Collingwood Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Graham Wright to the role of General Manager of Football.

With over 30 years of AFL experience as a player and administrator of the game, Wright will fill the position vacated by Geoff Walsh late last year.

Wright held opposition analysis and recruiting roles at Brisbane Lions from 2004 until 2007, before moving into recruiting and list management at Hawthorn in 2007. He stepped into his most recent position as Hawthorn’s Head of Football at the beginning of 2018, having been involved in four Premierships with the Hawks.

Collingwood CEO Mark Anderson said the appointment of Wright was an excellent result for the club.

“I am very pleased to confirm the appointment of Graham Wright as Collingwood’s General Manager of Football,” Anderson said.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Graham’s calibre join the Collingwood Football Club, his experience and knowledge of the game will be a valuable addition to our football program.

“Graham’s record speaks for itself, he has a well-rounded resume and demonstrated success in recruiting and operations roles across the league and was involved in a highly successful period at Hawthorn Football Club, most recently leading the football department.

“Following a thorough recruitment process, we look forward to welcoming Graham back to the club and watching our football department develop further under his leadership.”

Anderson also acknowledged the quality of role that the interim managers have played during the recruitment process.

“Our two interim leaders in Nick Maxwell and Marcus Wagner have done a great job in leading the program and will continue to do so until Graham commences on Monday 8 February. We thank them for the important role they have played and the value they continue to add to our football program,” Anderson said.

A Collingwood Premiership player, Wright spoke of his delight to be appointed as the General Manager of Football at the club he played 201 games for between 1988 and 1998.

“I am very excited to take on the General Manager of Football position at Collingwood, and look forward to the opportunity to work with Nathan Buckley, the players and staff at the club,” Wright said.

“Following a strong 2020 campaign and with a fresh crop of talent from last year’s draft, I am clearly stepping into a program with a strong foundation and a desire for even greater success.”