Annual General Meeting

[AlfAndrews]

Well, there was a big crowd in attendance ... and the general mood was one of support for the existing Board.

The meeting began with a rousing rendition of "Good Old Collingwood Forever", which was sung without any instrumental backing. It sounded great actually. Just the members singing, without that daggy recorded version they play at matches.

Then came the usual boring stuff that you always get at A.G.M.'s. Eddie described the reading of the minutes from last year's meeting as being like watching "Talking Footy". And then Greg Swan's financial report was equally as exciting.

Eddie was in fine form ... and, as usual, had the audience very much in palm of his hand.

Various awards were handed out for service to the Club. The highlight was definitely Damien Monkhorst being awarded Life Membership. It was an emotional moment when this giant of a man walked on to the stage to a standing ovation. He looked thrilled to be back at the Club that he still obviously regards as home, and it was obvious that the Collingwood fans still regard him as a Magpie. He made a long but extremely entertaining speech in which he thanked just about everyone he'd ever had anything to do with at Collingwood ... making a point of having a bit of a laugh at their expense in the process. Crackers Keenan, in particular, copped a good natured bagging.

But he was very reverential when he spoke of Leigh Matthews. No jokes there. He obviously worships the guy.

Mark Richardson also received Life Membership. Richo wasn't quite so talkative ... but very appreciative nevertheless.

The only time things got a bit heated was when a couple of constitutional amendments were debated. A couple of brave souls attempted to oppose a move to introduce a restricted (pokies only) membership. These people were arguing that this would create a privileged class and under-privileged class of members within the Club. What they had probably failed to grasp was that these priviledged and under-privileged classes already exist with the various levels of membership already in existence. So they were howled down by the crowd and generally treated as idiots ... which they weren't, really. Just a bit naive and out of touch with reality, I think.

I've got no problem with restricted levels of membership ... I just can't imagine what sort of loser would want to join a football social club just to play the pokies!!!!

Anyway ... the big news ... the all-important vote ... was a resounding success for the existing Board, with Cooper, Kennedy and Waislitz all voted back in. So, clearly the members are thrilled to bits with the Club's progress ... 16th in 1999 ... 15th in 2000 ... at this rate we'll be Premiers in 2014.

Mick Malthouse introduced the new players ... an inspiring line-up. They actually looked great up there in their civvies. Let's hope they are as impressive in their Collingwood guernseys. One gets the impression that Malthouse has a very high opinion of the present list. Most importantly ... he doesn't want the team's youthfulness to be used as an EXCUSE for not being any good.

So, please ... no more of that baloney about "team-building", please. Judge this team on its achievements ... not its "potential".

And speaking of the Collingwood guernsey ... Eddie announced that Collingwood will have a new jumper in 2001. It will still be black and white stripes ... but he said there will be more black than white ... and he said it will look something like the guernsey worn by the 1927 Premiership side. Hmmm?

The meeting ended with another rousing rendition of Good Old Collingwood Forever ... and then it was free drinks at the bar.

All in all ... a very positive mood. Some fine spin doctoring by Eddie and M.M. enabled the meeting to end on a high note ... with all and sundry in a high state of expectation.

Incidentally: Buckley (captain) Burns (vice-captain) Rocca and Richardson (deputy vice captains).




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**floreat pica**

[Spidergirl]

oops Alf u beat me to it anyway i wrote my version under where seth asked about it.

So was that what the fight was about up there some pokies membership or something???

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[Mick]

All the news reports on last night's AGM chose to omit Jason's hard hitting financials questions. For those of you who couldn't make it....

Standing up in front of the 500plus crowd Jason unleashed a relentless attack on Club CEO Greg Swann. He correctly highlighted that the Club would be forced to write-off approx $5m in leasehold improvements were it to move to Olympic Park. This write-off would put the club in a negative net assets position. Indications from the Club last night seemed to confirm that the Club is very likely to move to Olympic Park. Eddie, publicly in love with McHale stadium two years ago, last night labelled the hallowed ground a legionnaires contaminated, syringe riddled, fire trap. It seems only a few years before the great old ground is reduced to an open reserve or possibly a safe injecting facility.

