Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has acknowledged the handling of Adam Treloar's departure could have been handled better, stating the club "had to move him on", per SEN.
Treloar was one of four Magpies traded in the closing hours of the 2020 trade period, heading to the kennel in exchange for a bundle of draft selections.
Despite being contracted to Collingwood for a further five years, Treloar and Collingwood were able to sought a trade with the Bulldogs, leaving many Magpies fans angered by the club's list management.
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Disposals
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Speaking on SEN SA Breakfast, McGuire said he would have hoped for an easier transition in finalising the trade negotiations.
“I would love to not have had the dramas in the end,” he said.
“I still speak to Adam, he’s gone to a great club, so the ultimate thing for us in the end was that he got to the club that he wanted to go to – albeit that he wanted to stay at Collingwood but we had to move him on.
“The strategy was there but the execution wasn’t as smooth as we would have liked.”
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley was heavily criticised following reports he and club leaders had told Treloar he was no longer needed at the club.
Buckley's current contract with the Magpies will expire at the end of the season, coinciding with McGuire's departure as president.
While McGuire won't be at the Holden Centre past 2021, the outgoing president said there was "no rush" in opening negotiations with Buckley in regards to a contract extension of his own.
“He knows our situation at Collingwood," McGuire said. "“We’ve got plenty of time, there’s no rush.
“I thought we did pretty well last year. We had a few setbacks along the way, at the start of the year I thought we were just about primed to win it and then had a few injuries, we had a pretty tough run with the fixturing – not that that is an excuse – I’m just saying we did and other clubs did too.
“We’re pretty confident we’ll have a good year this year and to answer your direct question, it’s not even on the table.”
The Magpies will face Treloar and the Bulldogs in Round 1 of the 2021 season on Friday, March 19.