Colin Carter - Deep Thinker

[Boxhead_31]

Interesting article by Greg Baum on our president in today's Age.

Would like to see the estimated 100k Geelong supporters become members not for the cheap admission to the games but because that they feel like they are contributing to the great good of the club similar to Barcelona FC and there supporters

"To Carter's mind, this brings the game to a new threshold. Barcelona, he learnt, had 190,000 members, paying about 150 euro each. When he asked the president what that got them, he replied: ''Absolutely nothing'' But there was an implicit qualifier: ''Nothing - except a hell of a ride.''
Geelong fans have had a wonderful ride latterly. Carter projects for the Cats to have 100,000 members, paying little, attending sometimes, but cherishing their sense of belonging. ''I think one of our challenges is to wean people off this idea that membership means discount admission ticket,'' he said. ''It's almost selfish these days to be a supporter and not be a member. It hardly costs anything."

Shows that Colin is a big picture type of guy not only worrying about today but also think what is best for the long term

 

[thejester]

After reading that, kind of glad he's become president now rather than 1999.

 

[ATSAM]

Our membership levels are appalling given the success of the team in the past four and into five seasons, but then we do have a CEO who once famously said that if he could attract more sponsorship then he would do away with members. Our debt levels are pretty much where they were in the so called disaster years eg before before Frank,We have less games in Geelong than we used to with possibility of even less. Capacity at the ground is really about 25,500, see last weeks attendance, not the stated 30,000.
Vision?? Action would really be better. Make members feel as if it is their club, don't change logos (in premiership years no less) without asking members, hold Board elections regularly, tell the members that they are the backbone of the club, make them feel important. Somehow other Melbourne clubs-Essendon, C'wood, Richmond, Carlton- can manage it. Why can't we???

 

[Turbocat]

Big,Big,Big picture guy. Its not that long ago we disliked the fact that Thompson wouldn't move to Geelong , heres the Pres. that has never lived here. I wonder how we would think of him if we were now following the Geelong Kangaroos.

The basketball observation is a good one , one good addition doesn't change 20% of your side. Its why I have thought for some time , that Priority Picks is a flawed mechanism for helping bottom clubs. Something like (but not identical) what has just been given to GC would be far better. More good players is better than one excellent one. After all how many picks in the top 5 have we had.

To me , the first round of the draft should only be sides out of finals. My preference would be a raffle based on how long you have been out of the finals but that a discussion for another thread.

As jester said , very glad to have him in charge now rather than then but I feel here is a man who may just drive our club to the next level. 35-40,000 seat stadium , 50,000 members , a non-season training facility ... all making our club an attractive place of employment in the coming era of Free Agency.

The only thing we lack is long term real success. To have only have 8 flags is statistical proof of under achievement. No matter what people say , flags are the ultimate abacus. We don't have a runners-up stand do we? If we can somehow come again for another era (greedy i know) it will set us in play to be shoulder to shoulder with any of the so called super power clubs.

 

[AM]

No need to qualify your remarks ATSAM. Given what our club has served up in recent years the number of people who call themselves Geelong followers but who give nothing back to the club is a disgrace. You can be a member for $80.

As Colin Carter quite rightly said:

''It's almost selfish these days to be a supporter and not be a member. It hardly costs anything.''

​

 

[Copernicus]

That's a good read. Thanks for the link, might not have discovered it in the jungle of the realfooty site.

Now I guess I'd better buy that membership...

 

[vinum coupe]

No need to qualify your remarks ATSAM. Given what our club has served up in recent years the number of people who call themselves Geelong followers but who give nothing back to the club is a disgrace. You can be a member for $80.

As Colin Carter quite rightly said:

​

And that was a crap line from Carter.
All it does is separate people. And there is no better example than your comment.


The article reads like he's a bit of a figjam.

No doubt he has done a lot. An awful lot. But I hope he doesn't turn into a Kennett.

 

[dazbroncos]

i live in La...

which generally mean i get 0 live games a year.....

unless i fly home at 1100 a ping..

I drop my 75 for my international membership that gets me 1/2 price entry to the magoo games i attend..

A diary...a few stickers and a lanyard...

point being i do it to belong......

and when i do atend games at Kardy park i buy the most expensive tix i can get.....

not to flaunt $$ but to support the club..... my way of giving back.... just my 2 cents....

