In Black & White

To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Collingwood Football Club, this is the story of the Magpies — moment by moment, year by year.

Remarkably quickly after its inception in 1892, Collingwood became the powerhouse club of the competition. Soon it was developing fierce rivalries on the field and establishing itself as the nation’s leading sporting organisation off it — a position it has never relinquished. In Black & White tells the story of this fabled club, through the good years and the bad.

From the Magpies’ historic first match — fittingly, against Carlton — all the way through to the newly established women’s team, In Black & White relives the highs and lows of footy’s greatest club: the dominant ‘Machine’ sides of 1927–30, the devastating boardroom battles, the agonising ‘Colliwobbles’ era, the exhilarating 1990 flag, the revolutionary coaching succession plan, and many more.

This is the story of Collingwood — the biggest, most loathed but also most loved football club in Australia.

Michael Roberts is a journalist and author who has written or edited more than a dozen books, most on Australian football. He is the official historian for the Collingwood Football Club, president of the Australian Football Heritage Group and co-owner of media and content company Media Giants. He always wanted to play for the Magpies but strict VFL zoning rules and a lack of talent made it impossible. He still has his childhood Collingwood jumper and autographed copy of Peter McKenna’s My World of Football. Michael’s wife, Belinda, is also a Magpie, and they’re still hoping to convert their children, Isabel and Will.

Glenn McFarlane has long been a passionate fan of the Magpies, having been ‘brainwashed’ by his mother at an early age. Glenn represented Collingwood in underage football and cricket teams, but his passion was always sports journalism. The Magpies won the flag in his first year of covering football in 1990. He was sports editor of the Sunday Herald Sun for 11 years and is now a senior sports reporter for the Herald Sun. Glenn is married to Christine and has three children, Lachlan, Elise and Charlotte.