CEO to President: Lyon’s big call on Magpies boss amid exit reports

Collingwood’s Craig Kelly is negotiating his exit from the Magpies’ CEO role, according to Seven’s Caroline Wilson.

Kelly took over the role in early 2023, leading the Magpies to a flag in year one, but is now looking to step away four years into his reign.

Following on from Wilson’s report, SEN’s Sam Edmund wasn’t surprised to hear that Kelly was looking for an exit, given that’s always been his stance on the role since taking over.

He discussed the news with SEN Breakfast hosts Garry Lyon and Tim Watson, both of whom know the big Collingwood figure well, with Lyon even making a bold prediction about what Kelly’s next move may be.

Edmund: “Craig Kelly is someone that you both know very well.

“The story from Caroline Wilson last night on the Agenda Setters was that Kelly is planning his departure as CEO of Collingwood in his fourth season at the club, while remaining at the Magpies potentially in a consultancy role.

“Craig's on leave at the moment; he's overseas. My understanding is he'll return after the club's Round 14 bye.

“He's always been a guy, Garry, you might even attest to this, who has said, ‘This won't be forever’. He tells people that he won't be doing this for years and years, and he won't be there in his mid-60s.

“As far as the club is concerned, they're saying there is nothing formal in place at the moment in terms of replacements or succession plans. He is still very much the CEO, but time is going to tell, clearly.”

Lyon: “He was planning his exit from the day he was appointed.”

Edmund: “That's what he says to people.”

Lyon: “100%, I'm telling you. He never looked upon it as a massive career as the CEO of the Collingwood Football Club.

“In fact, if I had to have a bet, I think his great wish would be to end up being President of the Collingwood Football Club.”

Edmund: “Right, because he left a big career to get into the Collingwood Football Club?”

Lyon: “I think he's worked hard throughout his whole life. He's in a position where he doesn't need to be bashing his head against the door like all CEOs at AFL clubs do, and I think he wants to live a bit of a life and enjoy it, as we all should if we can.”

Watson: “That's a big bombshell that Craig Kelly wants to be the next President of the Collingwood Football Club.”

Lyon: “There's no secret about that. I'm telling you, the plan would be for him to exit his way out as a CEO, which is what we're talking about here, and then, at some stage because of his great love for the Collingwood Football Club … I think he'd like to oversee it, and he'd like to oversee it from the President's position.”

Edmund: “He’s been linked to that before.”

Lyon: “That’s just my opinion.”

Kelly played 122 games for Collingwood as a player, including winning the 1990 premiership.

He then made a name for himself post his playing career as the long-time boss of talent agency TGI Sport Australia.