To answer Roach's question.....
The big clubs (Carlton, Collingwood, and Essendon) are guaranteed two games against each other every year, and all these games are money spinners as they all attract crowds of at least 70,000. Meanwhile, North Melbourne get to play Fremantle at the MCG every year, so while we get to keep the gate takings as the home team, we're not going to make that much money out of it as Melbourne isn't exactly teeming with Docker fans (although neither is Perth from what I can gather).
If North fall over because of truly incompetent administration and the apathy of the fans, then so be it. But our administration isn't incompetent and our membership has risen up to 25,000, and so, the main cause of our projected loss is a draw that favours the blockbuster games ie., and uneven financial playing field.