A teary Eddie McGuire has called time on his tenure as the president of Collingwood after the racism scandal which has engulfed the club in recent months.
McGuire had announced late last year that he would step down at the end of the 2021 season, but came under immense pressure to relinquish his role in recent weeks after a damning report on the club's culture under his leadership.
WATCH LIVE: Eddie McGuire announces resignation as Collingwood president
McGuire choked back tears when he announced that he would step down effective immediately at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
"I try my best and I don't always get it right but I don't stop trying," he said.
"From the moment I became the President of the Collingwood Football Club on my 34th birthday back in 1998, my sole motivation was to heal, unite, inspire and drive a new social conscience, not just into this club, but sport and the community in general and build an organisation that would be a place for opportunity for all people."
The 56-year-old was elected by the vote of the members as Collingwood's president in October 1998, with the club struggling immensely on the field.
Collingwood's on-field fortunes soared under McGuire's tenure, with the club making Grand Final appearances in 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011 and 2018, appearances which included a drought-breaking premiership win in 2010.
However, while McGuire rebuilt Collingwood back into a powerhouse on the field, the club's off-field reputation was dealt an indelible blow after the findings in the club's Do Better Report.
"I remind people that our recent review, inspired by Black Lives Matter, that part of a six-year journey of our reconciliation action plan was to look to what we need to do in the next 10 years, not the last," he said regarding the recent criticism of the club's culture.
"It needs to be noted and underlined that in undertaking this review, the club was unflinching in holding a mirror to itself. It was a brave first step that few would have the courage to take and shows the seriousness with which the club takes this issue.
"The report does make the point that there have been systemic problems, which the authors explain means problems without processes that saw our club react to incidents.
"It is why in the first paragraph of my written statement last Monday, which I didn't read out in my spoken comments, but I will say again, in the first paragraph of the written statement handed out and online I quote again: The board of the Collingwood Football Club commissioned the Do Better Report for the right reasons.
"We can learn from our past. Collingwood is and will continue to be a wonderful club, but this should not stop us from striving to do better.
"The CFC Do Better Report is an acknowledgement that our club, our game and our country have not always got it rights and for our part we have always sought to do our best, but that hasn't always been good enough, and for that we are sorry."
McGuire thanked each of the club's coaches and captains under h
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