Collingwood is excited to welcome Charlie Gardiner as the Club’s Executive General Manager of Football.
Gardiner will commence in his role at Collingwood in the new year where he will be responsible for leading and driving the strategy for the Club’s football department.
Gardiner joins the Club following six seasons as an administrator with the Sydney Swans.
Collingwood Executive General Manager of Football Charlie Gardiner said:
“I am excited to join Collingwood, a Club with such rich history and passionate supporter base.
“I look forward to getting to know the people that make up this Club and build on what is already a strong and well-placed football program and hopefully contribute to future success.
“Finally, I’m grateful to Sydney and everyone at the Swans for the journey over the past six years – I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all of the staff and players.”
Gardiner spent five years as the Swans’ Executive General Manager of Football before returning to Melbourne last year to be closer to family. He remained with the Club as its Legal Counsel and supporting the Club’s wider strategy.
As a footballer, Gardiner played 63 AFL games across a seven-year career at Geelong and St Kilda.
Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly said:
“We are delighted to have Charlie join Collingwood, leading our AFL football department.
“Charlie played a key role in shaping the Swans’ football strategy with proven success and we look forward to welcoming him as the EGM of Football.
“We also welcome his wife Melissa, and their children Jonno, Ted and Chloe to our Club.”
Collingwood continues to further invest across all aspects of its football programs to ensure the Club is well placed on and off the field.
This has seen the recent appointment of Matthew Boyd as an Assistant Coach and also Trevor Hendy who will head up the Club’s leadership program.
In addition, Richard Little has been appointed in a strategic role as a List and Recruiting Analyst as part of the Club’s commitment to further bolster and invest in list management and recruiting. Little has vast experience in data innovation and analytics and has joined Collingwood from the Victorian Institute of Sport.
The Club’s commitment to the community and fostering the next generation of fan, member and talent sees the creation of a new initiative titled Future Magpies. As part of this new program, Collingwood has appointed experienced administrator Gerard Jess, former AFL players Lynden Dunn and Dom Tyson and experienced educator and development coach Steve Grace to deliver programs focussed on Next Generation Academies (NGA), Peter Daicos Academy and driving fan development, engagement and talent outcomes for boys and girls, nationally.
