Hawthorn footy boss Graham Wright leaves club to join Collingwood

Collingwood is thrilled to have poached one of the architects of Hawthorn’s incredible dynasty. Graham Wright reveals why he made the switch.

Collingwood has announced Graham Wright as its new general manager of football, days after he resigned from Hawthorn to take up the role.

The Hawks made the surprise announcement on Saturday evening that Wright, one of the key architects of their incredible dynasty since 2008, had resigned from his role as head of football at the club to “pursue other opportunities”.

The Pies’ general manager of football role has been vacant since Geoff Walsh retired in November and Collingwood chief executive Mark Anderson said getting Wright was an excellent result for the club.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Graham’s calibre join the Collingwood Football Club, his experience and knowledge of the game will be a valuable addition to our football program,” he said.

“Graham’s record speaks for itself, he has a well-rounded resume and demonstrated success in recruiting and operations roles across the league and was involved in a highly-successful period at Hawthorn Football Club, most recently leading the football department.

Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Collingwood has poached Hawks footy boss Graham Wright. Picture: Michael Dodge/AAP

“Following a thorough recruitment process, we look forward to welcoming Graham back to the club and watching our football department develop further under his leadership.”

A premiership player for the Pies, Wright said he was thrilled to return to the club where he played 201 games between 1988 and 1998.

“Following a strong 2020 campaign and with a fresh crop of talent from last year’s draft, I am clearly stepping into a program with a strong foundation and a desire for even greater success,” he said.

Hawthorn CEO Justin Reeves said the club was fully supportive of the decision by Wright to seek out a new start with the Pies.

“Graham has given this club incredible service and we will be forever grateful for his contribution and commitment to the brown and gold,” said Reeves.

“While it is always disappointing to lose someone of Graham’s calibre, we are also supportive of his decision and understand that the time is right for Graham to seek a new challenge.”

Wright in action during his Collingwood playing days.

The position had been vacant since Walsh stepped down from the role in November, with Collingwood premiership captain Nick Maxwell and long-time club staffer Marcus Wagner acting as interim replacements until a successor was found.

Walsh had been contemplating his future for more than 12 months at the Pies and his departure came after a difficult post-season for Collingwood when it moved on Adam Treloar, Jaidyn Stephenson and Tom Phillips as part of aggressive decisions to alleviate salary cap pressure.

General manager of football operations Rob McCartney will replace Wright at the Hawks on an interim basis.

Originally published as Hawthorn footy boss Graham Wright leaves club to join Collingwood