Kane Cornes said the open letter Collingwood players released on Thursday night as a response to the racism report was a “landmark” day for the club.
After the historic report into allegations of systemic racism at the Pies was leaked on Monday, 150 players across Collingwood’s AFL, AFLW and Netball teams released a joint letter to say sorry about what might have occurred at the club in previous decades.
Cornes welcomed the letter, saying the playing group had done the right thing by releasing a combined statement after the report was made public earlier in the week.
“The letter was well written and it was the right thing to do,” he said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“It’s been signed by 120 players and staff from Melbourne, sorry is the first word and that’s a big tick – it’s the first word that should have come out of Eddie McGuire’s mouth when he faced the media and called it a proud day for the football club. He has since apologised for the use of the word ‘proud’.
“They’ve done the right thing there, I think it’s a landmark moment for the football club. I know Darcy Moore has been strong and Brodie Grundy has gone further and released a four-part tweet to reaffirm his apology.
“I feels to me, even though it’s taken probably 50 years too long to get here, that everyone is sort of moving on and what’s expected about how we live our lives and at sporting clubs.”
A statement from our athletes.
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) February 4, 2021
The following letter has been written by the 150 footballers and netballers of Collingwood. pic.twitter.com/m6U0H3MooV
1/4 My sincere and unreserved apology to anyone who, through their association with our club, has been marginalised, hurt or discriminated against due to their race.
— Brodie Grundy (@brodiegrundy) February 4, 2021