Julie McCreery: 'When in front of the goals, make it count!' Mother's Day address to Collingwood pre game - 2023

14 May 2023, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia

Righto boys!

First of all I just want to thank you all for the hard work you’ve done so far this season.

Going out there and doing what you do best.

Playing exciting footy! And winning!

You make us all so proud, and what a special day today in front of all of your beautiful mums and partners, on Mother’s Day.

We’re going to be out there …

[shifts gear, impassioned]

So go out there, make us proud.

Believe in yourselves, believe in each other!

Chase that ball! Tackle hard! Win those contests! [fist pump]

And when you’re in front of the goals, make it count!

And when you do, blow your mummas a kiss.

So go out there and rip it up boys! [fist pump]

[The team roars]

Eddie McGuire: 'We will continue to be a leading light in our community', Do Better report on racism at Collingwood - 2021

1 February 2021, Holden Centre, Melbourne, Victoria

Today is a historic and proud day for the Collingwood Football Club. I club that includes two senior AFL team, two netball teams, two AFL women’s teams, the Collingwood wheelchair team, and the Collingwood Reclink team, members supporters, sponsors.

Eight teams, representing our myriad of life, all drawn from our collective identity of Collingwood, and today we embrace a leadership position on what is the most fundamental of rights – equality. To be who you are based on your abilities and character and nothing else.

In doing so we have spent the last six years in particular in a deep dive into how we can make ourselves better, first up, and then to provide leadership and conversation in the community as only Collingwood can.
Now this is an area fraught with danger and recriminations. But we have decided as a club that this fight, against racism, against discrimination of all types, is where we want to be.

To acknowledge our place in the wider community’s lack of understanding at times, and to put in place not just good intentions, but even greater time effort and resources to provide assistance to achieve our goals.
We make mistakes, we learn, we strive to be better.

But in working to build this club into the position it is today, to be able to make these announcements, we will continue to be a leading light in our community.

It is why we commissioned this report. To not pay mere lip service to a worldwide tragedy, but to lay the foundations for our people, our game, and our community.