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Dear Eddie,
Thank you for your continued interest in the welfare of the Sydney Swans Football Club. As always, we have taken your feedback on board. We have also decided to completely ignore your recent outlandish statements, as your opinion is as important to us as the next episode of 'The Club'. As the true 'white knight' of the football industry, your quest for true equalisation has been commendable. Well done. We would like to delve a little deeper into the astonishing effect you have had on the equalisation of the Australian Football League.
Your involvement in an AFL sanctioned 'equalisation focus group' which travelled to the USA last season was outstanding. Not at all a contradiction, the Presidents of two of the most profitable clubs in the league being at the forefront on equalization discussions. Yours, Peter Gordon's and Hawthorn's Andrew Newbold's concerted efforts to have the Cost of Living Allowance disbanded was completely unpredictable and straight out of left field. We didn't see that coming at all. The inevitability of the AFL caving in to powerbrokers such as you and your little friend Andrew, forced us into actually making the most out of this allowance and devising the single greatest recruiting coup in the game's history. Thank you Eddie. It's funny you know, the COLA was never an issue until we began to challenge and win premierships. Hmmm...
Let's take a look at the positive impact you have had on the development of the code in Queensland. Whilst so generously hosting AFL executives at a brand spanking new multi-million dollar Collingwood training facility in 2004, you decided to take the opportunity to slaughter the Brisbane Lions' location allowance. Yep, that is the same Brisbane Lions who had coincidentally, just defeated your club in successive Grand Finals. When former AFL CEO, Wayne Jackson was asked about your continued bleating on the issue, he replied with this: "The same people in club-land who grizzle about the Brisbane Lions' allowance, you don't hear them grizzling about the fact that the finals are played at the MCG," he said. " You don't hear Eddie McGuire complaining about the fact that Collingwood gets to play all its finals on its home ground." The whole point of the exercise was meant to be that it helped a club outside the heartland retain its players. Only last season, the Lions lost the core of their 1st-4th year players, due to the fact they all wanted to 'go home'. Your club was included in the savaging that took place. Yep, The Lions and football in Queensland have just gone from strength to strength since you played such a leading hand in influencing the removal of yet another equalisation measure.
Earlier this year, you were again instrumental in influencing the outcome of the equalisation tax. A tax which was intended to close the gap between the top clubs and the bottom clubs, has instead appeared to have extended the gap. Geelong President Colin Carter stated that "The taxation has been hopelessly compromised because Eddie refused to pay it," Carter said. "I don't mind the tax on footy departments but this notion of a cap of half-a-million dollars on the rich clubs is a joke. The philosophy is wrong. What we are doing is just screwing the middle class while the rich are able to get their affairs in order which is what happens in real life. To take $300,000 from us and $500,000 from Collingwood actually weakens our position against Collingwood. And for the AFL to come out at the end and say they won't be taking money for equalisation from club revenues ... what an admission of defeat. Our club supported the genuine attempt to bridge the growing divide between the clubs but now it seems that the ones that shouted the loudest have been rewarded." Well played again, Mr. McGuire.
Your recent criticisms of the Academy systems which are in place at the northern clubs have been tremendously amusing. I am sure the news that the Swans may in fact pick up a top five draft pick through this system has horrified you. Forget the draft concessions which have been in place over the past few years, this is THE big issue. A system which was designed by a committee which included Collingwood's own Derek Hine, simply must be stopped. Isn't that right, Eddie? How can these clubs develop young talent with an aim to provide more NSW and QLD kids to be drafted to club's across Australia and get away with it? Are you worried that you won't be able to pilfer these locally raised players as you did with Anthony Rocca and Darren Jolly, both Victorians who wanted to 'go home'? We understand that you are intimidated by the rise of the Swans. You should be, pal. We're bigger and better than ever and we're not going anywhere.
Finally, well done on your continued capacity to manipulate the football media. From a thinly veiled apology to Adam Goodes, which somehow was magically accepted by the general public, after your blatant racial vilification of a man with more integrity than you will ever know, to your orchestration of a puppet in the form of Damian Barrett on last night's Footy Show, your influence is indisputable. Like you, I cannot for the life of me, work out why anyone at the Swans would decline a magnificient opportunity to work alongside you. The fact that you have offended Colless, Pridham, Ireland, Goodes and now Longmire with your self-promoting nonsense would have nothing to do with it. The fact that you have continually insinuated the club has cheated in it's use of the COLA and in turn, insulted every single member of staff that has worked it's backside off to make the club the success that it is today, would have nothing to do with it either. Nope, you just continue on your one-man crusade to make all things 'equal'. By all means continue to use your 'media boys club' to stick up for you at any opportunity. We're all behind you, mate. Eddie McGuire 'the poster boy for equalisation'. Please....
Yours sincerely,
One million Swans supporters.
