The Collingwood Football Club first awarded Honorary Life Membership in 1901.
The award was introduced to recognise the outstanding contribution of those players who had played more than 10 years with the club, and also those officials, support staff, trainers and administrators who had given exceptional service.
In recent times, only a select group of non-players and coaches have received the honour.
This year, John Laidlaw’s name joins the official list of Collingwood’s finest servants.
Laidlaw, 85, is best known as the founder of Collingwood’s first official sponsor, Yakka.
He served as the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Yakka Group for many years, and was once the Chairman of the Australian Confederation of Australian Manufacturers.
Yakka, of course, is synonymous with the Collingwood name, for it was worn on the Black and White jumper between 1977 and 1985, and featured on the apparel worn in David Williamson’s film The Club, released in 1980.
Laidlaw has also served as an official Patron of the Collingwood Football Club, and is one of the club’s most dedicated philanthropists.
Earlier this year, Laidlaw was acknowledged for his distinguished service to the community when he was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day Honours.
His community work involves the support of a range of health, social welfare and disability support organisations.
It was also through John’s leadership that Yakka became one of Victoria’s biggest employers establishing a manufacturing plant on six acres of land at Broadmeadows.
Laidlaw’s 40-year contribution to Collingwood has been extraordinary, but not just as a sponsor, nor just as a valued friend and advisor to many. His impact goes much further, as his support for the club’s social and community initiatives has been enormous.
He has been a driving force behind the Collingwood Football Club Foundation, and the development of our indigenous program (the Barrawarn Program) and also the Magpie Nest Program.
Our Barrawarn Program is now making a powerful contribution to the Indigenous community of Victoria by providing important social connections, employment and education opportunities. Collingwood is the only Melbourne based AFL club to have a full time Indigenous Programs Manager, and every single employee and player at the club has the opportunity to undertake cultural awareness training.
Over the past five years, the Barrawarn Program has also been able to support 25 young indigenous men and women in traineeship positions and 45 others in supported full time employment.
Elsewhere, Laidlaw’s support for Motor Neurone Disease research and the way that he cares for his wife Betty who suffers from MND has been inspirational.
John doesn’t seek the limelight. He is already a Patron of the club, but his contribution has been such that the committee unanimously recommended him for Life Membership.
There is no one more deserving of our club’s highest award and it gives us great pleasure to announce John Laidlaw as a Life Member of the Collingwood Football Club.
