On a day Collingwood was accused of systemic racism, Magpies president Eddie McGuire fronted the media and offered an opening statement so contrary to reality as to be absurd.
“This is a historic and proud day for the Collingwood Football Club,” he said.
McGuire backed that up by saying this was due to the fact Collingwood is taking steps to address the harm that has previously occurred within the club.
But to express pride in finding a solution to an egregious problem does not excuse past misdeeds.
At best, it was extremely insensitive to those who have been harmed by racism, at Collingwood or anywhere else.
It skewered the sentiment of what has clearly been an intensive process aimed at ensuring systemic failures are addressed and changed.
Hours earlier an extensive review had laid bare the racism at Collingwood before and during McGuire’s two decades as president.
Optimistically titled Do Better, the report detailed extensive evidence of racism and noted the response from Collingwood was “at best ineffective, or at worst exacerbated the impact of the racist incidents”.
“The continual failures in this regard speak to a systemic racism with the Collingwood Football Club that must be addressed if things are to change,” the report reads.
Peter Murphy, a former acting chief executive who serves on the integrity committee with fellow Collingwood board member Jodie Sizer, described the report as “confronting”.
“We all agree on that,” he said.
As they should. The executive summary makes for damning reading and drew condemnation of Collingwood on Monday. McGuire only added fuel to the fire.
The method behind McGuire’s madness seemed to be to deem the review, compiled by academics Larissa Behrendt and Lindon Coombes, a full stop on the past.
In McGuire’s words, Collingwood should be congratulated for having the guts to institute an independent review in the first place and be celebrated as an example to follow in the future.
Should the Magpies honour the 18 recommendations, as pledged by the Collingwood board, few will argue that point. The authors themselves noted it is a brave first step.
But it is only that. A first step. Congratulating oneself ahead of delivery is fraught with danger, particularly when there have been clear opportunities in the past to address issues, many during McGuire’s tenure.
Collingwood has already begun implementing measures aimed at improvement, as Sizer stressed.
But moving forward without addressing the mistakes of the past increases the risks of repeating them.
McGuire said the Magpies did not want to “duck and dive” any of the criticism.
Yet challenged repeatedly as to the findings, the outgoing president offered a resistance that at times appeared Trumpian.
Among the findings of the review was that there were “individuals, if not quite bigger than the club, then at least having an unhealthy degree of influence over club culture”.
Asked if that referred directly to him, McGuire noted that throughout Collingwood’s history there had always been influential people assisting the club.
Players and coaches have come and gone through the last two decades, McGuire and former captain and current coach Nathan Buckley aside.
Who else could the passage refer to?
When asked if he would apologise for what the review has found, McGuire flicked through papers to find a press release.
When he found a quote expressing his apology, he dutifully read from the script in front of him.
Collingwood chief executive Mark Anderson is able to insulate himself from the Magpies’ decision-making in the past as he has only been in charge since 2018.
McGuire does not have that luxury.
That is a significant problem for the Magpies, even if the president is planning to bring an end to his long-running tenure at the end of the 2021 season.
If the multi-hatted McGuire is to claim responsibility for all the good that has occurred at Collingwood — and he stressed those improvements repeatedly — he must accept the bad.
Or, in this case, the clearly distressing and despicable.
All the positive spin in the world — and there was obfuscation to the extent of filibuster on Monday — does not change the fact.
More Coverage
Inside AFL’s draft combine: See the standouts, surprise packet
Draft hopefuls for both the AFL and AFLW were put to the test at this year’s combine, with one Victorian key forward producing a stunning 20m sprint. See the results and more here.
Read more
Flag ‘daydream’ that drives King to create Saints history
Max King attended grand finals in 2009 and 2010 as a young St Kilda fan. Now he wants to go one better after committing his future to the club.
Read more