 

[AM]

And that was a crap line from Carter.
All it does is separate people. And there is no better example than your comment.


The article reads like he's a bit of a figjam.

No doubt he has done a lot. An awful lot. But I hope he doesn't turn into a Kennett.

Just what I'd expect from someone who proudly admits to not giving anything back to the club. What's your proud boast. Something like 'I'm a barracker, not a supporter'

Have a look at Colin's business credentials and what he's doing for the club. Then have have a look at yours. There's an old saying : "Those who can - do. Those who can't - criticise"

Well said dazbroncos. Membership is the lifeblood of the club. And not only in financial terms.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

While I hope Carter doesn't become too outspoken just for the sake of it, we're used to Costa being a largely benevolent steadying influence on the club, and not saying anything confrontational to the supporter base . Carter has been on the other side so knows just how cutthroat it is, and how the 4000 who haven't renewed their memberships from last year will hurt the club's bottom line when all is said and done this year.

 

[vinum coupe]

1/ The call that Carters comments are 'divisive' have once again been stamped by your post Ammo.
2/ I just openly admit to not being a member. We were last year. But I don't feel a need to 'belong' via a financial agreement. I find it far more important to belong in other areas of my life. Such as finding out at 6pm last night my partners mum is in a bad way. 22 1/2 hours later and she is in Auckland with her and I have the kids. (that can be my proud boast if you need one)
3/ I already mentioned Carters cred. And if you need to, go back to the thread to see what I said when he was appointed.

Having said all of that. If there was a simple 'family' contribution type membership of $100 I'd be in.
I'm not about to buy 4 memberships and not go to a game. I might be **** ammo but I'm not an idiot.

 

[vinum coupe]

and when i do atend games at Kardy park i buy the most expensive tix i can get.....

not to flaunt $$ but to support the club..... my way of giving back.... just my 2 cents....

In the coaching box for 10k from an auction?
Awesome. Thanks for the support.


Signed.

CC

 

[AM]

1/ The call that Carters comments are 'divisive' have once again been stamped by your post Ammo.
2/ I just openly admit to not being a member. We were last year. But I don't feel a need to 'belong' via a financial agreement. I find it far more important to belong in other areas of my life. Such as finding out at 6pm last night my partners mum is in a bad way. 22 1/2 hours later and she is in Auckland with her and I have the kids. (that can be my proud boast if you need one)
3/ I already mentioned Carters cred. And if you need to, go back to the thread to see what I said when he was appointed.

Having said all of that. If there was a simple 'family' contribution type membership of $100 I'd be in.
I'm not about to buy 4 memberships and not go to a game. I might be **** ammo but I'm not an idiot.

The article in its totality is anything but divisive.

There are a variety of membership packages by which you can demonstrate your support. One is $20 less than you say you'd be prepared to outlay.

That comment about buying a 4 memberships and not going to a game is just plain foolish. No one expects that of anyone. There are a variety of packages tailored to lots of needs.

Anyhoo. We're off to cheer our team on. You should do it sometime.

 

[vinum coupe]

I've got two kids here.
I've slow cooked coq au vin.
And baked a loaf of bread. A bottle of pinot and the TV calls. I hope you enjoy the 3 year old kicking the back of your seat all night

 

[jim boy]

I suppose the point he is making is that Footy has, or at least should, move on from the days where membership was basically just a discount price for buying bulk entry tickets. If you didn't go to the match, then footy passed you by. Now with tv broadcasting every match to a very wide audience, membership should really be about belonging to the club, not entry to the ground.

He was also interviewed on ABC before last week's match, and it was a very interesting interview. He talked alot about Barca and how they thrived within the community with high community ideals. For example whilst cross country rivals Rea arel spending big on imports who ended up watching the Champions League final on TV, Barca where playing 7 Catalan locals in possibly the single greatest club performance ever. He also made much about their 'Unicef' sponsorship, probably the only major sport sponsorship where the team pays the sponsor, not the other way around. That when you go into Barca hq, their is a massive picture of a starving child in here mother's arms, with the caption 'our greatest challenge' underneath. What they means for us is that he wants to put high importance on what the team does for the community and the wider supporting base and how they can benefit the teams performance as a result. Could be interesting times ahead.

