Bitter board battle at Collingwood looms as Korda hits back at Browne

Collingwood president Mark Korda will not vacate his role, setting the scene for a bitter battle of the board with prominent football identity Jeff Browne.

Collingwood’s current board has rejected a call from aspiring president Jeff Browne, pictured with former Magpies president Eddie McGuire, to stand aside.

Collingwood president Mark Korda will not vacate the presidency of the Magpies, setting the scene for a bitter battle of the board with prominent football identity Jeff Browne.

Korda only assumed the leadership role at Collingwood months after Eddie McGuire brought forward his resignation to February in the fallout from the Magpies’ Do Better report.

But he is confident in the financial strength of the club and believes the incumbent board is capable of sustaining success off the field as the Magpies begin their rebuild on it.

Browne had hoped at least four of the Magpies board would stand aside to enable an orderly takeover of Collingwood, with the proviso he would be elevated to the presidency.

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But in a stinging rebuttal to his ambitions, the current board labelled his motivations as purely personal and highlighted the lack of detail behind his push for a board overhaul.

“The board of the Collingwood Football Club stands for unity, not division, and will therefore stand against coups driven by personal ambition,” a statement signed by the entire board read.

“Not one, let alone four of the current board is prepared to step aside to allow a boardroom coup as proposed by Jeff Browne to proceed.

“A coup is not warranted, it has not been justified and it cannot be justified. Nor is it in step with good governance or the will of members to agree to the demands of an individual member wanting only to be president.

“In any case, there is no vision, no ticket, no compelling strategy for you to consider for us to step aside. How could any board entertain a request to step aside without first knowing these things?”

While Collingwood’s current financial position is extremely strong, despite the impact of Covid-19, the Magpies’ on-field woes have sharpened the spotlight on a club which has won just two of 11 matches this year.

The Magpies on Wednesday received a medical exemption to enter South Australia to play the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday but face strict guidelines. Players and staff cannot leave their houses before flying to Adelaide, even to get food and essentials which are to be delivered instead.

After agitation from former Collingwood players and identities including Craig Kelly and Peter Moore, Browne finally put on the record his ambition for the Magpies presidency on Tuesday.

The former managing director of the Nine Network, who has worked as the AFL’s chief legal adviser, said he was motivated to rectify what he described as a malaise at Collingwood.

“Collingwood is a great club and strong and united leadership is critical if we are to move beyond our current malaise,” he said.

“There is a growing wave of support for change and this change must begin with a refresh at board level.

“The four new positions would include myself and three other high-quality candidates chosen specifically to provide the best overall mix and blend of skills and diversity.”

Given the statement released by the entire Collingwood board, it is clear the incumbents are united.

Magpies member David Hatley has gathered enough signatures to force an extraordinary general meeting, which could force a spill of the board. But it is yet to be tabled.

Hatley has met with Collingwood, which has proposed initiatives aimed at giving members a greater understanding of what occurs at the club and the decision making process.

Whether an EGM could be held at the moment is unclear given the complications associated with the pandemic. Melbourne is in lockdown for at least another week.

The annual general meeting, at which three board positions will be open for election, is scheduled for January but could be brought forward to December.

The statement said this makes orderly change possible, if called for, while ensuring the club remains stable and focused.

“We have heard the call for change and yet it was only months ago that Eddie McGuire resigned and even more recently that Alex Waislitz retired from the board,” the board said.

“Two new directors have been appointed to fill those vacancies and six of the current directors have been seated at the board table for less than five years.”

Collingwood’s players, coaches and match day staff have entered a lockdown with even tighter restrictions than the general public at 5pm on Wednesday until they fly out for the game on Saturday.

Those personnel are only able to leave home to train, get a Covid-19 test or for an emergency.

The rules also apply to anyone else living in their home and precludes them from even getting a takeaway coffee or going to the supermarket.