Kennett's letter to Hawks members

Remove this Banner Ad

Feb 21, 2006
20,663
19,483
Muckertal
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Turtles, NYJets, Celtics, Tottenham
I'm sure some Hawks supporters agree with Kennett but I'm also sure a majority would wish he would just shut his mouth. Hawthorn have done a fantastic job since 1996, helped with their onfield performance since 2008 and particularly their dominance in the late-70s-80s. They have made some sacrifices to ensure an ongoing relationship with Tasmania to ensure their clubs viability and they make money from pokies like most other Vic clubs. I have no issue with how the Hawks have been run, they are a good model of how a smaller club should pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

Of course most of this was Ian Dicker's doing and nothing to do with Kennett.

Turning this into a slanging much just leads to people cheerleading for their clubs which doesn't benefit anyone.
 

big_e

Existential crisis management consultant
Apr 28, 2008
12,566
38,508
Back Pocket
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wycombe Wanderers
The line of credit has clauses that need to be met, from Jul 1, loans to clubs will incur interest. The next test is Nov 1, i.e the day after the end of the financial year.
Nothing to do with the state of footy, its about the money, the laws that cover club CEOs & Directors.
Chairman Jeff might be being overly kind suggesting clubs have 3 years.
What are those clauses?
 

Log in to remove this ad.

I understand where he is coming from. The AFL makes money hand over fist and one season turns to s**t and they have sfa money and in fact now have a massive loan.

So much money is given to clubs who just spend it knowing they will get the same or more again next year. How many boards fire coaches on big money etc and take no responsibility or just burn money.

Clubs need to become more self reliant. That way the AFL can have money reserved for when s**t hits the fan.

Having said that, it's easy to say it when you are one of the biggest clubs.

Sent from my CPH1879 using Tapatalk

This is a major major issue - whether or not you think Jeff is right about clubs meeting KPIs etc

The competition has to be super careful with costs and build up some revenue in case we have more black swan events

The competition really can't afford clubs signing coaches for 5 year deals, sacking them after 3 years and asking the AFL for a handout
 

big_e

Existential crisis management consultant
Apr 28, 2008
12,566
38,508
Back Pocket
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wycombe Wanderers
This is a major major issue - whether or not you think Jeff is right about clubs meeting KPIs etc

The competition has to be super careful with costs and build up some revenue in case we have more black swan events

The competition really can't afford clubs signing coaches for 5 year deals, sacking them after 3 years and asking the AFL for a handout
Keeping a bad coach would cost a lot more than sacking them. Declining performance, lower membership, lower sponsorship, etc. It just doesn't show up as a big number in the P & L.
 

Inferno

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 7, 2006
5,708
3,104
Tramland
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Charlotte Hornets
You sound like the supporter of a club successful in leeching millions from the Victorian taxpayer and Federal Government.

What was it something like $180M for the redevelopment of Kardinia Park with the GFC contributing something like $12M.

How much money have other clubs contributed to their home grounds?
 
Keeping a bad coach would cost a lot more than sacking them. Declining performance, lower membership, lower sponsorship, etc. It just doesn't show up as a big number in the P & L.
Don't sign them up for 4 or 5 years then

North & Carlton both got rid of coaches last year and then appointed an assistant coach for 3 years who seemed ok as caretaker coach without actually running a proper process to find the best coach

Obviously best wishes to both clubs, but lets say either side has a year from hell this year, you'd hope that we aren't going to see either coach not see out the contract.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Feb 21, 2006
20,663
19,483
Muckertal
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Turtles, NYJets, Celtics, Tottenham
Don't sign them up for 4 or 5 years then

North & Carlton both got rid of coaches last year and then appointed an assistant coach for 3 years who seemed ok as caretaker coach without actually running a proper process to find the best coach

Obviously best wishes to both clubs, but lets say either side has a year from hell this year, you'd hope that we aren't going to see either coach not see out the contract.

