Roos and money

[roowatch]

Putting aside the Ferret....sorry, Barret "news", there is a major underlying issue that needs to be addressed.
If, as is being widely forecast, the NMFC is going to post a loss for the 2001 year around 400 to 500K, the serious question is how is the Club going to be able to turn things around.
We made a huge loss in 2000 - but that was partly explainable for a whole host of reasons - but 2001?

The following occurred:
-We had a good "paying" draw with Essendon, Carlton and Richmond as visiting teams
-We conducted what we were led to believe was an enormously successful Team of the Century celebration
-We ran the "Beware" campaign
-We had games in Canberra and Sydney with guaranteed gates
-And we were still coming off a successful era

So what happens this season when many of these factors do not come into play? Where did all the revenue raised go?

I have always been positive that we would survive as a Club in one form or another. And I have not been as strongly opposed as many to home games interstate.

But with all of the above, I am now seriously doubting our viability. Can someone fill me with positive vibes???

Please......

 

[Groucho]

I can't offer anything specific to make you feel better roowatch but I did hear that the vice presidents club money (about $800k) wasn't included in our trading loss so our actual financial result may be better than the auditor's report says. I must say that I don't know that for sure though. I don't know whether you read the Allen Aylett interview in the latest edition of Inside Football but he,without giving any specifics,says in relation to finance that there will be some "exciting developments taking place" in a month or two. He also said that North is in an excellent position,as a private company,to take advantage of business opportunities when they arise and said there would be announcements in the next 5 weeks. He also said that they're talking to the Melbourne City council about developing Arden St and that they definitely won't be moving from there. Also alluded to the Broady Social club fiasco being sorted out soon. So nothing definite or concrete but it would seem that they're not letting the grass grow under their feet!

 

[Shinboners]

Without having seen the accounts, there is the possibility that North Melbourne have written off and/or recognised losses (Broadmeadows maybe?) in this financial year so that they won't affect the profit and loss statement in future years. It's a bit of creative accounting, but essentially no different to what the banks did in the late 80s/early 90s or what Paul Anderson did when he took over the running of BHP.

 

[Redd]

Roowatch I must admit that I have had a few of the same concerns.
What also concerns me is that this year we only have 6 Melbourne home game. How much money will be lost from our membership tickets? The club can't charge the same price for a 6 game ticket as they could for a 9 game ticket.
I am not happy with our draw either as I don't believe it gives us any chances to make any money with big "home" games.

Next year is a concern to me!

 

[roowatch]

Groucho
Thank you for a fine attempt at positivity. I knew I'd forgotten something from 2001 that was important (the VP Club) so hopefully you are right that this has not been included in the accounts. (I know I'm jumping the gun before the figures are released)
I'm still concerned about some of the other matters (the fact that we're a private co., the MCC "doing something" at Arden Street, Broady) because they have all been mentioned so many times before and little has resulted.
Shinboners, if they have included a write-off of losses on Broady, then that gives me hope.


Hey, 600k loss on Broady finalised, only a 450k loss, and we're still counting the VP Club money.
We're rolling in it !!!
I'm a happy man again.
Thanks guys.........I think!

 

[roowatch]

Redd,
I think the one creative thing that has come out of all this has been that the Club has provided a mix of membership options which can include all or most, of the Melbourne based games.
I prefer to look at it this way because then I get to see 13 (+Geelong) Melbourne based games rather than considering games as home or away.

To consider 6 "home" games in that way would be too depressing for me.