 

[cats81]

I think supporters who actually follow the team every week should buy a membership...wether you go to the games or not you are enjoying watching your club and thus owe them a small amount to help run the club.

Poor form not being a member VC, its you with the problem not Carter

 

[Boxhead_31]

Every year I buy a 17 game membership to the club even though I live in the middle of the SA outback and can only get to 3 or 4 games a year for the simple fact that the club needs membership money to survive for without paid up members we are only a short step away from the dark days of the late 90's and finding ourselves in a position like the Nth Melb's and the Power

 

[ElCat]

I hardly attend games, but I buy a membership. The joy the club gives me is worth one hundred memberships.
How can you watch a game like tonight's, with guys like Selwood and Kelly ready to bleed for the guernsey, and not be a member?

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

I reckon we'd actually have a few thousand less members today than we did 20 years ago (if membership was around then?) when you look at the recent success of the team and think why haven't we got 50,000+, a bloke running around wearing the number 5 guernsey would have attracted a good 15,000+ members alone through the 80's and 90's. No wonder Hawthorn get good membership watching buddy run around today. Then again Stevie J has this natural aura about him that attracts crowds to a game

 

[pinion]

a few ideas that were quite out there.

wasn't impressed with what he had to say about membership - actually thought those comments were quite arrogant.

personally, i stopped buying a membership back when the clubs/afl started trying to up-sell us all to reserved seats. suddenly, you pay your membership but you're then expected to pay another 500 bucks a year for the privilege of sitting in the same postcode as the game. beyond that, the club's never had a membership package that particularly engages me. if it was a throwaway line then fine, but if he honestly expects to build the club with that sort of attitude then he's not the man for the job

i did like his comment about the only difference between finishing first and last being the number 1 pick. never thought of it like that

 

[Geelong2k9]

Were already on the way to emulate Barca.....we both play beautiful football

 

[thegerman]

I too have been away from Geelong for a number of years, only to come back to Melbourne recently. I have always bought a membership and have bought one for my wife also.

Even if it is a three gamer, we should try hard to sign up. It is the difference to being on top and mediocre. North is right at that crux, have not a bad team, but poor membership. Which reflects upon their football department spending, their rights to more televised games on free to air, then to their sponsorship.

So those that haven't signed up, do so, even if it is a three gamer.

Back onto Colin though, like his view of incorporating the VFA titles. Knew Collonwood's Eddie Foghorn McGuire would be jumping up and down about it.

 

[Turbocat]

The issue will be if we count our VFA tittles , do Port count their SANFL ones ?

 

[AM]

While I hope Carter doesn't become too outspoken just for the sake of it, we're used to Costa being a largely benevolent steadying influence on the club, and not saying anything confrontational to the supporter base . Carter has been on the other side so knows just how cutthroat it is, and how the 4000 who haven't renewed their memberships from last year will hurt the club's bottom line when all is said and done this year.

If you look at Colin Carter's corporate history you'll see his comments are quite measured and deliberative. So I doubt there's any need for concern about him being "...outspoken just for the sake of it...".

I hope Frank doesn't get a touch of verbal diarrhea now he's no longer the Prez. I'm not sure the club would be too delighted at Frank telling all and sundry about the prospect of the club moving its headquarters to Armstrong Creek should the proposed re-development of SS take place.

On the membership question, Colin knows how important membership numbers are to the continuing prosperity of the club both on and off the field. I guess he's bewildered as to why when we're having our best run in ages so many members are missing in action. And what that will mean when we take a dip.

On an unrelated matter, rumour is Cookie is close to committing for a further term.

 

[Geelong2k9]

The issue will be if we count our VFA tittles , do Port count their SANFL ones ?

With the Brisbane Lions, the AFL does not recognise Fitzroy's premierships in the Brisbane Lions total. Because Port Power joined the AFL in their own right; not aligned with Port Adelaide Magpies (even though they merged last/ this year), they shouldn't be counted.

As the original "breakaway" clubs that formed thew VFL have not changed (apart from Sth Melb moving to Sydney), there is some merit in having the 1877-1896 VFA Premierships count.