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CAR GIANT Holden has restructured its sponsorship with Collingwood in the wake of a sexism row involving president Eddie McGuire.
The announcement was made by the car company on Monday, while McGuire remains on holiday overseas.
Among the new plan, more than half of Holden's sponsorship money will be directed to Collingwood's new women's team and community programs, including the naming rights to the club's headquarters.
"The easy thing to do would be to walk away from Collingwood, the hard road is to stick together and work side-by-side to champion diversity and continue to drive meaningful change," Holden managing director Mark Bernhard said in a statement.
"That is what we have decided to do; we sponsor Collingwood, not an individual.
"Industries like automotive and sporting codes like the AFL are often viewed as 'blokey' and behind the times when it comes to social issues.
"We now have a chance to take a stronger leadership position. Large organisations such as Holden and Collingwood have an important role to play in reinforcing the values of diversity, equality and inclusion. We can be a stronger force working together.
"Myself, and the entire Holden team, remain firm in categorically rejecting the comments made by Mr McGuire."
McGuire became embroiled in controversy after a conversation on Triple M in the lead-up to the Big Freeze at the 'G charity event on Queen's Birthday.
It took almost a week for the broader AFL community to pick up on the comments, resulting in condemnation but no sanction from League headquarters.
"This was a difficult decision and I sought counsel from friends, family and colleagues. Ultimately, however, our partnership is with Collingwood and the club has a strong record of championing diversity and inclusion," Bernhard said.
"We want to continue to work together because this partnership is about more than just footy."
