https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au The complete history of Australia's greatest sporting club Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:13:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.21 https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/the-presidents-ranald-mcdonald/ Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:12:34 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=7755 The seeds of the ‘New Magpies’, and indeed Macdonald’s presidency, were sown from the failure during the Hickey years to secure the club’s elusive 14th VFL premiership, and also the sacking of coach Tom Hafey midway through what was a disastrous 1982 season. There had been talk of a board challenge even before Hafey’s controversial axing, but that only added fuel to a gathering fire of dissent from those who felt the club needed to start asserting itself more aggressively. Ranald Macdonald, a well-known media identity and one of the last members of the Syme family to run The Age newspaper in Melbourne, became the face of the ‘New Magpies’ – a group consisting of seven businessmen and former players who argued that a different approach was needed to transform one of the most traditional VFL clubs. Among the ‘Magnificent Seven’, as they were dubbed, were three former players in Len Thompson, Terry Waters and Brian McKenzie, as well as businessman and one-time accountant Allan McAlister. Collectively, they promised to cast off some long-held traditions that had formed part of the club’s DNA for generations, with Macdonald’s team suggesting the Magpies had become too staid and conservative. Macdonald didn’t quite promise a flag, but he did say: “Collingwood … can be organised to win premierships on a regular basis.” But he did guarantee that, if elected, the ‘New Magpies’ would embark on the biggest recruiting campaigns ever conducted. No stone would be left unturned in the chase for the club’s next flag. A well-attended rally at Dallas Brooks Hall showed the enormous level of support the new group had and the incumbent board, led by John Hickey, had little chance of stopping the momentum. In the end, the ‘New Magpies’ convincingly won the election and Macdonald was the overwhelming choice as president. Yet from the outset, there was tension at board level. McAlister sought John Kennedy as coach, while the football directors chased – and secured – South Australian coaching great John Cahill as the man to lead the Magpies. It was a significant appointment as Cahill was the first “outsider” appointed to coach the club. Macdonald’s promise to attract the best talent saw Collingwood recruit the likes of Richmond pair David Cloke and Geoff Raines, as well as high-priced interstate players Mike Richardson, Gary Shaw and Greg Phillips, and other players of lesser note.  Shaw’s transfer fee alone was more than $300,000 – the price of a half-dozen houses in some suburbs back then. The New Magpies even changed one of the most famous lines in Collingwood’s theme song – “All The Premiership’s A Cakewalk” – and replaced it with “There Is Just One Team We Favour”, even if fans didn’t warm to it. But delivering the promised success proved difficult, especially given some recruits did not reach the lofty standards expected. The Magpies narrowly missed the finals in Macdonald’s first season as president, but rallied with a much better performance in the second season, making it through to the preliminary final against Essendon, only to lose by 133 points. Cahill left the club after two years, amid suggestions of some tension, and disunity, while Collingwood’s financial situation had become a far more significant concern. Macdonald looked to former club coaching great Bob Rose to take the club forward on the field. The club missed the finals in 1985, finishing seventh, and had great hopes for the 1986 season, with retired Hawthorn champion Leigh Matthews appointed as Rose’s assistant coach, with the promise of the main position when he was ready. But Matthews’ elevation to the senior coaching role came sooner than anyone had anticipated after one of the most dramatic days in Collingwood’s history. Following a poor start to the 1986 season, and reports the club’s debt had spiralled to almost $3 million, Rose resigned as coach to hand over to Matthews; the players were asked to take a 20 per cent pay-cut; general manager Peter Bahen was sacked and Macdonald resigned from the presidency. Bahen summed the mood up when he said: “Unfortunately, with everyone screaming for blood, there had to be a few bodies.” Macdonald was initially going to dig in and fight, but realised the only alternative was to walk away. He would blame the crisis on two things – “first of all, the projections of money coming into the club after the last elections were overinflated, and secondly, there was such pressure on to get (recruit) players … the supporters were expecting more than just a long-term building effort.” He explained further in a letter to members, saying he took full responsibility for the debt, which had been predominantly caused by the transfer fees that had to be paid out during the recruiting spree. “As always, the Collingwood Football Club is far more than any one individual. The interests of the club are paramount,” Macdonald wrote. “With the strength and dedication of the Magpie Army, it would be wrong to underestimate the power of recovery of Collingwood – both as a team and as a club. We will quickly become competitive again, if we pull together.” The club would do that, and one of the ‘New Magpies’, Allan McAlister, would take over from Macdonald, and would be the president who oversaw the end of the club’s embarrassing premiership drought four years later.