Agree completely about this. I'm a bit worried that Melbourne hasn't learnt from our previous mistakes and could be saddled with the decision to sack Goodwin and pay out multiple years on his contract if things go pear shaped with him.

Conversely clubs also deserve to receive a financial distribution that takes into account the way the AFL has operated for 30 years. If a revenue sharing model were initiated there should be more than enough to ensure the viability of all clubs.
 

Rusty Brookes

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 9, 2001
6,702
8,679
Preston
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Hawthorn, Manningham Cobras
I reckon Jeff should be careful what he wishes for after watching the second half of Friday night. And KPIs are such an outdated concept.

Goodhart's Law explains why.


I've got no problem saying all clubs will need to be fiscally responsible going forward post COVID-19 and just leave it at that.

BTW - I would totally follow Hawthorn if we ended up in the VFL and I reckon a couple of AFL sides joining the comp might see others follow suit. I can easily see a situation where it actually harms the AFL to lose smaller clubs.
 

Bluey Shelton

Debutant
Nov 12, 2018
114
74
AFL Club
Essendon
This just reeks of Liberal Party ideology, unsurprisingly.

They all want “free market!” “Let everybody sink or swim on merit!”

... when it suits them.

The AFL is not a meritocracy. You can’t tell clubs you’re going to judge them on their performance then put all these controls over what they’re allowed to do to improve that performance.

Can we choose where we play our home games? No

Can we choose how much we charge people to attend? No

Can we boost our revenue and then spend it all on better players, more coaches? No

Can we (if we’re Port Adelaide) even choose what jumper we wear at home to build a brand? No

Can we choose what we’re called for that brand? No

You can’t have it both ways Jeff. If you want everybody to stand on their own two feet you have to let them stand on their own two feet.

The AFLs not like that and won’t be in the foreseeable future.
The best post I have read in a long time. Beautiful!
 

Endless

Senior List
Jul 21, 2014
278
409
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
I’m old enough to remember how Jeff was almost universally regarded
E026753A-C7C5-48BD-B0DC-D097696CB18E.jpeg
 
Aug 14, 2011
44,794
16,853
Trafalgar
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Mclaren Mercedes F1
I reckon Jeff should be careful what he wishes for after watching the second half of Friday night. And KPIs are such an outdated concept.

Goodhart's Law explains why.


I've got no problem saying all clubs will need to be fiscally responsible going forward post COVID-19 and just leave it at that.

BTW - I would totally follow Hawthorn if we ended up in the VFL and I reckon a couple of AFL sides joining the comp might see others follow suit. I can easily see a situation where it actually harms the AFL to lose smaller clubs.

Potentially Jeff knows the consequences of the KPIs in the covenant covering the line of credit. Call it what you like, a target, a hurdle, a KPI. The point where a club gets no more additional money (because the lender says so), the place is insolvent, the CEO & the Directors become personally & criminally liable.
That is not a matter of judgement, its black & white.
 

GWT6

Club Legend
Jun 7, 2011
1,616
4,349
Western Sydney
AFL Club
Melbourne
As a Melbourne supporter - a club that is seen as one of the weakest clubs and would be one of the most likely to be relegated, I welcome this.

Let's get rid of clubs being given assistance by the AFL.

We should no longer put up with a few clubs benefitting from AFL handouts.

All clubs should be made to sit on an equal footing and not be given a free ride from the AFL.

So let's stop giving underperforming clubs handouts.

Let's give all clubs the same amount of Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday twilight games.

Melbourne's fixture is commercially shocking. How many sponsorers are going to back a club playing the majority of their games in bad timeslots on pay TV compared to a club gifted primetime Free to air games? How many fans turn up to Sunday afternoon games compared to Friday night? Eddie Mcquire wanted compensation to Collingwood for playing one Sunday afternoon game. Melbourne budget $1m profit from a Friday night game, if they get one per year.
Compare Melobunres crowd and viewer numbers in the same time slots to Hawthorn and you will be surprised how things stack up.

