Board wipe out at Pies beckons

COLLINGWOOD’S entire board faces obliteration after papers were served on the club to force a spill of all seven director positions.

About 12,000 Magpies members will now be given the chance to decide who leads the club in a full-blown board election – eight months after Eddie Mcguire’s shock resignation.

Former Collingwood solicitor Francis Galbally served a spill petition on the club on Thursday afternoon, describing the state of the club’s governance as a “corporate catastrophe”.

Galbally personally presented the papers at the club’s Holden Centre headquarters.

The election push follows president Mark Korda’s decision to step down from the role at the club’s annual general meeting in December.

In a brief statement to members on Thursday morning, Korda announced that he was relinquishing the top job but failed to define a clear path forward for the make-up of the board beyond the AGM.

He did not address Peter Murphy’s future as a director nor the status of board member Neil Wilson, the Victoria Racing Club chairman, who was never qualified to join the board.

Confusion surrounds the intentions of Murphy, who was not expected to seek re-election at the December AGM, but has now been linked to a run for the presidency – potentially pitting him against board challenger Jeff Browne.

Galbally has questioned the board’s leadership and said he was left with no choice but to trigger a spill.

“Korda’s announcement is simply a self-serving statement designed to entrench as directors those who have turned the club into the laughing stock of the AFL,” Galbally said.

“The members can now decide who they want to lead and govern the club from 2022.”

It can be revealed that Collingwood’s executive was made aware on Monday morning that the board had resolved a statement across the weekend stating that Murphy had decided to stand down from the board because of increased work commitments.

The agreed statement cleared the way for Browne and two of his backers – Barry Carp, the founder of venture capital firm River Capital, and financial regulator Renee Roberts – as well as existing board member Christine Holgate to fill the four vacancies.

Members of the Collingwood executive team made it known that they were unhappy that Korda was staying and Murphy was leaving.

Murphy now appears to have changed his position and is intending to remain on the board along with Korda.

“Since when does the executive decide who stays on the board?” Galbally said.

Korda, who assumed the presidency in April, has agreed not to recontest for the top job when the revamped board meets immediately after the December 16 AGM but will stay on the board as a director.

Korda’s statement on Thursday morning did endorse the candidacies of Browne, Carp and Roberts.

Murphy has previously said categorically that he did not wish to be president and would not be pursuing the job.

The other current Collingwood directors are Paul Licuria, Jodie Sizer and Holgate.

Former professional cyclist Bridie O’donnell quit the Pies board last month.