Collingwood Magpies president Eddie McGuire has given an impassioned plea to members of his club to stand by them during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
With the AFL season suspended temporarily, many members are seeking refunds for their club memberships.
But the Magpies boss spoke to Nine News on Wednesday night about why fans should continue to support the club, and got extremely fired up during the interview.
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“It’s as simple as this – if you don’t have members, you don’t have a club," he said.
"A club that has no members is a memory, so we need them to stick with us as much as we can.
"If our members or supports get into financial hardship, speak to us – we are there together because the members are the club.
"It’s not as if we are privately owned…this is all about sticking together through tough times."
But unfortunately - or maybe fortunately for entertainment purposes - reporter Tony Jones kept prodding and it ended up being a pretty explosive segment.
“You’re not listening to me Tony, you’re trying to get a headline," McGuire continued.
"I’m giving you an answer – the answer is if you’ve got financial hardship speak to your club, we are there to help you.
"We do this year in, year out with people in financial hardship. This is more than just a transaction – this is people who love their club and it means more to them."
MUST WATCH INTERVIEW:
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) April 1, 2020
Should @AFL members be refunded?
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and Tony Jones thrash it out. @TJch9 #9News pic.twitter.com/YgsJftga0H
“Do you want an answer or do you want to keep asking questions? If we don’t have enough people putting their hands in their pockets, it’s as simple as that.
"Don’t make this into people taking money out of people’s pockets, and don’t wind me up with a smartass last line. This is desperate stakes, and don’t try and make a headline."