Thank you for your continued interest in the welfare of the Sydney Swans Football Club. As always, we have taken your feedback on board. We have also decided to completely ignore your recent outlandish statements, as your opinion is as important to us as the next episode of 'The Club'. As the true 'white knight' of the football industry, your quest for true equalisation has been commendable. Well done. We would like to delve a little deeper into the astonishing effect you have had on the equalisation of the Australian Football League.
Your involvement in an AFL sanctioned 'equalisation focus group' which travelled to the USA last season was outstanding. Not at all a contradiction, the Presidents of two of the most profitable clubs in the league being at the forefront on equalization discussions. Yours, Peter Gordon's and Hawthorn's Andrew Newbold's concerted efforts to have the Cost of Living Allowance disbanded was completely unpredictable and straight out of left field. We didn't see that coming at all. The inevitability of the AFL caving in to powerbrokers such as you and your little friend Andrew, forced us into actually making the most out of this allowance and devising the single greatest recruiting coup in the game's history. Thank you Eddie. It's funny you know, the COLA was never an issue until we began to challenge and win premierships. Hmmm...
Let's take a look at the positive impact you have had on the development of the code in Queensland. Whilst so generously hosting AFL executives at a brand spanking new multi-million dollar Collingwood training facility in 2004, you decided to take the opportunity to slaughter the Brisbane Lions' location allowance. Yep, that is the same Brisbane Lions who had coincidentally, just defeated your club in successive Grand Finals. When former AFL CEO, Wayne Jackson was asked about your continued bleating on the issue, he replied with this: "The same people in club-land who grizzle about the Brisbane Lions' allowance, you don't hear them grizzling about the fact that the finals are played at the MCG," he said. " You don't hear Eddie McGuire complaining about the fact that Collingwood gets to play all its finals on its home ground." The whole point of the exercise was meant to be that it helped a club outside the heartland retain its players. Only last season, the Lions lost the core of their 1st-4th year players, due to the fact they all wanted to 'go home'. Your club was included in the savaging that took place. Yep, The Lions and football in Queensland have just gone from strength to strength since you played such a leading hand in influencing the removal of yet another equalisation measure.
Earlier this year, you were again instrumental in influencing the outcome of the equalisation tax. A tax which was intended to close the gap between the top clubs and the bottom clubs, has instead appeared to have extended the gap. Geelong President Colin Carter stated that "The taxation has been hopelessly compromised because Eddie refused to pay it," Carter said. "I don't mind the tax on footy departments but this notion of a cap of half-a-million dollars on the rich clubs is a joke. The philosophy is wrong. What we are doing is just screwing the middle class while the rich are able to get their affairs in order which is what happens in real life. To take $300,000 from us and $500,000 from Collingwood actually weakens our position against Collingwood. And for the AFL to come out at the end and say they won't be taking money for equalisation from club revenues ... what an admission of defeat. Our club supported the genuine attempt to bridge the growing divide between the clubs but now it seems that the ones that shouted the loudest have been rewarded." Well played again, Mr. McGuire.
Your recent criticisms of the Academy systems which are in place at the northern clubs have been tremendously amusing. I am sure the news that the Swans may in fact pick up a top five draft pick through this system has horrified you. Forget the draft concessions which have been in place over the past few years, this is THE big issue. A system which was designed by a committee which included Collingwood's own Derek Hine, simply must be stopped. Isn't that right, Eddie? How can these clubs develop young talent with an aim to provide more NSW and QLD kids to be drafted to club's across Australia and get away with it? Are you worried that you won't be able to pilfer these locally raised players as you did with Anthony Rocca and Darren Jolly, both Victorians who wanted to 'go home'? We understand that you are intimidated by the rise of the Swans. You should be, pal. We're bigger and better than ever and we're not going anywhere.
Finally, well done on your continued capacity to manipulate the football media. From a thinly veiled apology to Adam Goodes, which somehow was magically accepted by the general public, after your blatant racial vilification of a man with more integrity than you will ever know, to your orchestration of a puppet in the form of Damian Barrett on last night's Footy Show, your influence is indisputable. Like you, I cannot for the life of me, work out why anyone at the Swans would decline a magnificient opportunity to work alongside you. The fact that you have offended Colless, Pridham, Ireland, Goodes and now Longmire with your self-promoting nonsense would have nothing to do with it. The fact that you have continually insinuated the club has cheated in it's use of the COLA and in turn, insulted every single member of staff that has worked it's backside off to make the club the success that it is today, would have nothing to do with it either. Nope, you just continue on your one-man crusade to make all things 'equal'. By all means continue to use your 'media boys club' to stick up for you at any opportunity. We're all behind you, mate. Eddie McGuire 'the poster boy for equalisation'. Please....
Yours sincerely,
One million Swans supporters.
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