Recognising the contribution of every player to have donned the club’s iconic Black and White guernsey since its foundation in 1892, Collingwood Forever will showcase the names, moments and former glories which have been indelibly etched in Magpie folklore.
To forever immortalise these feats of legend, the club has commissioned renowned artist Jamie Cooper to produce a piece capturing the defining moments in club history, with the artwork poised to stand as a tangible touchstone of the Collingwood Forever project in years to come.
The club will also pay tribute to every individual who has represented the club in the VFA and VFL/AFL during a designated home match later in the season, when the team will don a commemorative ‘Forever Guernsey’ bearing the name of all 1196 past and present Collingwood players.
A centrepiece gala event will mark the culmination of the Collingwood Forever festivities on Wednesday 27 August, with an invitation to the once-in-a-lifetime gathering awarded to every living player to have represented the club over the last 121 years.
However, Collingwood Forever’s legacy will exist in perpetuity, with the establishment of an online archive detailing the club’s history, and plans for regular events celebrating Magpies of old the in the years ahead ensuring its mark becomes indelible.
Club President Eddie McGuire said Collingwood Forever represented the ultimate expression of acknowledgment and gratitude to the players whose on and off-field contribution has transformed Collingwood into a beacon for the Australian sporting community.
“In football, as in life, history shadows every step we take, and we believe it is our obligation, as custodians of this great club’s legacy, to honour those who have come before us,” McGuire said.
“While Collingwood’s humble beginnings are well documented, less so are the personal and unique narratives which have followed each individual to have set foot onto Victoria Park or the MCG as a Magpie."
He added: “Collingwood Forever offers us a unique opportunity to explore those stories, enhance that mythology and embrace the shared experience which unite and define us as members of the Magpie Army.
"In celebrating our past, we are able to give thanks to those whose tenacity and athletic gifts earned them the privilege of being forever known as a Collingwood player.”
To visit the Collingwood Forever website, please head to forever.collingwoodfc.com.au.
