Collingwood's boardroom struggle is set to get ugly over the coming weeks after the current board put on a united front amid Jeff Browne's coup attempt.
Just days after Browne finally went public with his desire to overthrow Mark Korda and become Collingwood's next president, Korda and his board members returned serve in a stunning statement.
The statement was signed by Korda, vice presidents Jodie Sizer and Paul Licuria and the four directors, Neil Wilson, Bridie O'Donnell, Christine Holgate and Peter Murphy.
"The board of the Collingwood Football Club stands as one," the statement read, in part. "It stands united and strong."
"It stands in support of our athletes and staff, our members and all who believe in the idea that Collingwood has an important role to play in Australian life.
"The board of the Collingwood Football Club stands for unity, not division, and will therefore stand against coups driven by personal ambition.
"Not one, let alone four, of the current board is prepared to step aside to allow a boardroom coup as proposed by Jeff Browne to proceed.
"A coup is not warranted, it has not been justified and cannot be justified. Nor is it in step with good governance or the will of members to agree to the demands of an individual member wanting only to be president.
"In any case, there is no vision, no ticket, no compelling strategy for you to consider or for us to step aside for. How could any board entertain a request to step aside without first knowing these things?
"Notwithstanding this position we are available to meet Jeff to establish whether, in the best interests of the club, a divisive and distracting campaign can be avoided."
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