Despite Collingwood President Eddie McGuire’s apparent pride and sense of occasion at yesterday’s hastily arranged press conference to address an internal report into the club’s track record with racism, it seems someone accidentally forgot to put the usual media banners up. The presumably coincidental error was a rare blemish on what was otherwise a great day for the Magpies.

Ignoring for a moment that the press conference only took place on that specific day because the details of the report were leaked to the media, Collingwood wasted no time in celebrating the 1st of February 2021, boldly claiming it as their own, with Eddie describing it as a “historic and proud day” for the club. Which begs the obvious question: if it was such a proud and historic day, why weren’t the club’s usual press conference banners plastered all over the walls behind the board members like they usually are? You know, to broadcast that it’s all about Collingwood, and to give the sponsors a bit of a plug?

Maybe that had something to do with the fact that same leaked report contained the observation that “While claims of racism have been made across the AFL, there is something ­distinct and egregious about Collingwood’s history”. If not that line, maybe it was the comment that “There is a gap between what Collingwood Football Club says it stands for and what it does”. Or maybe it was because the report also said that Collingwood’s response to previous racism incidents “has been at best ineffective, or at worst exacerbated the impact”. Or maybe, you know, someone at the club just forgot to put the banners up? Who knows?

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