News Review into racism at Collingwood

[Helfarch]

Reposted to correct thread....

It’s hard to argue with any of the findings.

I’ve been actively supporting the Pies for 35+ years and really struggle to name even a dozen non-white players to have graced our list in that time. Contrast that to the likes of Hawthorn, Essendon, Port, West Coast, Kangas & Richmond (among others) who have had several multiples of our number over the same period.

Funnily enough, it’s probably a contributing factor to us having won only two flags in 62 years. We have regularly lacked the X-factor needed for ultimate success and that’s an attribute many non-white players bring to the game.

Technically First Nations people have been over represented in the AFL. The x-factor thing is unconscious bias and kinda racism. Didak kicks point of the century it's not because he is Croatian but a PoC does something impressive and it's because they are not white? Problematic.

Games and FLAGS!

To be fair the grand final is just a game

I think it goes a lot deeper than racism. I think that is just one facet of how Eddie runs organisations. Protect the brand and cover their own arses at all costs. It’s exactly how the treloar situation was handled. Not surprised at all.

Corporate culture, how can I offload responsibility today? Doesn't matter what it is or if it goes poorly as long as blame directed at me is mitigated it's a good move. KPI met, give me my bonus.

 

[TKiL]

Eddie should have left a while ago but its also a gutsy call to instigate the review knowing the outcome.

I'll give social media a miss for a while so I don't have to put up with people from glass houses.

Cwood HQ right next door to the Glasshouse!

 

[HeathySure]

Eddie should have left a while ago but its also a gutsy call to instigate the review knowing the outcome.

I'll give social media a miss for a while so I don't have to put up with people from glass houses.

There is nothing gutsy about instigating the review. We have had one player who has banged on about this for many years with nothing happening. IT should have happened years ago. I think that player deserves an apology from a lot of people on here but they wont because as that report says, its ingrained in Collingwoods culture.

 

[Len Smith Medallist]

The content of the report is a sad indictment of Collingwood but not surprising to most on this forum or connected to the club in any way. The Club's response - waiting a month, being caught by a leak - wil further undermine any trust that the current administration has any capacity to deal with it's implications. Eddie has flagged his departure at the end of this year. This must be brought forward and further board changes need to be made. It is after all made in the image of its creator.

 

[jmac70]

I'd like to know why it has been leaked, rather than released by the club.

Very frustrating that it takes a leak for the information to start to filter through.

It's clear now that Ed fell on his sword because of this report. Why not say that at the beginning? Why not say that the report has been received and the findings show that the club handled things inadequately under his watch?

Always been a supporter of Eddie, but this sh*t drives me crazy. Just be transparent FFS.

This is it in a nutshell. Club has sat on the report for a month, before someone leaked it. Yet another attempt at covering up and protecting the brand.

Go now Ed

 

[Antz]

So Harry was right in the end?

 

[jerry springer]

its time for this grifting football "club" to be knocked down and built back up from scratch

And that includes the head coach who is smack bang in the middle of this culture

 

[unplugged]

So Harry was right in the end?

Can't help but think even if he wasn't right we'd still tell him he was, just so he can sleep at night.

 

[MagpieJoel]

So Harry was right in the end?

He was regarding the report being held back. I wonder if he received a copy eventually and that is where the leak has come from.

 

[Len Smith Medallist]

In rebuilding the Collingwood board following the era of Eddie, let's hope we can do things a bit differently. Not only differently to what Collingwood has done but every other club as well as the AFL. Instead of looking to corporate Australia for board members, let's look a bit more broadly and with cogniscence of the roots of the club. Rather than accountants from the Big 4 why not the not for profit sector? Rather than high flying silks look at community legal services. Management expertise from the union sector. More representation from grass roots sporting organisations.

One thing is certain. If you keep doing the same things you will get the same results.

 

[Daicos Torpedo]

Get rid of the president and the other rats. Reminds me of president in the 80's... and the board... old blokes club
Get with the 21st century.

 

[peter9789]

Ed has nowhere to hide and no doubt the reports findings sounded the death knell on his presidency. I would prefer he step away immediately and not serve out the season.

Ultimately I think the board has shown a lack of governance here in this key area. A board needs constant renewal and I'm hoping this is the case and they face into the head winds the club is facing now.

Lots of work to do to rebuild the clubs tarnished image.

