'Sick of it': Eddie McGuire lashes out over Collingwood 'lies'
Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire says he is fed up with the "lies" after lashing reports linking him to a sensational board takeover at the Magpies.
McGuire has for weeks denied that he is helping to orchestrate an attempted "coup" to overthrow Collingwood's current president, Mark Korda.
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The 56-year-old - who served as the club's president for more than two decades - stood down from the role in February in the wake of the 'Do Better' report that exposed a culture of systemic racism at the club.
However, rumblings within the AFL community have been growing louder that McGuire is trying to help his friend and businessman Jeff Browne, who reportedly wants to join the Collingwood board and become president.
Talk of an overhaul at board level for Collingwood has only intensified over recent weeks, following the resignation of billionaire vice-president Alex Waislitz last month.
Speaking on Channel Nine's Footy Classified on Wednesday night, a fed up McGuire said he was "sick of being called a liar" and refuted suggestions he wanted Korda replaced by Browne.
"I'm sick of being called a liar. I'm sick of it," he told Nine's Footy Classified.
"I gave 23 years of my life to the Collingwood Football Club and everything I've ever done is for the betterment of the Collingwood Football Club.
"If I thought I was going to add more to the football club I'd still be the president.
"If you read a story …. and it has anything to do with me being involved in any faction or any push at the Collingwood Football Club, then you know that reporter is a liar.
"I'm not involved in the football club in any way. I speak to people everywhere. Have I spoken to Jeff Browne? Yes I have. Have I spoken to Mark Korda? Yes I have.
"Have I helped with sponsorships in the last month at the Collingwood Football Club and the AFL? Yes I do. Why? Because I love football."
McGuire refuses to reveal preference
When pressed by the show's host Caroline Wilson to choose between Korda or Browne, the former Magpies president refused to bite.
"I'm not buying into it," McGuire insisted.
"I still know that I hold too much weight as far as the members are concerned, I'm not blind to the situation.
"What breaks my heart is for 23 years none of this happened at Collingwood and now unfortunately it is.
"We need to get to a resolution and the way I think it should be done is I'd love to see Mark Korda and Jeff Browne sit down one more time and try and work it out and work out what's best for the Collingwood Football Club."
McGuire's comments come after long-time Collingwood member David Hatley revealed that a petition to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to spill Collingwood's board has received "approximately 1700 signatures" - more than double the required 650 to trigger an EGM.
"The overwhelming feedback that I've received from our members and my friends is the disconnect with the club," he told Footy Classified.
"It's been building for some time and it isn't just the on-field performance at the moment.
Hatley claims the controversial appointment of new Collingwood director Bridie O'Donnell proved a driving factor behind the petition.
"The final catalyst for us going ahead with this EGM petition was the last board appointment of Bridie O'Donnell.
"We're not disputing any of her claims of being a talented or valid board member, but things like her on her social media mocking Collingwood members such as myself really struck a chord with a lot of us."
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