Susie O’Brien: Eddie McGuire’s gaffes marked him as yesterday’s man

Eddie McGuire has done some good things in his public life, but his retirement will close the door on The Footy Show era of sexist, racist humour.

It’s the right time for Eddie McGuire to go.

A disastrous Collingwood trade period, constant gaffes and a whiff of gaffes related to racism and sexism marks him as yesterday’s man.

McGuire, 56, represents the old guard, presiding over his fiefdom with fatherly concern and old-world dinosaur values.

Collingwood now has a chance to shake things up and put in place a president for the next decade, not the last.

McGuire has done some good things in his public life, and no one can doubt his commitment to Collingwood. But this year has shown renewal is sorely needed at the club.

His retirement at the end of next year closes the door on The Footy Show era of sexist, racist humour.

Collingwood Football Club President Eddie McGuire

McGuire means well, but he seems to think men’s footballing jobs are more important than women’s jobs. Remember when he said there were $500,000 reasons why the job of Crows star Rory Sloane was more valuable than his wife’s job?

Comments about the figures of male speed skaters, racist jibes about Sydney being the “land of the falafel” and saying he’d pay $50,000 to see female journalist Caroline Wilson drowned in an ice bath are all part of the Eddie McGuire legacy.

Perhaps the low point for McGuire was using a derogatory term to describe Indigenous player Adam Goodes in 2013. Or was it suggesting that double amputee Cynthia Banham wasn’t doing such a good job tossing a coin?

All of this is why McGuire isn’t the person to oversee “significant landmark initiatives in the area of equality, the fight against racism” at Collingwood that he announced yesterday.

The club continues to struggle in its dealing with former player Heritier Lumumba, who’s suing it over the racist treatment he says he was subject to for years.

During McGuire’s 22 years at the helm of the club, the Magpies won the 2010 premiership but then lost in 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2018. They’ve had some good times, but have battled internally in recent years.

I wish McGuire all the best, but he’s made the right decision to go. No doubt there will be some wishing it was sooner than the end of next year.