Are we in strife?

[shintemaster]

Yeah as shinte said below, it could get worse and impact 2021 but I doubt. Also cannot see this virus being under control and footy returned to normal in May.

Reckon it's a write-off and we got it wrong, should have kept playing as long as we could. Planes aint busy and could have been employed to carry essential footballers and coaches.

Keep the lock out in place and take a ride on the wild side. Now we're here discussing survival options ffs and yep at last check the virus was still with us.

Can't do that once States & Territories started talking 14 day isolation for interstate travel and border closures. Rest of what you said is valid otherwise. If I was betting I wouldn't bet on this being under control by May. I'd be thinking optimistically we can hope to be heading down the other side of the mountain around August / September.

 

[the big lebowski]

Yeah as shinte said below, it could get worse and impact 2021 but I doubt. Also cannot see this virus being under control and footy returned to normal in May.

Reckon it's a write-off and we got it wrong, should have kept playing as long as we could. Planes aint busy and could have been employed to carry essential footballers and coaches.

Keep the lock out in place and take a ride on the wild side. Now we're here discussing survival options ffs and yep at last check the virus was still with us.

I kind of agree they should have kept playing. At the very least they could have made round 2, port v crows, Eagles v dockers, gws vs Sydney, lions vs suns, and vic team vs vic team.

But I also think they could have squeezed in 2 rounds before that having w.a clubs play s.a clubs and nsw clubs play qld clubs over next 2 weeks, vic vs vic, then play round 4 as the first option above that requires no travel

 

[The acurate one]

Can't do that once States & Territories started talking 14 day isolation for interstate travel and border closures. Rest of what you said is valid otherwise. If I was betting I wouldn't bet on this being under control by May. I'd be thinking optimistically we can hope to be heading down the other side of the mountain around August / September.

We not necessarily the AFL I suppose I should have said. And surely allowing certain essential people to travel ie footballers that are tested for the virus. Anywho it don't matter, wonder what those people living in Moama and work in Echuca are currently doing with themselves?

Hopefully they've a Mexican friend who knows how to cross a river at night

 

[shintemaster]

We not necessarily the AFL I suppose I should have said. And surely allowing certain essential people to travel ie footballers that are tested for the virus. Anywho it don't matter, wonder what those people living in Moama and work in Echuca are currently doing with themselves?

Hopefully they've a Mexican friend who knows how to cross a river at night

I see what you're saying but I think politically that's a tough sell.

 

[The acurate one]

I see what you're saying but I think politically that's a tough sell.

What? Getting Mexicans to help you cross a river on nightfall

 

[Limerick]

If the AFL doesn't play another round in 2020 then its finances will be in the red with lines of credit type arrangements.
I can't see the Govt. tipping much money given all the "rescue packages" that it will have initiated. That scenario provides
the AFL with the opportunity to rationalise the competition to maximise revenue with lower costs i.e. higher attended games
and coverage across Australia. The four small Victorian clubs will be in the gun.

Once, rationalisation is mentioned we need to be on the front foot to react.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Interesting. Robbo asked about financial viability of clubs.

Mentioned St Kilda. Brisbane. GC. GWS.

Not North.

We've never picked a better time to be financially stable.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

If the AFL doesn't play another round in 2020 then its finances will be in the red with lines of credit type arrangements.
I can't see the Govt. tipping much money given all the "rescue packages" that it will have initiated. That scenario provides
the AFL with the opportunity to rationalise the competition to maximise revenue with lower costs i.e. higher attended games
and coverage across Australia. The four small Victorian clubs will be in the gun.

Once, rationalisation is mentioned we need to be on the front foot to react.

The AFL creates jobs, tax revenue. Not to mention the iconic capital. IMO the Vic Gov will chip in money if required.

 

[The acurate one]

If the AFL doesn't play another round in 2020 then its finances will be in the red with lines of credit type arrangements.
I can't see the Govt. tipping much money given all the "rescue packages" that it will have initiated. That scenario provides
the AFL with the opportunity to rationalise the competition to maximise revenue with lower costs i.e. higher attended games
and coverage across Australia. The four small Victorian clubs will be in the gun.

Once, rationalisation is mentioned we need to be on the front foot to react.

Yeah that's not constructive losing clubs will not benefit the AFL. It will turn punters off. AFl was fine before the four horsemen of the Apocalypse decided to mossy on into town.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

The 18 club comp has absolutely worked for the AFL. Best ratings, crowd. Imagine if the quality of football was better.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Im repeating myself, but whoever brought forward the purchase of MS is a comp saver.

 

[Passmore]

If the AFL doesn't play another round in 2020 then its finances will be in the red with lines of credit type arrangements.
I can't see the Govt. tipping much money given all the "rescue packages" that it will have initiated. That scenario provides
the AFL with the opportunity to rationalise the competition to maximise revenue with lower costs i.e. higher attended games
and coverage across Australia. The four small Victorian clubs will be in the gun.