He then pressed Swann over $120K of formation costs the Club had capitalised on the balance sheet. Had this been expensed the Club would indeed have reported a loss. Swann agreed that if the gaming venues did not get off the ground then they would write this off.

Finally Mr Hill questioned Eddie over the cut Sportsview would receive if Telstra bought the internet rights. Eddie stated that the deal to date had cost Collingwood nothing and that they would share in any proceeds from Telstra along with Sportsview. He declined to disclose exactly what proportion Sportsview would receive from the deal.

Great work Jase.

Oh yeah...in case you're wondering Mr Malthouse said this is the best bunch of recruits he's seen in a long time, that all the young blokes who struggled for consistency would push for All-Australian selection and every injury-prone player from last year was training the house down. He also pointed out that all the players we traded were demanding a large percentage of Australia's GDP and/or were near cripples. He then paraded a few young fellas on stage who seemed to have wandered into the Club thinking it was their school speech night. The crowd roared and we all felt warm and fuzzy.

[Spidergirl]

aw jeez don't say that about Vic Park well i guess it is true but as much as we love it but that is the clubs fault for letting it get run down to that point grrh blame the club! Make it into a Magpie Museum now i think and by next century we will have it filled to the top with premierships n brownlows!!!

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[joffa#brutus]

Well it was great to be back at collingwood the place just oozes with a special kind of greatness i love the place and i will be saddened very much when our pies no longer trains there.

Whenever you go to vicky park its so easy to let your mind travel
way back in time as far back as whenever you like,

Our 4 premierships in succession wow what an era it must of been
for the supporters of that time.

You can hear the loud bull voice of the great darren Millane roaring at his team mates at training.

You can hear and feel the crowd going into frenzy at another great daicos goal from an impossible angle in the pocket.

And you can see still phil carman standing on the shoulders of graeme moss(essendon)

The anger and mayhem the day it went wild after a game against the sydney swans (who got up and won by a couple of points due to a stupid and piss weak umpiring decision)
During this mayhem the field umpire was decked(not by me though)
and the frenzy as supporters tried to kick down the doors of the umpires room,it was great stuff.

Well i better leave it there cause i could be here all night typing the many past great things that have occured at vicky park.But to me this great stadium now rightfully re named the jock mchale stadium will allways be home.
It will allways be our stadium of dreams!!

Good to catch up with people of this board
Alf,Miss Magpie,Magpie Maniac,and Mags,spidez and good ole emmz who made an appearance before she jets of to fiji.

Miss magpie met her favorite player...lol.. tarks,emma whistled and went 'oh my god' at every thing anthony rocca did.
Alf was his usual grim reaper self.
Spidez was still talkin about ricky 'god bless her'
Magpie maniac was getting her autographs as usual.
Mags, well mags is mags he never says goodbye he just dissapears.
me im still tryin to find out who nicked my can of VB any clues spidez,emma,and miss magpie???

Anyway the players looked sharp at training 'we are ready to rumble'
Met up with bucks,rupes,tarks,didak.presty,nick stone,dimma,monkey,and jarrod malloy this guy is gonna kick some serious arse folks.roachy and shawry'grow a mo please shawry'
And shook hands and spoke with eddie we spoke about nicks board
for a bit he is just a great guy.
When the AGM started the music man wasnt in the house so we all had to sing good old collingwood only as collingwood people can, it was stirring stuff!!
And to cap of a great day the current board was rightfully re elected.
Mick malthouse gave a stirring speach you kinda stood there all goose bumped just listening to him.
Bring on season 2001 i truly believe that we got some arse kicking to do and it cant come quick enough.
Go pies

SHITE HERE COMES COLLINGWOOD THE MIGHTY BLACK AND WHITE!!!

[Spidergirl]

*ahem* yes Joffa and thanks for that "wonderful" greeting when i rocked up yesterday afternoon u filthy buggers!

Everyone Joffa had a suit on hahhahahahaah! That is about as odd as me ever wearing a dress!

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