Thursday, 5 October 2023

Collingwood Football Club

Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (09:45): I rise before the house like I am rising from a dream. On the weekend at Victoria’s colosseum, the MCG, in front of a full house, the grand final was played between a valiant Brisbane in defeat and the mighty Collingwood Magpies, who took home the cup. It is a proud club, and I am proud to have my great-grandfather’s 1909 membership ticket. Our many supporters were vulnerable migrants who came to the boggy banks of the Yarra, where big families settled into small houses and collectively came out and formed the Collingwood Football Club. Not only is it the biggest club in Australia, but this year it has had the third average biggest club turnout anywhere in the world.

And what a year it has been. Like most organisations we have had our flaws. Sadly, there has been sexism, homophobia and racism. But culture is set by leadership, and under the leadership of Craig McRae and Darcy Moore this club has turned its culture around. It is a culture of acceptance, diversity and inclusiveness, and we have thrived. Whether it is the people working in our club, whether it is our players or whether it is our fans – our mighty fans, our 19th player – that collectively rise up to get the team home, we have thrived on this new culture. The pinnacle of this was on Saturday when our young Indigenous superstar Bobby Hill was best on ground and took home the Norm Smith Medal to deliver Collingwood its 16th premiership cup. Go Pies!