Finally as for Heritiers comments on twitter - he does himself no great service in dancing on the grave of a club that gave him so much.

 

[Helfarch]

Ed has nowhere to hide and no doubt the reports findings sounded the death knell on his presidency. I would prefer he step away immediately and not serve out the season.

Ultimately I think the board has shown a lack of governance here in this key area. A board needs constant renewal and I'm hoping this is the case and they face into the head winds the club is facing now.

Lots of work to do to rebuild the clubs tarnished image.

Finally as for Heritiers comments on twitter - he does himself no great service in dancing on the grave of a club that gave him so much.

Constant board turnover is not a sign of a healthy organisation.

 

[HeathySure]

Ed has nowhere to hide and no doubt the reports findings sounded the death knell on his presidency. I would prefer he step away immediately and not serve out the season.

Ultimately I think the board has shown a lack of governance here in this key area. A board needs constant renewal and I'm hoping this is the case and they face into the head winds the club is facing now.

Lots of work to do to rebuild the clubs tarnished image.

Finally as for Heritiers comments on twitter - he does himself no great service in dancing on the grave of a club that gave him so much.

What do you want HL to do? Sit idly by? He has been screaming about this for years and it has finally independently shown that he was justified in his criticism. If he didn't speak up none of this would come to light and Collingwood would keep on keeping on in their Neanderthal behaviour. Its just Colin Kapernik all over again. Yeah he is right but stuff him he spoke out so he should remain silent.

 

[magpietray]

Full copy of review

https://media.news.com.au/multimedia/2021/file.pdf

 

[Chrispiesssss]

As a POC who loves this football club, it’s pretty sh|t knowing this is what goes on behind closed doors.

We were asked to support the club last year even when we couldn’t go to games yet were treating POC disgustingly.

Embarrassing.

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

Full copy of review

https://media.news.com.au/multimedia/2021/file.pdf

Ed needs to resign now. This lack of competence and ethics as a leader would get him fired from most public companies.


Thanks magpietray - Salient words from the report (my bold):


'The Collingwood Football Club was established in 1892 on the land of the Kulin Nation. It was a time when Melbourne was heavily racially segregated and the suburb of Collingwood was working-class. The Club drew its players and supporters from that working-class base.

The Collingwood staff and leadership speak about its roots as a Club that has been based in a historically disadvantaged and culturally diverse place, and point to a tradition of promoting the underdog. This is a history that resonates with many who support the Club and there is clear pride in this narrative.

This is a history that should speak to inclusion and anti-racism, but that is not always the case. Despite its location at the heart of a significant Indigenous community, Collingwood was the last VFL/AFL Club to recruit an Indigenous player when they signed Wally Lovett in 1982 and retained him for that season. Collingwood did not recruit another Indigenous player until 1995.

For a long time, Collingwood embraced the idea that it was ‘the biggest and the best’. Many now feel uncomfortable with this characterisation — seeing it not just as the kind of hyperbole that got people offside, but that it didn’t reflect the true values of the Club.

Today, Collingwood claims to be guided by four formal values — belonging (‘I am never alone. We are all a part of a bigger cause. When I belong I can count on your support.’), commitment (My loyalty and decisive action for you is absolute. We stick together side by side through good times and bad.’), realising potential (‘My Club uses the collective effort of many to turn good into best. We inspire and fulfil hopes, dreams and aspirations.’), and caring (‘My Club listens, consults, values and respects. We embrace diversity and welcome all as equals.’).

However, there is a gap — a very big one — between what Collingwood Football Club says it stands for and what it does.'

 

[Billys Back]

As many have said, very disappointing but hardly surprising.

If you have a ‘media man’ as president, well the primary skills he brings is promotion and protection of the brand. It’s just astounding that given Eddie’s relatively young age, he has severely failed to comprehend the changing landscape over the past 10 years.

It starts from the top. But how far do we go?

 

[chestbrah]

The report goes as far as to suggest reparations....

I agree with most parts of the review and report. There are however several parts of the report that appear to be personal viewpoints and beliefs (selfishly and virtuously expressed) of the author rather than understandings of fact or related to the terrible instances of racism within the club.

Hopefully the club learns from this. Be better.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

So Harry was right in the end?

