problem with dictators is they don't like giving up power, so never plan for succession and you always need "a little longer".
Boo
Guest
A well balanced article and I concur Eddie has done good things for his club but his tenure is up.Collingwood gets a lot of flak from the media because any Magpie story sells but they are a very inclusive club and Eddie has done many great things for the community along with his regular gaffes.Rightly or wrongly the line side by side we stick together sums up the club and there supporters rarely do the Pies hang one of there own out to dry and IMO Eddie is following suit with Sidebottom .
Nick
Roar Guru
Come on Pedro... All of those "cultural" issues can be explained by the players in question having a few too many scotches and they aren't normally drinkers of scotch. I guarantee none of the above would have happened if the players and officials just stuck to the beers. No cultural issues to speak of. Move along. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Is there a "culture" problem at Collingwood? In recent years they have had issues with racism, drugs, police matters, COVID19 breaches ... and they defend the indefensible. The fish rots from it's head.