McGuire's transformation from Broadmeadows boy to Toorak-dweller and celebrity journalist is well known. Similarly, he has taken Collingwood from its blue-collar roots to the world of the corporate high-flyers.
We've taken a look at some of McGuire's most defining moments and contributions to the club throughout this time as Magpies president.
1. Appointment of Mick Malthouse as Collingwood coach
At the end of 1999, Mick Malthouse agreed to return to Victoria from West Coast to coach Collingwood. The Magpies had finished on the bottom of the ladder and McGuire had ensured that club champion Tony Shaw's departure as coach was as dignified as possible under the circumstances. Malthouse was the biggest appointment he would make and critical to the club's turnaround in fortunes on and off the field.
2. Last game at Victoria Park and transfer to the new training base
By 1999, the Magpies were only playing a few games a season at Victoria Park and they were against interstate teams. The last game against a Victorian-based club came in round 16, 1996, against Fitzroy. The facilities had become hideously outdated, and it was simply time to move on. The final game was against the Brisbane Lions and was held on August 28, 1999. The Lions won by 42 points in the round 22 match in a season where the Pies finished on the bottom of the ladder for the second time in their history. It wasn't until 2004 the club became one of the first to move away from its spiritual home to take up residency at the Westpac Centre, near the MCG.
3. Life membership awarded in 2004
With the installation of Malthouse as coach, the decision to shift from Victoria Park to the base on the Yarra River, and two Grand Final appearances, McGuire had achieved plenty since taking over as president on October 29, 1998 when he was 34-years-old. The proud, lifelong Collingwood supporter was honoured with life membership in 2004 after laying the foundation for what would be a major restructure of the entire club. A year later, he was recognised for his "service to the community, particularly through support for healthcare and welfare organisations, and to broadcasting", and received a Member of the Order of Australia award.
4. Move to Sydney to become the CEO of the Nine Network
It was announced McGuire would become the new CEO of the Nine Network on February 9, 2006 following the departure of David Gyngell. He stopped hosting shows such as The Footy Show and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as well as his roles commentating on the game, and moved to Sydney for the highly paid role. He remained as Collingwood president despite living interstate. It was not a spectacular career move for McGuire. He oversaw the loss of jobs in news and current affairs, including the controversial dismissals of Jessica Rowe and Jana Wendt. Nine's ratings also took a hit. McGuire resigned from the role on June 30, 2007 and returned to Melbourne.
Below: Eddie McGuire on the set of Channel Nine's The Footy Show. Picture: AFL Media
5. Succession plan sees Nathan Buckley take over from Mick Malthouse
Mick Malthouse's contract was up for renewal after 10 years as coach. Former skipper Nathan Buckley was looking to enter the world of coaching. McGuire wanted to keep both people at Collingwood so he engineered a revolutionary coaching succession plan he believed would serve the club's best interests. Eventually both Malthouse and Buckley agreed to a deal that saw Malthouse remain coach for two years before handing over the reins to Buckley at the end of 2011. Malthouse would then move into the undefined position of director of coaching for three years. At the end of 2011, after two consecutive Grand Finals and the 2010 premiership, Buckley was coach and Malthouse decided it was in everyone's best interests if he moved on. It was far from seamless. The bitterness from the Malthouse camp still lingers and the pair still trade the odd blow via the media.
6. Eddie's media presence keeps Collingwood in the headlines
McGuire walked the walk when it came to journalism, making it a point of honour to return calls and creating a policy at the club that made sure players remained accessible and spoke to their fans through the media. Many of the club's players have become superstars as a result and learned to face the glare of questioning even when facing controversy. McGuire also commentated, his apparent bias infuriating fans of opposition clubs at times and sometimes raising questions of conflict of interest (commentator Tim Lane turned down an offer to work at Nine when McGuire was calling Collingwood games). McGuire stared the critics down and with his Collingwood biased commentary called 'Press Red for Ed' in round four, 2013 ensuring humour and parody remained part of the game.
7. Talking around Chris Tarrant
He was a top 10 draft pick who just did not seem to have the passion to play the game at the highest level. His path had not been as smooth as most but when he decided to quit prematurely the president took it upon himself to talk Tarrant around. Tarrant resumed his career and became a favourite with Magpie fans as leading goalkicker for five years straight before he was traded to Fremantle at the end of 2006. After 72 games with the Dockers, he came back to the Collingwood fold a new man. The mature Tarrant was loved by all and departed the game after 268 games as a respected figure.
