Collingwood president Mark Korda sets end date for presidency

The intense battle for control of Collingwood has hit fever pitch with president Mark Korda setting an end date for his tenure.

Exclusive: Collingwood president Mark Korda will resign at the end of next season in a shock move announced to Pies members.

Mr Korda, who only took over from Eddie McGuire in February, sent a letter to the club’s 82,000 members on Thursday night.

He told them he would stand down from the board, and as president at the end of next year.

“I have informed the Collingwood board of my intention to step down as a director at the end of my elected term, the end of the 2022 season,” he wrote in the letter.

“My role as president has been to see Collingwood settle, transition and reposition itself on and off the field in the wake of the departure in February of long time president Eddie McGuire.

“With a relatively new board in place at the time, it was important to provide continuity between one age and the next.”

It was understood that Mr Korda had the full support of the board to run through until the end of his elected term.

Mark Korda is stepping down as Collingwood president.

The move comes as aspiring Collingwood president Jeff Browne made moves to challenge Mr Korda.

But Mr Korda’s decision to step down at the end of 2022 means that Mr Browne would need to call for a full spill of the board at the club’s annual general meeting on December 16.

Collingwood appointed new coach Craig McRae this week, with the Pies stealing the march on Carlton which is still on the hunt for a replacement to David Teague.

Graham Wright was appointed as general manager of football in January in a revamp of the football department under Mr Korda’s leadership.

Mr Korda, who was a co-founder of investment firm KordaMentha, said the club would make a profit this year, despite Covid-19 challenges.

He has also proposed new changes to the way the Collingwood board works, with caps on length of service.

Under Mr Korda’s plan, a Pies president would be allowed a maximum six-year term, while directors would be able to stay on the board for nine years.

Mr McGuire was Collingwood president for more than 20 years until he quit following the club’s Do Better report into racism.

Mark Korda only took over from Eddie McGuire, pictured, in February. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Korda told members that McRae’s appointment was thorough and would lead to more success on the field.

He told members he hoped for a smooth transition to the next president at the end of the 2022 season.

“By declaring my intention now, our talented and passionate board will have time to develop a succession plan and work to ensure Collingwood remains stable, respected, financially sound and focused on our members, our staff and our teams across men’s and women’s football, netball, and wheelchair football,” he said.

“By the end of next season the energy of a diverse and progressive board will be ready to take further a transformation that is already underway.”

Mr Korda added in the letter that Peter Murphy, Christine Holgate, Bridie O’Donnell and Neil Wilson, would be up for election at the December 16 meeting.

“This is to ensure that as we enter season 2022 all of the current board of seven will have been elected by members,” he wrote.

“This validation is important. Directors are accountable to the members and their mandate comes from being elected by them.”

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Jeff Browne, right, pictured with Eddie McGuire last year.

Originally published as Collingwood president Mark Korda sets end date for presidency