Once, rationalisation is mentioned we need to be on the front foot to react.

I doubt the broadcasters will want less games.

 

[giantroo]

 

[ArchKing Carey]

Hate on a club and it's players when we play them. Banter is fun but wishing the demise of another club when we know how it feels first hand is really not on.

Right now, all AFL fans need to stick together and work to keep all clubs intact through this period. If we do, footy will be better for it on the other side.

 

[Horace]

We not necessarily the AFL I suppose I should have said. And surely allowing certain essential people to travel ie footballers that are tested for the virus. Anywho it don't matter, wonder what those people living in Moama and work in Echuca are currently doing with themselves?

Hopefully they've a Mexican friend who knows how to cross a river at night

Surely they've lived there long enough now to know how to do that by themselves. Then again we Mexicans have always been smarter than those Cornstalks.

 

[krakouers]

Hate on a club and it's players when we play them. Banter is fun but wishing the demise of another club when we know how it feels first hand is really not on.

Right now, all AFL fans need to stick together and work to keep all clubs intact through this period. If we do, footy will be better for it on the other side.

The AFL while it isn’t quite too big to fail it’s big enough to weather the storm and unlike the NRL or Super Rugby, has the finances to at least stay alive

I’d be nervous as a rugby fan (not wishing it to happen but far more nervous than we should be)

FYI our last financial report:

https://resources.nmfc.com.au/aflc-nmfc/document/2020/02/05/a03cd858-7d56-4948-8eaa-a39f47a5398a/FinancialReport_2019.pdf

 

[Rad Roo]

You're comparing our circumstances to jewish diaspora?

you sir, if we are face to face must be giving me the social justice stare, so i stare back at you sir and tell you blatantly that is an emphatic YES. Yes i am comparing this to a jewish diaspora. I hope you are satisfied by having your expectations subverted. Tada

 

[Forever North]

The wellbeing of the vulnerable and community should be the government’s priority at the minute not the overbloated beauracracy that is the AFL. I cried with what I saw on the news earlier tonight. Heartbreaking stuff and it’s only just the start. The AFL PR machine will be in full force over the next few months crying poor and using emotive arguments to hustle as much money from the government as they can. It should only be the last resort. The AFL have a billion dollar asset in Marvel that can be used to secure funds. They should be able to raise enough to keep clubs going and not pick and choose who they give what to according to their ’agendas’. The days of all these bullshit ‘experiments‘ they’ve been wasting money and have tried to shove down our throats over the years will have to be over.

 

[hilly]

Pretty disgusting some people on here cheering on the demise of St Kilda, or any other club for that matter.

Don’t complain when some flog in the media suggests it is us if that is how you are going to behave.

Campaigners.

Hear here. I remember Saints fans and (perhaps surprisingly) Ess fans cheering us on at end 2007.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[giantroo]

All of us at North Melbourne hope you and your families are in good health and safe in these difficult and uncertain times.

I wanted to reach out to give you some insight about the COVID-19 situation and financial implications that we are dealing with at your club.

There’s no hiding the fact it has been an incredibly difficult and challenging day at Arden St.

Our euphoria from having had two thrilling and gutsy two-point victories at the weekend was soon quelled when the harsh reality of the season suspension set in.

The fall-out from yesterday’s announcement that the AFL season has been temporarily suspended and the AFLW season cancelled, has hit all clubs hard – including us. There is no getting around the position of the AFL industry. All clubs are under immense financial pressure due to the economic crisis.

This afternoon I spoke with our dedicated staff to outline what this means for them and the club. These conversations were difficult and uncomfortable, but necessary to guarantee the future of our organisation and the league at large.

While we are very confident that via our own means and the support of the AFL, we will get through this horrible time, significant debt will await us on the other side. For now, our goal is to ensure we are a going concern and this proud club is protected.

Our club is more than 150 years old and has survived all that has been thrown at it before. While this event is unprecedented, we will get through it and come out ready to play and win again.

Our famed Shinboner Spirit - on display yesterday with our magnificent, come-from-behind win over St.Kilda and our tough finals win in the AFLW over Collingwood - demonstrated that our people are made of tough stuff and their collective resilience will hold us all in good stead.

Our number one priority is to look after our “family”; that is the staff, players, partners, members and supporters of this great club.

Today, we shared with the AFL the extent of our cost cutting measures, which sadly included a raft of necessary ‘stand downs’ and salary cuts. Our players will also face some uncertainty with the AFL and AFLPA to negotiate terms separately.

More than 75 per cent of our workforce has been stood down until at least May 31. Should the AFL extend the suspension of the season beyond that date, these stand downs will be extended. I cannot tell you how tough these decisions were to make and convey.

