Collingwood have confirmed football boss Graham Wright has quit the AFL club, as revealed by 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary on Monday.

Wright’s future has been up in the air since he announced last December that he would take leave through almost the entire 2024 season.

The 56-year-old’s looming return to the Magpies at the end of his European holiday looked increasingly unlikely in recent weeks.

His departure has now been settled, with the news emerging the morning after the defending premiers were all but knocked out of finals contention.

Wright, one of Collingwood’s 1990 premiership heroes and a key figure behind Hawthorn’s 2013-15 hat-trick, has been heavily linked to a role at the AFL.

He had initially sought to resign from the Magpies late last year but was instead urged to enjoy his holiday with a plan to return.

“Thank you to the players, staff and supporters for making my time at Collingwood an enjoyable period of my career,” Wright said in a club statement confirming his departure on Monday.

“I am grateful to have been able to serve the Collingwood Football Club.”

Wright, who contributed as a consultant while away, had his role with the AFL team replaced by Brendon Bolton, while Justin Leppitsch contributed on the list management side.

Clare Pettyfor was also leading operations for the Pies’ AFL and AFLW sides before she left for Melbourne early in the year, with Collingwood chief executive Craig Kelly helping to fill the void.

The Magpies will now enter the upcoming AFL trade period in transition even if a permanent replacement is appointed in the coming weeks.

“On behalf of everyone at the Collingwood Football Club, I thank Graham Wright for his outstanding service and contribution to our club,” president Jeff Browne said.

“Graham has spent over three decades in the elite AFL system — first as a premiership player for Collingwood and then as a much-respected and successful administrator.

“We have been in constant discussions with Graham during his sabbatical and both of us have agreed that Graham be free to pursue new opportunities to further develop his already distinguished career.

“All of us at Collingwood wish Graham, his wife Tracey and children James and Ethan all the best and every success for the next chapter.”

Wright briefly served as Collingwood’s acting CEO in late 2022 and has had eyes on a promotion after two decades in football department and list management roles.

He joined the Pies in January 2021 just months after their controversial ‘fire sale’ trade period.

“Having extended leave and spending some time travelling overseas during our winter has been on the cards for me for a few years and now is the right time for my wife and I to do that,” Wright said when his break was announced in December.

“It has been a great few seasons at Collingwood so far and to reach the ultimate success with our men’s program this year is a real credit to everyone involved at our club.

“We agreed that I will stay connected to the club in a consultancy role providing advice to the CEO and wider club during my time away with a plan to return to full-time work in September.”

The Magpies’ premiership defence got off to a slow start when they lost their first three games of the season.

It was set right by two months of success only blighted by a draw with Essendon on Anzac Day but the campaign unravelled through winter.

Collingwood first coughed up a 25-point lead to draw with Fremantle in May, and four straight losses through June and July condemned the Pies in one of the tightest seasons in recent memory.

Their year will come to an end with an effective dead rubber against Melbourne on Friday night.