Catsace
3rd November 2007, 06:57
As a Cats fan, i am amazed that the AFL is just about shoe-horning the Kangaroos into the Gold Coast with their recent comments and demands of the club. I think back to 1999 when Geelong had something like 6-7 million dollars in debts, and a mediocre business plan, with a mediocre membership base. Frank Costa stood for president, and he managed to head-hunt Brian Cook to work on the business side of things at the club. It was admitted when they saw the books they almost had a heart attack!
However, one of the first steps they did was arrange to consolidate the bank debt in a venture that saw sponsorship in lieu of debt, and they managed to roll something like $5 million or so into a package with the Bendigo Bank, and reduced that to about $3 million. That gave the club some breathing space, and then came the 'Stand up and Fight' membership drive, that enabled Geelong to get around 25,000 memberships. On field, Bomber Thompson and Greg Wells the recruiting manager was accumulating a list of good young players.
It took a while for on-field to catch up to the off-field successes, but due to stronger sponsorship, backing from the Geelong City Council and also state and federal governments, Geelong obtained funding for the new grandstand at Skilled. Even then, Skilled took over back in about 2002 from the disastrous "Baytec' stadium fiasco where this company pledged themselves as a naming rights sponsor, but didn't cough up any more than about $10,000 up front.
But as a Victorian club, could what Geelong has done to convert itself from a basket case 8 years ago to the premier team and also a $1.7 million profit this year be replicated at North? The Kangaroos have recent flag success, but like Geelong then have trouble converting supporters to members, and getting corporate dollars. Is there a prospect with a bit of vision and maybe a similar debt for sponsorship type plan, that the Kangaroos can rise again? Do any of their fans think the Geelong model is something that can work for them? Because in all honesty, in 1999 it all seemed like wishful thinking at the time. Few fans could have envisaged the success both on and off field Geelong would have a few years hence.
However, one of the first steps they did was arrange to consolidate the bank debt in a venture that saw sponsorship in lieu of debt, and they managed to roll something like $5 million or so into a package with the Bendigo Bank, and reduced that to about $3 million. That gave the club some breathing space, and then came the 'Stand up and Fight' membership drive, that enabled Geelong to get around 25,000 memberships. On field, Bomber Thompson and Greg Wells the recruiting manager was accumulating a list of good young players.
It took a while for on-field to catch up to the off-field successes, but due to stronger sponsorship, backing from the Geelong City Council and also state and federal governments, Geelong obtained funding for the new grandstand at Skilled. Even then, Skilled took over back in about 2002 from the disastrous "Baytec' stadium fiasco where this company pledged themselves as a naming rights sponsor, but didn't cough up any more than about $10,000 up front.
But as a Victorian club, could what Geelong has done to convert itself from a basket case 8 years ago to the premier team and also a $1.7 million profit this year be replicated at North? The Kangaroos have recent flag success, but like Geelong then have trouble converting supporters to members, and getting corporate dollars. Is there a prospect with a bit of vision and maybe a similar debt for sponsorship type plan, that the Kangaroos can rise again? Do any of their fans think the Geelong model is something that can work for them? Because in all honesty, in 1999 it all seemed like wishful thinking at the time. Few fans could have envisaged the success both on and off field Geelong would have a few years hence.