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/the-presidents-syd-coventry/ Fri, 22 Aug 2014 08:00:29 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=7739 Syd, one of the club’s greatest leaders and players, had been acting as a vice-President since 1939. By 1950, with the club at arguably its lowest ebb since formation, the Magpies asked him to stand as President. After much consideration – he must have known how tough a job it was going to be – he said yes. And Collingwood will be forever grateful that he did. It was a tumultuous first year. Every decision of the new committee was closely scrutinised by the press and the members. There were a number of contentious clearance applications, including one from young star Len Fitzgerald. There were the difficulties of handling the departure of Jock McHale and other long-serving stalwarts such as Curtis, Rush and ‘Rosie’ Dummett. And perhaps most of all there was the need to heal the wounds felt by friends of many years standing. Somehow, under Syd’s calm, measured and reassuring leadership, the team was back in a Grand Final within two years and Premiers by the third. The club’s annual report described that 1953 flag as “a wonderful reward for [Syd’s] painstaking efforts of the previous three years of hard work, continual deliberation, and sincere application.” But even bigger off-field victories lay ahead. Having succeeded in stabilising and reuniting the club in the wake of the 1950 fracas, Syd and his team now set about building for the future. In 1956 the club won a long-term lease of Victoria Park from the Collingwood City Council, a move that secured the club’s future and also sparked a significant program of ground development and improvements, including the new state-of-the-art social club rooms that were opened in 1959. “Our club has shown terrific expansion during the past 12 years, our team has been as successful in that period as in the previous 23 years, our members have facilities second to none in Victoria, if not Australia, and the club’s financial position, under wise management, has never been better,” noted the club’s annual report on Syd’s retirement. “Thanks for all are due to the most sincere, honest and genuine leader of our club – Syd Coventry.” But Coventry was not only a big-picture President: he also did the basics well, missing only eight of the 370 committee meetings that were held during his 12-year reign at the top. “As President, Syd always showed unfaltering faith and enthusiasm in the future of Collingwood, ever ready to offer encouragement to players and officials alike, whilst his ever-courteous manner and sincerity of purpose was always an inspiration to people to follow him unhesitatingly,” noted the 1962 annual report. “His outstanding ability and experience, his firmness and tact, mature judgment, diplomacy and strict impartiality were a tower of strength. “In his dealings with players and members he must try to be as wise as Solomon and as impartial as a judge – he must be accessible to the Press day and night, take a leading part in framing of club policy, and in implementing important committee decisions, and guide and assist the club Executive Officers wherever possible. “Our President fulfils his many tasks in the same accomplished manner in which he proved his famous and outstanding qualities of leadership on the football fields.” Syd was at the helm for a second Premiership, the famous 1958 victory that preserved the club’s cherished four-in-a-row record – a record that had been established under Syd’s captaincy. In the wake of that success, one observer noted that Syd’s “heart and soul are Collingwood” and praised his “inspiring leadership, untiring energy and zeal.” He was also kind, engaging and had a delightful sense of humour. But by 1962, even the seemingly indefatigable Coventry had had enough. The team missed the finals in both 1961 and 1962, and such back-to-back failings were as rare as they were unwelcome. With rumblings of a challenge from the Galballys in the background, Sys decided not to stand for re-election at the AGM in March of 1963. Syd Coventry had been an outstanding footballer – a Brownlow Medallist – and an inspiring, four-time Premiership captain. He was already an icon of the club long before he took over as President. But what he achieved as President – especially in the circumstances in which he took over the role – elevated his standing with the Collingwood fans even further. He truly is one of this club’s most revered figures.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/the-presidents-william-beazley/ Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:38:08 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=7713 https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/the-presidents/ Tue, 22 Jul 2014 09:57:29 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=7774 Year President 1892 – 1911 William Beazley 1912 Alfred Cross 1913 – 1923 Jim Sharp 1924 – 1950 Harry Curtis 1950 – 1962 Syd Coventry 1963 – 1974 Tom Sherrin 1975 – 1976 Ern Clarke 1977 – 1981 John Hickey 1982 – 1986 Ranald Macdonald 1986 – 1995 Allan McAlister 1996 – 1998 Kevin Rose 1998 – 2021 Eddie McGuire 2021 Mark Korda 2022- Jeff Browne ]]>