8. Restoring Victoria Park to the community
In September 2010, it was announced the Pies' presence at Victoria Park would involve not only VFL games but also a community centre that would run a series of programs and services for young people, as well as supporting the club's growing multicultural and indigenous programs. A major community centre would be established in the Bob Rose Social Club building, with the club's submission to turn the building into a community hub approved by the Yarra Council (the council had been unimpressed with the state of the venue following Collingwood's departure in 2004). McGuire announced the development at Victoria Park, with the Magpies to be head tenants of the centre with several not-for-profit organisations and service providers to sublease. It was said disadvantaged young people, indigenous Australians and the wider community would benefit, with a $1million donation provided by the Pratt Foundation to get the project moving.
9. 2010 premiership triumph
No greater moment for McGuire than to be involved in the third Grand Final draw in the game's history and then see the Magpies take the premiership the next week when it defeated St Kilda by 56 points in the replay. McGuire famously told attendees (that included players and their partners) at a club function after the draw that the game was tied at half-time and he had every confidence the club would win the second half to be played the next week.
10. Ron Todd into the Hall of Fame
The Collingwood forward, who played 76 games for the club including the 1936 premiership, was selected in the Collingwood team of the century in 1997 but was taken out at the discretion of one of the selectors – John McHale, son of the great Collingwood coach Jock – when he objected. In 2011, he was posthumously inducted into the club's Hall of Fame, with the olive branch being extended to return his name to the Magpies honour boards. McGuire has delighted in recognising the greats of the club including John Greening, Peter McKenna, the late Len Thompson, Des Tuddenham, Denis Banks and the late Ron Richards with a passion few others can muster. His reverence and respect for Lou Richards is evident.
11. Olympic Park precinct
A few noses were out of joint when a deal was announced that saw the Victorian Institute of Sport and Athletics Victoria move to Albert Park while Collingwood began to implement its plans for the precinct. However, few complaints are heard now with AAMI Park completed and the Westpac Centre rebuilt with a purpose-built training ground next door. Collingwood had moved into the centre in 2004, with the club pioneering the concept in Melbourne of a football powerhouse with the facilities and presence to match its status in the city.
12. King Kong gaffe
This was a devastating personal slip for McGuire when he attempted on morning radio to make a joke about flying down Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes for the promotion of the King Kong musical. He apologised for the hurt he had caused Goodes and the community and acknowledged it was a moment of regret. Just days earlier McGuire had won plaudits for his work in supporting Goodes and the Sydney Swans when a teenage girl racially abused the best on ground Goodes during a game against Collingwood at the MCG.
13. Record profits and membership
When McGuire took over as president, the Pies were 14th on the ladder and had a membership of 27,099. Today, they have a membership base of 80,456 and an enormous supporter network, which sees an average of over 55,000 attend the club's home games. Despite losing $5million on Albert Park's Beach Hotel investment, purchased in 2006 and sold in 2011, the club is in a terrific financial state, posting an unprecedented profit of $7.83million in 2012, and remains consistently with the top clubs for football department spending.
14. Awarding Leigh Matthews life membership
Before he became president, McGuire's beaming face on the boundary as Leigh Matthews arrived on the bench to celebrate the last moments of Collingwood's 1990 premiership has been a superb image. Then McGuire mustered all his energy to help stop the Lions from being too good for the Magpies in back to back Grand Finals in 2002-03. He said that Matthews would be offered life membership of Collingwood as soon as he stopped coaching against the club. Within weeks of Matthews ending his time at the Lions in 2008, he kept the promise. Matthews became a life member at Collingwood late in 2008.
15. Taking on the salary cap concessions
As much as he protests that he doesn't like fighting, McGuire never backs away from one. He's always considered the salary cap concessions the Brisbane Lions received to help it retain players was unfair – which only added to the fun Lions fans had when taunting Collingwood supporters in 2002 and 2003. He has continued to argue that the Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney should not receive the cost-of-living allowance in the manner they do. His words have endeared him to Magpie fans but made him a pain in the neck to many opposition supporters who argue that Collingwood receives plenty of concessions from the AFL via the fixture and clubs in New South Wales and Queensland compete in rugby league territory where AFL flies under the radar. It is, however, a fight McGuire will not walk away from.
