UPDATE: Eddie McGuire has announced his resignation, effective immediately. Read more, HERE.
Politicians, sporting legends, writers and artists have come together to pen an open letter to Eddie McGuire, calling for his official resignation. It’s a rather polite way to tell the president of the Collingwood Football Club to fuck off, but I mean, operate within your realm of options, y’know.
The letter is in direct response to the independent Do Better report lead by UTS Jumbunna’s Larissa Behrendt, which found the club guilty of perpetuating systemic racism throughout the AFL. It has been signed by significant Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples from all walks of life, including Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, journo Jack Latimore, writer Benjamin Law, former AFL player and coach Nathan Lovett-Murray, and more.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, however, has refused to sign.
Of course, as you may remember, McGuire called the report into racism in his club (which always starts at the top) a ‘proud & historic day’ for Collingwood. He also said a bunch of other things that really just shot himself in the foot, which you can have a squiz at right here.
Alas, the people want him understandably gone, for avoiding “accountability” and “blaming a lack of policies and procedures” for the racism in his club.
“We believe there are administrators, staff, fans and members of the Collingwood Football Club who truly wish to see it transcend its history. This can only happen with a radical shift in leadership,” reads the letter.
“We believe Eddie McGuire has proven himself incapable of leading the Collingwood Football Club through any meaningful transformation. We call on him to step down immediately.”
Here is the list of politicians, sporting legends, social workers and artists who have signed the letter calling to nix Eddie McGuire from his presidency.
Politicians
Senator Lidia Thorpe (Gunnai-Gunditjmara), Australian Greens
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens
Proud to join with @lidia__thorpe in signing this open Letter calling for Eddie McGuire to resign. This has gone on too long.https://t.co/u11pqF3Co9
— Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) February 8, 2021
Peter Khalil MP, Labor Member for Wills
Anne Aly MP, Labor Member for Cowan
Academics / Writers / Comedians
Dr Gary Foley (Gumbaynggirr), academic, Victoria University
Dr Tony Birch (Fitzroy Blak), author, academic, winner, Patrick White Literary Award 2017
Jack Latimore (Birpai – Thungutti), journalist, Managing Editor Digital, NITV
https://twitter.com/LatimoreJack/status/1358855035312959490?s=20
Celeste Liddle (Arrernte), writer and social commentator
Eugenia Flynn (Larrakiah/ Tiwi), writer, arts worker and community organiser
Meriki Onus (Gunnai-Gunditjmara), writer, WAR (Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance)
Associate Professor Chelsea Bond (Munanjahli/ South Sea Islander), academic, Institute of Collaborative Race Research
Jacynta Krakouer (Noongar (Minang)), academic, University of Melbourne
Sisonke Msimang, writer
Randa Abdel-Fattah, author and academic
Sara M. Saleh, human rights activist, writer and poet, winner of the 2021 Peter Porter Poetry Prize
N’fa Forster-Jones, artist, academic and former athlete
Shakira Hussein, writer and researcher, The University of Melbourne
Ruby Hamad, author and academic
Antoun Issa, journalist
https://twitter.com/antissa/status/1358577333448314880?s=20
Magan Magan, writer and poet
Dr Oishee Alam, researcher
Dr Crystal McKinnon (Yamaji), WAR (Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance), academic, RMIT
Dr Marlene Longbottom, academic, University of Wollongong
Paola Balla (Wemba-Wemba & Gunditjmara), academic and artist, Victoria University
Holly Charles, PhD candidate
Laura La Rosa, (Darug), writer
Timmah Ball (Noongar), writer
Natalie Harkin (Narungga), academic
Ruth De Souza, academic and researcher, RMIT
Leah Jing McIntosh, editor, Liminal Magazine
Dr Maria Giannacopoulos, academic, Flinders University
Sarah Ayoub, academic and writer
Annie Te Whiu, writer and producer
“Over seventy people signed the open letter, including Professor Gary Foley; former AFL star Nathan Lovett-Murray; Mick Gooda, former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner; and legendary Aboriginal sports photographer Barbara McGrady.” https://t.co/dYNrN2JMY5
— Héritier Lumumba (@iamlumumba) February 8, 2021
Carolyn D’Cruz, academic, La Trobe University
Adalya Nash Hussein, writer and editor, Voiceworks Magazine
Benjamin Law, writer and broadcaster
Yumi Stynes, author
Omar Sakr, poet, winner, 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Award
Ghassan Hage, academic
Maxine Beneba Clarke, writer
Aamer Rahman, writer/ comedian
Isabelle Oderberg, writer and journalist
Dr David Singh, researcher, Institute for Collaborative Race Research
Natalie Kon-yu, academic, Victoria University
Tasnim Sammak, PhD candidate
Yassmin Abdel-Magied, writer and broadcaster
Sporting
Nathan Lovett-Murray (Gunditjmara / Yorta Yorta/ Wemba Wemba), Indigenous mentor, coach, and former player, St Kilda Football Club
Barbara McGrady, AFL sideline photographer
Kim Kruger, academic, former AFL Club employee
A privilege to lend my solidarity to calls for substantive, systemic & cultural change, which moves beyond mere resignation of a few culpable industry figures – to a transformative cultural and social change which embeds respect for human rights at the heart of sports governance. https://t.co/KPCQ6S0PQk
— Francis Awaritefe (@FrancisAwartefe) February 8, 2021
Francis Awaritefe, chair of Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), former Socceroo and National Soccer League player
Artists
Shari Sebbens (Bardi, Jabirr Jabirr), artist
Jason Tamiru (Yorta Yorta), producer, grandson of Sir Doug Nicholls
Kiernan Ironfield (Darug), artist
Kee’ahn (Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal, Badu Islander), musician
Neil Morris (Yorta Yorta), musician
Jamahl Yami Brodie – Chong (Waanyi), artist
Dr Vicki Couzens (Gunditjmara), artist/ academic
https://t.co/MmEu2QZbca. #Eddiesgottago Systemic racism starts at the top.
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) February 8, 2021
Allara Briggs Pattison (Yorta Yorta), musician
Genevieve Grieves (Worimi), artist and academic
Nathan Bird (Butchulla), artist/Academic
Julie Gough (Trawlwoolway), artist
Pauline Whyman (Yorta Yorta), theatre/film practitioner
Candy Bowers, artist & producer, Multicultural Arts Victoria
Adrian Naidu, artist
Pataphysics, artist, producer and lecturer
Samah Sabawi, artist and playwright
Social Workers / Legal / Business
Mick Gooda (Ghangulu / Yiman), former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
Roxanne Moore (Noongar), Executive Officer, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services
Luke Pearson (Gamilaroi), CEO, IndigenousX
Tarneen Onus Williams (Noongar), community organiser
Sue-Anne Hunter (Wurundjeri), social worker
Sue Ellen Radford (Ngarrindjeri), mental health social worker
Yanni Jiang, Anticolonial Asian Alliance
Robert Wood, chair, PEN Perth
You can read the open letter in full, here.
