Fed-up Collingwood supporter Shaun Campbell writes to president Eddie McGuire demanding answers

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has responded to the fan letter demanding answers from the club on the injury crisis that continues to engulf the club.

Collingwood supporter Shaun Campbell has sent a letter to club bosses about the Magpies’ injury crisis.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire says the Magpies are doing all they can to address the injury crisis that has engulfed the club.

Responding to a letter written by ‘hardcore Pies fan’ Shaun Campbell, which demanded answers about the injury situation, McGuire said the club is working hard behind the scenes to discover why it has been hit so hard by injuries.

The Magpies had 17 players on its injury list this week before Taylor Adams, Levi Greenwood (both hamstring), Jordan Roughead (concussion) and John Noble (calf) were named in the extended squad to face Gold Coast on Sunday.

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“All the things that are said there are right, all of those things have been addressed, they continue to be addressed to placate Shaun, if there is a Shaun Campbell out there,” he said on Triple M.

“I think we announced we were building a $70 million rehab and research centre at the Holden Centre.

“Do you reckon in amongst all that we’d be considering all of these things? And also that we haven’t looked at the eight million penetrometer readings etc etc on the (training) ground?

“We are taking all that on board but rest assured that we aren’t sitting down there drinking pina coladas of an afternoon, everyone is feverishly working and working towards the ultimate outcome.

Eddie McGuire says Collingwood is working hard to find out the cause of its injury crisis. Picture: Nicole Garmston

“Richmond went through a similar situation earlier this year and now they’re coming back. It’s a contact game and yep, it’s something we’re looking at.”

Campbell wrote to McGuire on Tuesday expressing dismay about what he claimed had been “inferior injury management”.

He wrote the club’s injury management had “cost us premierships, fan experience and being seen as a destination club”.

After he shared his letter on the club’s Round 20 injury update Twitter post, other fans said Campbell’s pleas were “perfect to a word” and thanked him for “informing Eddie and (the) club of what many supporters are thinking.”

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I’m a 29 year member that never tweets. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 perfect to a word.

— Brad Craine (@BradCraine) July 31, 2019

The injury post failed to detail recovery times for several senior regulars still sidelined four weeks out from finals.

Campbell said being a Magpies supporter involved “anxious waits on the injury list” and a “lack of transparency” which had “eroded any confidence I had in the club to manage the process of prevention, rehabilitation and a safe workplace”.

“I can assure you the average fan is far more researched and knowledgeable and treating them like fools will not equal greater membership and fan engagement,” Campbell wrote.

Nathan Murphy becomes available for the first time this season! Five Pies are set to face fitness tests ahead of Gold Coast.

Full round 20 injury report below. pic.twitter.com/XQttnqsffV

— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) July 30, 2019

Despite the Magpies’ alarming injury toll, Collingwood has insisted there will be no significant review of its injury management system above and beyond usual end-of-season assessments.

Collingwood has also rejected suggestions its Holden Centre training surface had contributed to a spate of a soft-tissue injuries.

Taylor Adams (hamstring), Jordan Roughead (concussion), Jordan De Goey (hamstring), Darcy Moore (hamstring), Tom Langdon (knee) and Ben Reid (hamstring) headline the club’s injury issues.

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The club has no plans to train at the its traditional Victoria Park headquarters.

Campbell asked McGuire to consider a review into high performance at the club, soft cap allocation and a review of the Holden Centre surface where the club trains.

“If you don’t have all the answers, it’s OK,” he wrote.

“We want it acknowledged and know that actions are happening within the club.

“I have full trust in you and your team to solve this, but the time is now and side-by-side, hopefully, the team and bodies stick together moving forward.”

Campbell’s Twitter post, shared on the club’s official injury update, was also praised as “well written” and “brilliant” by other fans.