Collingwood has $15m in state government funding expected from the state government,but the funding is dependent,as with other sporting organisations,on the club meeting that 40 percent quota,which in Collingwood’s case,would be three out of seven members of the club’s board of directors.
Only one woman,the club’s first Indigenous board member Jodie Sizer,is guaranteed a position on Collingwood’s board,as11 candidates seek just four board spots. Incumbent director and ex-Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate and APRA executive Renee Roberts are on Browne’s four-member ticket,along with wealthy venture capital fund manager Barry Carp.
Of the other seven candidates seeking election to the board,only one is a woman,health care executive Amanda Cameron.
Browne,the former AFL lawyer and Channel Nine boss,said on Tuesday that if the members did not vote for two women and thus the board did not meet the required three out of seven minimum,he would approach the Victorian government to make a commitment to appoint another woman as soon as possible.
“I’ll go and explain the situation regarding the election to the government and I’ll commit to that target,” he said,adding that he would tell the Victorian government that another woman would be appointed “as soon as practicable”.
Browne is favoured to win election to the board and assume the presidency,subject to his election,as aresult of a peace deal that followed the threat of a full spill. Given Korda has agreed to give up the presidency and influential director Peter Murphy is not standing,there is not a clear cut alternative to Browne from remaining board members Korda,Sizer and Paul Licuria.
While Browne’s ticket is considered likely to win,if only one woman was elected,the need for three women would place pressure on a current director to stand down if to ensure the club secured that $15m. Korda would be the obvious candidate given he is quitting the board at the end of 2022.