But we know we are not alone and that many of you will be in similar situations. We can only look to each other for help, love and support, and hope that these dark times will soon be over and we can resume our ‘normal’ lives in the not too distant future.

When football returns, which it will, we can’t wait to see you at our games. In the meantime, we want to thank you for your ongoing support and loyalty. We have had a surge in memberships over the past fortnight and only a handful of people calling about refunds. We already knew we had the best supporters in the world, but the levels of generosity and help you’ve all provided so far have been overwhelming.

While we look to get things back on track, please stay engaged with us via our social media channels – we want to hear from you and offer some entertainment to help get you all through the tough times. After all, there’s nothing better than watching North win – even if it means the games have to come from the archives! Stay tuned for as much great content as we can muster for you over this suspension period.

Thank you again, I will be in touch should there be any more information in the coming days/weeks. Take care.

Kind Regards,

Ben Amarfio

 

[Horace]

Pretty disgusting some people on here cheering on the demise of St Kilda, or any other club for that matter.

Don’t complain when some flog in the media suggests it is us if that is how you are going to behave.

Campaigners.

I've just re-read this thread and I honestly don't know how you can say that. No-one is cheering on the demise of St. Kilda. One poster said he/she would help them pack their bags if they were re-located to Tasmania, but to call that "cheering on" their demise is a real stretch. Bear in mind also we've had that said to us countless times. We've had to suck it up. Personally I think the comment "help them pack their bags" was said in jest, not spite.

 

[GoNorth]

All of us at North Melbourne hope you and your families are in good health and safe in these difficult and uncertain times.

I wanted to reach out to give you some insight about the COVID-19 situation and financial implications that we are dealing with at your club.

There’s no hiding the fact it has been an incredibly difficult and challenging day at Arden St.

Our euphoria from having had two thrilling and gutsy two-point victories at the weekend was soon quelled when the harsh reality of the season suspension set in.

The fall-out from yesterday’s announcement that the AFL season has been temporarily suspended and the AFLW season cancelled, has hit all clubs hard – including us. There is no getting around the position of the AFL industry. All clubs are under immense financial pressure due to the economic crisis.

This afternoon I spoke with our dedicated staff to outline what this means for them and the club. These conversations were difficult and uncomfortable, but necessary to guarantee the future of our organisation and the league at large.

While we are very confident that via our own means and the support of the AFL, we will get through this horrible time, significant debt will await us on the other side. For now, our goal is to ensure we are a going concern and this proud club is protected.

Our club is more than 150 years old and has survived all that has been thrown at it before. While this event is unprecedented, we will get through it and come out ready to play and win again.

Our famed Shinboner Spirit - on display yesterday with our magnificent, come-from-behind win over St.Kilda and our tough finals win in the AFLW over Collingwood - demonstrated that our people are made of tough stuff and their collective resilience will hold us all in good stead.

Our number one priority is to look after our “family”; that is the staff, players, partners, members and supporters of this great club.

Today, we shared with the AFL the extent of our cost cutting measures, which sadly included a raft of necessary ‘stand downs’ and salary cuts. Our players will also face some uncertainty with the AFL and AFLPA to negotiate terms separately.

More than 75 per cent of our workforce has been stood down until at least May 31. Should the AFL extend the suspension of the season beyond that date, these stand downs will be extended. I cannot tell you how tough these decisions were to make and convey.

But we know we are not alone and that many of you will be in similar situations. We can only look to each other for help, love and support, and hope that these dark times will soon be over and we can resume our ‘normal’ lives in the not too distant future.

When football returns, which it will, we can’t wait to see you at our games. In the meantime, we want to thank you for your ongoing support and loyalty. We have had a surge in memberships over the past fortnight and only a handful of people calling about refunds. We already knew we had the best supporters in the world, but the levels of generosity and help you’ve all provided so far have been overwhelming.

While we look to get things back on track, please stay engaged with us via our social media channels – we want to hear from you and offer some entertainment to help get you all through the tough times. After all, there’s nothing better than watching North win – even if it means the games have to come from the archives! Stay tuned for as much great content as we can muster for you over this suspension period.

Thank you again, I will be in touch should there be any more information in the coming days/weeks. Take care.

Kind Regards,

Ben Amarfio

That is such a well-written letter to members. I have been very impressed with Ben’s emails so far. I feel so sorry for everyone who is impacted by this horrible situation and hope that everyone comes out the other side of it without too much damage. Fight on, North!

 

[Snake_Baker]

80% of our staff have been stood down

Terrible news for those affected, but it's not as though we are Coles or Woolworths and can jack up the prices of essential items.

Also, credit where it's due, I commend the club on making a prompt but tough decision in order to assure the survival of the club. Those 37,000 memberships are going to go a lot further now.

 

[giantroo]