Collingwood honoured three of its finest servants with Special Service Awards and Certificates at its 2017 Annual General Meeting.

Special Service Awards
Rick Smith and David Poulton have made tremendous contributions to the life of the Collingwood Football Club over many years, but received their time on the sun on Tuesday night.

Rick Smith
Smith is one of Australia’s most successful businessmen, a great family man and a generous philanthropist. He built his family business, PFD Food Services, into one of this country’s biggest and most successful food distribution companies. Smith’s contribution to Collingwood over 20 years has also been remarkable – not just as a commercial partner, but as a valued friend and advisor to many at the club.

As far back as 2000, when the club was working its way out of the doldrums, Smith put this hand up to help. PFD Food Services sponsored the Eddie, Sam and Trev Tour’ (featuring The Footy Show trio Eddie McGuire, Sam Newman and Trevor Marmalade) and became a major partner of the club.

Collingwood’s partnership with PFD Food Services has now become one of the longest and most recognised in Australian sport, and at every Collingwood game, supporters will always see the PFD Food Services brand behind Nathan Buckley through their sponsorship of the Collingwood coaches box.

Rick Smith doesn’t seek the limelight, but his contribution has been such that the nominations committee unanimously recommended him for a Special Services Award.



Collingwood’s partnership with PFD Food Services, led by Rick Smith, has now become one of the longest and most recognised in Australian sport.

David Poulton
Poulton, a partner at MinerEllison since 1989, has been honoured for the pro-bono legal advice and expertise he has offered the Collingwood Football Club for many years.

He has also made a significant contribution for his leadership within Collingwood’s CBD coterie group for almost two decades.

Away from Collingwood, Poulton has been a partner at MinterEllison since 1989, where his practice focuses on insurance, corporate risk, and media litigation.

He is also a director of the Robert Rose Foundation, named in recognition of a member of one of Collingwood’s finest families.

Like Rick Smith, much of Poulton’s work in the Magpie name has been done behind the scenes, and it is only fitting that he is recognised with a Special Services Award.



David Poulton has been honoured for the pro-bono legal advice and expertise he has offered the Collingwood Football Club for many years.

Long-Service Certificate
Peter Furness
A special Long-Service Certificate has also been awarded to one of Collingwood’s finest servants, Peter Furness.

Furness has recently announced his retirement from a 20-year stint on the Collingwood Archives Committee, the past 18 of which were spent as the Committee’s Chairman.

It was a role he undertook at a time when the Committee was in danger of folding, and, together with his good friend Bernie Murphy, Furness kept the Archives Committee afloat and over the past two decades has devoted thousands of hours to protecting, preserving and celebrating Collingwood’s heritage and history.

Now, in retirement, Furness has handed over the reins to club historian and author Michael Roberts.

Furness has previously received a Special Services Award, but the club wanted to make a special presentation at the 2017 AGM in recognition of his extraordinary service and dedication to the club over such a long period of time.



Peter Furness has served on Collingwood's Archives Committee for 20 years.