If Melbourne had Hawthorne's schedule they would probably be around $10m per year better off, and Hawthorne would probably be 10M worse off. How would Jeff like that?

The AFL say teams are rewarded for their schedule based on performance, but the past decade shows this is crap. Essendon, Collingwood and Carlton have repeatedly been given schedules better than their ladder positions.

If Kennett agrees to swap annual fixtures with Melbourne, I will 100% back him.
 
Aug 14, 2011
44,794
16,853
Trafalgar
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Mclaren Mercedes F1
As a Melbourne supporter - a club that is seen as one of the weakest clubs and would be one of the most likely to be relegated, I welcome this.

Let's get rid of clubs being given assistance by the AFL.

We should no longer put up with a few clubs benefitting from AFL handouts.

All clubs should be made to sit on an equal footing and not be given a free ride from the AFL.

So let's stop giving underperforming clubs handouts.

Let's give all clubs the same amount of Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday twilight games.

Melbourne's fixture is commercially shocking. How many sponsorers are going to back a club playing the majority of their games in bad timeslots on pay TV compared to a club gifted primetime Free to air games? How many fans turn up to Sunday afternoon games compared to Friday night? Eddie Mcquire wanted compensation to Collingwood for playing one Sunday afternoon game. Melbourne budget $1m profit from a Friday night game, if they get one per year.
Compare Melobunres crowd and viewer numbers in the same time slots to Hawthorn and you will be surprised how things stack up.

If Melbourne had Hawthorne's schedule they would probably be around $10m per year better off, and Hawthorne would probably be 10M worse off. How would Jeff like that?

The AFL say teams are rewarded for their schedule based on performance, but the past decade shows this is crap. Essendon, Collingwood and Carlton have repeatedly been given schedules better than their ladder positions.

If Kennett agrees to swap annual fixtures with Melbourne, I will 100% back him.

Is there an analysis of time slots across the FIXture, even an analysis of the Melbourne games played by the Melbourne clubs or is the home games that better demonstrate your point.

What sort of crowd is wxpected at a Fri night game that can produce a $1m profit at the MCG?
 
May 16, 2007
2,146
1,558
coffs
Other Teams
chess
As a Melbourne supporter - a club that is seen as one of the weakest clubs and would be one of the most likely to be relegated, I welcome this.

Let's get rid of clubs being given assistance by the AFL.

We should no longer put up with a few clubs benefitting from AFL handouts.

All clubs should be made to sit on an equal footing and not be given a free ride from the AFL.

So let's stop giving underperforming clubs handouts.

Let's give all clubs the same amount of Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday twilight games.

Melbourne's fixture is commercially shocking. How many sponsorers are going to back a club playing the majority of their games in bad timeslots on pay TV compared to a club gifted primetime Free to air games? How many fans turn up to Sunday afternoon games compared to Friday night? Eddie Mcquire wanted compensation to Collingwood for playing one Sunday afternoon game. Melbourne budget $1m profit from a Friday night game, if they get one per year.
Compare Melobunres crowd and viewer numbers in the same time slots to Hawthorn and you will be surprised how things stack up.

If Melbourne had Hawthorne's schedule they would probably be around $10m per year better off, and Hawthorne would probably be 10M worse off. How would Jeff like that?

The AFL say teams are rewarded for their schedule based on performance, but the past decade shows this is crap. Essendon, Collingwood and Carlton have repeatedly been given schedules better than their ladder positions.

If Kennett agrees to swap annual fixtures with Melbourne, I will 100% back him.

I would take that, the AFL gives Hawthorn the distribution currently Melbourne receives, so an extra $7M. Hawthorn also gets their football department paid for by the AFL and receives the poverty tax money indigent clubs get because their s**t.

Also, Hawthorn gets Melbourne's draw with the Queens Birthday blockbuster. I think this melbourne supporter would soon find that the club he support goes from being an AFL franchise to bankrupt.
 
Last edited:

Remove this Banner Ad

Back