Allen resigns0:28
AFL: Graham Allen has resigned from his post as Collingwood general manager after being found guilty of helping Lachie Whitfield escape a drug test.
Eddie McGuire says Collingwood is not in crisis despite searching for its fifth football boss in four years
COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire says the Magpies are not in the midst of a crisis despite searching for their fifth football boss in four years.
Graeme Allan, who quit the club on Tuesday over his involvement in the Lachie Whitfield saga, joins Geoff Walsh, Rodney Eade and Neil Balme as former heads of football at the Pies.
Walsh returned to his former club North Melbourne and Eade is now coaching the Gold Coast Suns.
Allan was appointed to the role in September as part of an internal shake-up.
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He replaced Balme who was offered a director of coaching role at the Magpies.
McGuire defended Collingwood’s handling of the situation which saw Richmond pounce on Balme and install him as the Tigers’ head of football.
“It is straight forward. We needed to make changes at our club. We were not happy with the way some of the things were being done and we decided to change up the whole situation,” McGuire said.
“It was a board decision based on a recommendation from the chief executive officer.
“That (the Allan investigation) came out of left field. We have got contingency plans.
“I would rather Gubby was there because we appointed him. In the time he has been the director of football at Collingwood, he has been fantastic. That is nothing against anything with Neil Balme. I, me, club, board, chief executive wanted Neil Balme to go into a role (at Collingwood) we believe he was tailor made for.”
McGuire said the Magpies will make a decision on the club’s new head of football in the next couple of weeks.
For the time being, Collingwood has appointed Marcus Wagner to the position in an interim capacity.
McGuire endorsed Wagner as more than capable of succeeding in the high pressure role.
“Marcus Wagner is more than ready to step into the position there,” he said on Triple M.
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“We will make a decision whether or not we make an appointment in the next couple of weeks.
“We know exactly what is going to happen.
“Marcus Wagner has worked for our football club and looks after all our football operations. He is an up and coming star.”
The Magpies have resumed pre-season training with the club holding a camp at Falls Creek this week.