From www.thebladder.com.au
North Melbourne has further entrenched its position as the most innovative team in the AFL with two more groundbreaking sponsorship deals.
The first, with soon-to-be-launched airline Virgin Blue, will see North dispense with its traditional orange strip and instead wear a provocative outfit of royal blue and white stripes this weekend.
But the second is sure to be even more controversial. It involves sponsorship from an unknown group, in return for which North will forfeit its expected first final against Essendon.
Kangaroos CEO Greg Miller hailed both deals as a “huge advance” for the struggling club.
“I know some of our supporters will be upset at losing the familiar orange strip we’ve all come to know and love,” he said. “But to those fans, Beryl and Athol, I say ‘it’s only for one week’. The week after we’ll be back in whatever jumper someone pays us to wear.”
But Miller conceded that, in this case, the ‘week after’ just might see the Roos not playing at all. He revealed the Roos had been offered a ‘substantial sum’ (believed by The Bladder to be more than $100) to forfeit its likely first final against Essendon.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us,” Miller enthused. “We get paid a lot of money just to turn up in jeans and t-shirts and watch Essendon run out onto the field and claim the victory.
“I know some fuddy-duddy traditionalists will be upset, but we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that the North Melbourne Football Club stays in existence. And if that means not playing footy every week, I can live with that. After all, North has spent around half of each year for its entire history not playing football – so why not get paid for it?”
Miller said he did not know the identity of the potential sponsor, but added that the deal appeared to be conditional upon North finishing fourth.
He said that, even though the letter bearing the offer was postmarked ‘Essendon Post Office’, carried a stamp of Matthew Lloyd and included an Essendon membership form and a marshmallow, he said he did not believe the Bombers were behind the move.
A spokesman for Essendon refused to comment, other than to say that the sponsorship offer ‘sounded like a good deal’ to him, and that he felt North would be doing its fans a disservice if it did not accept.
North Melbourne has further entrenched its position as the most innovative team in the AFL with two more groundbreaking sponsorship deals.
The first, with soon-to-be-launched airline Virgin Blue, will see North dispense with its traditional orange strip and instead wear a provocative outfit of royal blue and white stripes this weekend.
But the second is sure to be even more controversial. It involves sponsorship from an unknown group, in return for which North will forfeit its expected first final against Essendon.
Kangaroos CEO Greg Miller hailed both deals as a “huge advance” for the struggling club.
“I know some of our supporters will be upset at losing the familiar orange strip we’ve all come to know and love,” he said. “But to those fans, Beryl and Athol, I say ‘it’s only for one week’. The week after we’ll be back in whatever jumper someone pays us to wear.”
But Miller conceded that, in this case, the ‘week after’ just might see the Roos not playing at all. He revealed the Roos had been offered a ‘substantial sum’ (believed by The Bladder to be more than $100) to forfeit its likely first final against Essendon.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us,” Miller enthused. “We get paid a lot of money just to turn up in jeans and t-shirts and watch Essendon run out onto the field and claim the victory.
“I know some fuddy-duddy traditionalists will be upset, but we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that the North Melbourne Football Club stays in existence. And if that means not playing footy every week, I can live with that. After all, North has spent around half of each year for its entire history not playing football – so why not get paid for it?”
Miller said he did not know the identity of the potential sponsor, but added that the deal appeared to be conditional upon North finishing fourth.
He said that, even though the letter bearing the offer was postmarked ‘Essendon Post Office’, carried a stamp of Matthew Lloyd and included an Essendon membership form and a marshmallow, he said he did not believe the Bombers were behind the move.
A spokesman for Essendon refused to comment, other than to say that the sponsorship offer ‘sounded like a good deal’ to him, and that he felt North would be doing its fans a disservice if it did not accept.
