The outspoken Magpies president has slammed the AFL’s plan to re-write the history books.
Magpies president Eddie McGuire is fuming upon hearing the news that the AFL may backdate the sport’s history to 1870 – handing arch-rivals Carlton six more premierships.
Moving the date back from the currently historically accepted 1897 would have drastic effects on the premiership ladder.
Carlton and Essendon currently sit atop of the table with 16 premierships each, with Collingwood sitting one behind.
However a new foundation date of 1870 would see Carlton sit on 22 premierships, Essendon on 20 and the Magpies 16.
The outspoken McGuire slammed the proposal.
“I’ve had this conversation before and I thought this had died a natural death because it’s so stupid, but obviously not because it’s been pushed up again,” he told SEN Radio.
“Do you reckon someone wants to point up and say, ‘We’ve got 22 premierships’ … that’s what it is.”
McGuire also said the changing of the date would lead to a lot of clubs challenging records, even extinct ones such as Albert Park, Yarraville and Britannia.
“It’s the rewriting of history and, as I’ve mentioned to Mike Fitzpatrick, do you know what happens when empires rewrite history? They’re invariably about to topple over,” he said.
“That we have got the AFL Commission chairman sitting on this is staggering to me.
“We’ve got massive things to worry about in football.
“Nothing drives me (more) mad than people wasting our time.”
COMMENTS