Eddie McGuire won’t give up Collingwood presidency, inspired by passion shown by his sons

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire has reaffirmed his commitment to his struggling football club hours after suggesting he could step away.

AFL - Round 2 - Collingwood v Richmond at MCG , President Eddie McGuire with his scarf after the win. 1st April 2016. Picture: Colleen Petch.

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire has reaffirmed his commitment to his struggling football club hours after suggesting he could step away.

The Magpies will try to snap a dramatic form slump against Brisbane Lions on Saturday night in Nathan Buckley’s 100th match as senior coach.

McGuire said on radio he wondered “if I can go thought this any more” and considered “whether it is time for somebody to step through (as new president)” after Saturday’s loss to Carlton left Collingwood in 14th spot on the ladder.

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“I haven’t been laid that low from the footy for a long, long time. I was completely shattered,” McGuire said.

But McGuire told the Herald Sun on Monday he had faith Collingwood would rise from its poor start to the season, which leaves its finals hopes all but extinguished.

In his 18th year as Pies president, McGuire said he was inspired by the support of his two sons on Sunday morning.

“We are all feeling it keenly,” McGuire told the Herald Sun.

“You question everything and you get frustrated when the AFL take away everything you have built.

“You get smashed on equality and at the same time they (AFL) take your dough (through equalisation). There is the draft concessions, everything.

“They (AFL) take your ideas. It gets tough and you feel for the supporter base.

“But I was inspired by my two sons who refused to take off their jumpers.”

He said Collingwood’s coaches and players would have some “very strong conversations” this week and labelled the Brisbane clash at the Gabba “a big game, obviously”.

McGuire said he would not use the club’s shocking injury toll as an excuse, but said it was a factor in assessing the team’s performance.

Collingwood had eight players with 25 games AFL experience or less and was younger than Carlton in Saturday’s 15-point loss.

“We have got faith in everybody and we are going through a hard time with injuries, but we will fight and we will fight,” he said.

Seven players from the top-10 of last year’s best and fairest were missing from Saturday’s line-up, including Taylor Adams, Marley Williams, Dane Swan and omitted premiership players Travis Cloke and Nathan Brown.

Eddie McGuire said he was inspired when sons Alexander and Joseph refused to take their jumpers off after Saturday’s defeat. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Football manager Neil Balme said defender Ben Reid, who hurt his AC joint in the loss to Carlton, was a “reasonable chance” of facing the Lions on Saturday night, as was Nathan Brown after he hurt his hamstring in the VFL.

Out-of-favour forward Travis Cloke will be monitored closely after pulling out of the VFL with back pain, but Adams (knee) and Travis Varcoe (hamstring) could return to the field.

Tim Broomhead is out for the short-to-medium term with an ankle injury.

The Magpies have used 36 players so far this season, three more than Gold Coast, with 33.

Disappointed Collingwood players leave the field after the loss to Carlton. Picture: Michael Klein

Collingwood take on former Pies’ premiership midfielder Dayne Beams on Saturday night against the Lions, and then confront top-four contenders Geelong and Western Bulldogs in the following fortnight.

McGuire said the Pies needed to play with more consistency, after notching their only two wins against fellow strugglers Essendon and Richmond.

“We need to play a four-quarter effort. Whether or not our game plan is predicated on everyone being there, and having everyone going — and that’s not the case,” McGuire said on Triple M.

“I suppose that is the balance between what the coaches might be trying to do as far as just build a long-term plan that everyone adheres to and we get it right, and there’s probably some young players in there at the moment who can’t execute that plan, or whether we have to adjust our cloth.

“That will be the topic of very strong discussions this week amongst the coaching group and we have to turn it around. We’ve got Brisbane next week and it is a big game, obviously, for us.”