Australia’s biggest football club, the Collingwood Football Club, today announced a new business partnership with one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, HOSTPLUS.HOSTPLUS is the national superannuation fund for the hospitality, tourism, recreation and sport industries and one of Australia’s fastest growing Super Funds. HOSTPLUS was recently awarded the prestigious SuperRatings 2006/07 Fund of the Year and Money Magazine's 2007 Best Super Fund Manager - Best of the Best Award.Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said, “This is a very significant announcement for the club and another great example of innovative thinking. We have enormous respect for HOSTPLUS. HOSTPLUS is a leader in its field and has experienced tremendous growth and success in recent years. This is a great example of how two dynamic organisations can work together to create a true business partnership that delivers effective benefits to both parties.“As Nathan Buckley heads towards the last years of his football career and plans for the future, HOSTPLUS and the club will ensure that players like Nathan have access to the best possible financial expertise and support."HOSTPLUS will become Collingwood’s official superannuation partner and work with the players, coaches and staff to assist with superannuation and financial planning. The partnership will also extend to more than 150 employees across Collingwood’s hotel venues. Nathan Buckley and Michael Malthouse will also play a role in the partnership as ambassadors for HOSTPLUS.HOSTPLUS CEO David Elia said, “We are delighted to be associated with the Collingwood Football Club brand. This partnership is far from being a co-incidence as the partnership provides many synergies. Ultimately, it goes to the heart of what HOSTPLUS stands for and gives us the access and vehicle to deliver sound financial literacy to our members with the view to create a more financially aware membership base. We feel that through this initiative we will help augment Collingwood Football Club’s player welfare initiatives in the financial services space"Features of the new partnership include:

HOSTPLUS will become Collingwood’s official superannuation partner and work with the players, coaches, administration and the club’s hotel venues to assist with superannuation and financial planning.Collingwood will conduct a series of “Performance Plus+" presentations and seminars for HOSTPLUS employer members around Australia featuring Nathan Buckley and Michael Malthouse and other high profile sportsmen. Performance Plus+ is a service being launched by Collingwood that provides training seminars, presentations and workshops designed to address leadership, staff retention and team performance and all aspects of high performance culture for corporate organisations. Performance Plus+ also gives participants access to the Collingwood Football Club “inner sanctum" and a real insight into team performance for a sporting perspective.

Collingwood will provide a range of rewards and incentives for HOSTPLUS members to access and win around Australia

As Nathan Buckley looks to his future outside of football, he will play a role as an ambassador or spokesperson to assist HOSTPLUS in widely promoting the importance of planning for the future to the broader membership base.At Thursday's media conference Collingwood also announced that Nathan Buckley would continue as Captain of the club in 2007 and that the club had also extended the contract of Senior Coach Michael Malthouse until the end of the 2008 season.HOSTPLUS announced the appointment of a new independent Chairman, ex Tabcorp CFO, David Elmslie.