Leading lawyer David Galbally, AM QC, has called for Collingwood to have a major clean out of its administration.
Galbally, who served on the Magpies board from 1974-83, told the Herald Sun he believes its time for president Eddie McGuire to step down.
“You can be in charge of a club for far too long. It happened with Tommy Sherrin. It happened with John Elliott,” he said.
“There are plenty of other examples, and they all lose sight of what is going on and get consumed with the belief that the club is theirs.
“They really need a new administration at Collingwood… Eddie needs to step down… He’s not there for life.
“It’s not healthy for the club to have the same person serve in that role for as long as he has.
“The presidency of the Collingwood Football Club carries with it enormous imprimatur, right across the community – and it’s very hard to let go and give it away. But it’s time. The club has got to look to the future. It needs new ideas and a fresh approach.
“And that is not to say that Eddie hasn’t been a tremendous asset as president to the club.”
McGuire has been president of the Pies since 1998, but Galbally said the list of problems should begin to come down to the sort of culture that the club is driving from the top.
“You start to really question the wisdom about the way in which the players are being communicated to and being treated,” he said.
“How do you let the salary cap blow out to what it is with good governance? How do you let the Treloar situation arise?
“And how do you expect to have a strong fabric and a strong playing unit that will take you into a finals series… stand side-by-side each other and win you a premiership, if you treat people like that?”
Gallaby continued by taking aim at vice-president Mark Korda and going so far to call the club's administration 'the worst in its history.'
“They’ve got Mark Korda from KordaMentha on the board – and they are one of the biggest accounting firms in Australia. So how can they stuff up the salary cap like that?” Galbally said.
“I am very concerned and very upset about what I am seeing.
“There seems to be a problem with the culture of the club. Culture is an easy word to throw around, but there is no real strength or backbone associated with Collingwood.
“This is turning out to be the worst administration in the history of the Collingwood Football Club – and one of the worst in the history of the AFL – it is absolutely appalling.”
Responding to Galbally’s comments, McGuire said on Triple M’s Hot Breakfast that he would walk away from the club moment the club tells him he’s not required.
“I’m not going to be the one being dragged out the door. I am there as a servant of the club that I love and a servant to football,” he said.
“I have no worries whatsoever for anyone asking questions and understanding… people who are actually open to getting the answer.
“People are just being a bit hysterical at times. We don’t want that, but at the same time, you have to be questioned… I don’t think I’ve missed out on being questioned along the journey.
Despite widespread fan backlash over Collingwood’s trade period, McGuire is adamant that the Pies are tracking very well.
“We had to get things going and we’ve done it and I think we’ve prepared our list and our season for next year,” he said.
“Certainly the finances of the club are in very good order and we’ve got some fantastic announcements… planned announcements and things I did earlier in the year with (CEO) Mark Anderson and our whole team there.”