The report was not an investigation into his specific allegations. Quote: ' Although the allegations made by Mr. Lumumba were an impetus for the Collingwood Football Club to undertake a review of their internal processes and Club culture, it needs to be stressed that this is not an investigation into those allegations. It was clear that Mr. Lumumba, understandably given his history at the Club, did not wish to engage in a review process. It is not appropriate to review those allegations without Mr. Lumumba’s involvement. Nothing in this review can be taken as exonerating the Club from any alleged wrongdoing.'

 

[Apples]

I read an anonymous statement from an AFL club in The Age this morning saying that whenever a racial issue popped up, Coillingwood was never far away. Hard to argue with that really.

I can go back as far as the Syd Jackson controversy in the early 70s. I watched Jackson, with his back to the umpire and surrounded by players), punch Lee Adamson in the face as they were both on the ground. I have no doubt Jackson would have been racially abused during his career, but the Adamson matter was a Carlton confection, probably by that loathsome arseh*le, George Harris.

I was sitting in the front row of the Sherrin Stand as Nicky Winmar lifted his jumper. Ditto when Robert Muir was abused by bone-toting social club members. I remember the Monkhurst scandal too. Tony Shaw was in the thick of it at one stage also, but I can't remember those details.

Our supporter base has been involved too, but no more than any other club. During the Adam Goodes booing times, Carlton, North Melbourne, Essendon, West Coast supporters were also a disgrace as was the AFL itself. If Adam Goodes were to come out today and make a comment, the offensive racist trolls would materialise out of thin air. And there would be plenty here as well.

Good on Coliingwood for initiating the report. Now it's been tabled, the Club needs to swiftly announce its plans to make changes. I suspect many of the recommendations would have been made before the report was even tabled.

I'm not commenting on Eddie or the Board. There is an AGM this week is there not? I suspect we'll hear a lot about this at that meeting. The Club has had a couple of months to prepare a response and they have released this report to coincide with that.

Interesting times ahead.

 

[Scodog10]

The outcome doesn’t exactly shock me and the timing of employment changes within the club quite possibly provide a snapshot into whether the report was gaining momentum through December...

The only clarity I’d like on the findings are the timelines because they play a role in this for me. For instance if we’re receiving a look into behaviours of a decade ago I’m less agitated by this because we have potentially made changes for the better since then, but if this is remotely linked to the present then that changes the complexion of the issue entirely. That’s not to downplay the severity of the report at all rather the context of it.

“Collingwood's response has often been perceived as one where claims of racism are dealt with in terms of damage control and protecting the brand”... I also wanted to highlight the word perceived there because I think some will jump on the brand management stuff and overlook that it was found to be a perception rather than factual. The two can often blend, but I think in this case it’s an important distinction.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

This really strikes me as a review telling me that water is wet. It is utterly necessary and an important step in dragging the club to where we want it to go, but the shock and the outrage at it’s conclusions I find baffling.

A few home truths and a shake-up which goes beyond the corporate facade are in order. Then steps to prevent us falling back into old habits when the spotlight moves elsewhere.

 

[Mkcaptain]

“Collingwood's response has often been perceived as one where claims of racism are dealt with in terms of damage control and protecting the brand”... I also wanted to highlight the word perceived there because I think some will jump on the brand management stuff and overlook that it was found to be a perception rather than factual. The two can often blend, but I think in this case it’s an important distinction.

That's a fair point but to me it depends on who is doing the perceiving. Reading that I would assume that the perception is coming from the victims of racist incidents themselves. In which case my opinion is that the distinction isn't particularly relevant if its a recurring theme from victims. I'm not entirely sure how the report could be in a position to make factual findings about whether the response was about damage control. That would involve needing to make a definitive call about the intentions behind the responses, on the balance of probabilities you could reasonably assume the intention was damage control, but without discounting the chance that it was a genuine response I think all that we are left with are the victims' perceptions of the situation

But if that perception is coming from parties to the situation other than the victims then I'd agree that point shouldn't be jumped on as strongly as it has been.

 

[Mkcaptain]

Not sure why the report recommends a new CEO. Mark Anderson wasn't around when the HL stuff was happening or when Ed was in full flight with his gaffes.

I think that was listed as one of the good first steps taken by the club. "Important and positive steps have been taken by the Club in the past few years. This has included the appointment of a First Nations person to the board, the introduction of new policies that more directly target racism and the appointment of a new CEO who has a commitment to making changes."