Collingwood board drama: Fan petition gains big support as Bridie O’Donnell conflict concerns emerge
A Collingwood fan petition calling for an extraordinary general meeting is still gaining signatures, but has run into unforeseen complications.
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A Collingwood members petition to spill the entire board has now collected 1700 signatures, but COVID has intervened to delay its potential lodging.
Member David Hatley collected more signatures over the weekend as the Pies again fell to another dispiriting loss, including a goalless first half.
Hatley told the Herald Sun on Sunday his petition was still online despite him securing the required number of signatures to spill the board.
But he has pledged to Collingwood president Mark Korda that he will meet with him and any potential board members before lodging the document.
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Hatley said under current COVID restrictions no meeting could take place, so that meeting with Korda will be pushed back.
Collingwood CEO Mark Anderson said recently that depending on the specifics of the petition the club would have to spill the board within 30 days.
It remains to be seen whether the Pies could convince Hatley not to lodge that petition if they made promises regarding some of the issues he and his fellow members have raised.
Collingwood board member Jodie Sizer said on Saturday she saw no reason for a spill..
“I really, to be honest, personally don’t understand all the noise that is going on in the background. Everyone that is on the board has their right to be in their elected positions,” Sizer told 3AW.
“The board has been established with a clear and deliberate skills matrix. The mix and skills that we have from commercial and business and global leadership and football and tech and women’s sport, the board is very well equipped and we are midway through a significant change process. I am really excited about what is coming on the horizon.
“I don’t understand all the noise that suggests some unrest. It’s a very well-equipped board. There is no unrest internally as an organisation and we are really clear about our actions for the future.”
BOARD DRAMA: WHY PIES CAN’T IGNORE PETITION
— Glenn McFarlane, Jay Clark, Michael Warner
Forty-year Magpie member David Hatley hopes to have more than 2000 signatures by the weekend for his petition to force an extraordinary general meeting at Collingwood later this year.
Hatley remains committed to his campaign of trying to force a spill of all board positions and bring about the club’s first election in more than 20 years.
He had already received 1600 signatures for his petition, which he believes is more than double the amount of eligible voting members required to bring about an EGM.
The plan had been to try and collect more signatures at the Collingwood-Geelong this weekend, but that is subject to what COVID restrictions are in place by then.
Hatley is also collecting signatures on a digital platform – magpievoice.com – and plans to deliver the petition to president Mark Korda and the club.
“Once our group has reconvened and finalised our plan, we will then approach Mark Korda and the club for another meeting, as we promised last Friday at the Holden Centre,” Hatley told the Herald Sun.
“We want to work with the current board to facilitate the best possible outcome for all at Collingwood.
“The members have strongly advised they want the real opportunity to vote on board members.
“It’s a very consistent theme in our feedback.
“Once the EGM is triggered, we welcome all the incumbent board members to re-stand for their positions, but importantly declare their vision on how they will really reconnect with the membership base.
“We also want to see the vast number of challengers do the same and let’s see who wins.
“That’s democracy.”
Hatley said he had been overwhelmed by the support his campaign had received, saying the members wanted to have a say on the issues that mattered most to them.
“It has increased our resolve that we, the club members, need to have democracy and accountability returned to Collingwood,” he said.
“The members want their social club open (COVID aside) on match days for them (and) not booked out for private functions not aligned with Collingwood.
“The members want to celebrate and commiserate together our wins and losses at a dedicated Collingwood venue as promised when the Glasshouse was built.”
While Hatley has not heard from the club in recent days, it his intention to seek another meeting with Korda and ask the Collingwood president to stand down.
A board room showdown looms between Korda and influential lawyer Jeff Browne who has strong support to take over the leadership of the club.
Korda on Sunday asked fans to hold off on the EGM, saying three board positions would be up for election in the off-season.
Korda said he was confident the Magpies could right the ship on the field and make the right call on the future of out-of-contract senior coach Nathan Buckley in the back half of the year.
But Hatley has no plans to shelve the leadership challenge, saying members want change after a tumultuous off-season which saw former president Eddie McGuire stand down.
“On top of our very impressive paper EGM petition signatures yesterday, our online digital signature capture is gaining significant traction by the minute,” Hatley said.
“We will give the Collingwood members every opportunity to cast their interest this week until Saturday night to push ahead with an EGM.
“As one 47-year social club member said to us: ‘We don’t have social club anymore as the Glasshouse is rarely open for us (COVID-19 aside)’.
“We just want that club-feel back, and we want a real election.”
CONFLICT FEARS FOR NEW MAGPIE BOARD MEMBER
Collingwood’s contentious new board member Bridie O’Donnell was initially denied clearance to take a role at the club because of a conflict of interest with her State Government job.
O’Donnell was forced to withdraw from the Magpies recruitment process on April 22 because of her “prevailing work arrangements”.
But the public servant was later given clearance to join Collingwood’s board after transferring some of her government job responsibilities to a co-executive director.
O’Donnell, a medical practitioner who is the executive director of the Victorian Government’s public events team, was announced as Collingwood’s latest board member last Tuesday.
A Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions spokesperson said: “Bridie O’Donnell advised the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions of her potential appointment to an unpaid position on the board of the Collingwood Football Club before her appointment was confirmed.
“We are satisfied that any conflicts can be managed.”
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula said the management of public servants was a matter for the Secretary of the Department.
“The Secretary has briefed me on the plan the Department has put in place to manage any conflicts,” Pakula said.
O’Donnell admitted that she had only been a Collingwood member since February 2020.
As a result, she is unable to make any decisions at board level until next year’s AGM.
Mark Korda assumed the role of Collingwood president and VRC chairman Neil Wilson joined the Magpies board on April 21 — the day before O’Donnell initially withdrew from her pursuit of a role at the club.
O’Donnell was the inaugural Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation between 2017-2020 and a physician with Epworth HealthCheck between 2013-2017.
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