Guess we should pull all of our indigenous programs? Stop sending the players out to schools? Just ditch any community effort because money could be instead spent on a new treadmill?
Even being cynical and saying every community activity has no merit in and of themselves, they have value towards flags. Sure if 2016 was the last ever season of AFL you'd pour every cent and minute into the flag, but it isn't. If we want to be a big club, with the resources to compete for flags in 5, 10 and 20 years time we need supporters, sponsors and players (especially from other clubs) that want to play for us.
Let's reword that without the insidious label and then look at how ridiculous the question is.
It's 2016, not 1975.
How does doing more of what "makes sense" in community support make it decrease in value? Does directly contributing to the development of the Crows' first round draft pick any more sense than providing a legitimate pathway for girls to pursue their sporting dreams? It's up to organisations like sports clubs, particularly professional ones with resources, to provide for the community and society. Without that contribution, we're just an organisation that provides a bunch of dudes who kick a ball around. That's great, but it's not what makes us like a family. Plus, sponsors love that s**t. It's good PR that makes them look good and in turn make them want to give us bux that we wouldn't have otherwise got without the "natural" (lacking a better word) pull of a Collingwood or an Adelaide. And not just sponsors, but regular people too. Being consistently visible in the community is the best way to engage people and turn them into supporters and paid up members, as well as turn away the ugly representations of the club presented by the wily local media.
When a player wanting out has a choice between 17 other clubs any edge you can have can make the difference. Paddy's partner was from QLD and finals success or not if we'd been indifferent to indigenous issues there's a good chance he'd be playing for one of the clubs there. No one is saying our programs are the whole difference between coming here or staying here (such as Wines), but in a league with a salary cap every non-cap item that can have a positive effect is money outside the cap for player attraction / retention.
But don't we already have a team? One that we are going to invest in? Or did I hear that wrong? It might not be in the national league at this stage, but we have not dropped the mic and said fck it, we are out.
Wow ... such small mindedness, lack of insight, and plain common sense! So Port is a community club, but hey, lets ignore 50% of the community? Senseless! If Port focus on a women's team, in 10 years time it will have had a material impact on our membership numbers and overall club strength! Engaging more women, mothers, girls, will lead to them in turn engaging with and following the Power in the AFL. Also you bang on about wasting resources on it, but forget one simple fact .... It has already been reported that sponsors are lining up for those clubs that are going to field teams. The public interest in them has been far greater that anyone ever expected, and looks like a women's team will easily pay for itself!
Excellent post, _Christoh_
The costs will be covered by sponsors.
