'Save the Cats' meeting in 1999

[Vdubs]

The off-season meeting post 99? to Save The Cats, in the stand at KP on a cold blustery November Sunday.
There must be a photo of that collection of die-hard supporters ( I forced my young family with me that day) and officials and players.
Had a massive impact on my support anyway, because we were virtually rock bottom- coach and captain walked out, and $$$$ broke, yet we walked out of there KNOWING we were heading somewhere.

 

[SJ]

The off-season meeting post 99? to Save The Cats, in the stand at KP on a cold blustery Sunday.
There must be a photo of that collection of die-hard supporters ( I forced my young family with me that day) and officials and players.
Had a massive impact on my support anyway, because we were virtually rock bottom- coach and captain walked out, and $$$$ broke, yet we walked out of there KNOWING we were heading somewhere.

I have never heard of that.

Almost calls for its own thread topic.

 

[Vdubs]

I have never heard of that.

Almost calls for its own thread topic.

Unless I am suffering a mental disorder and confabulating, I can swear we were there, and there were several ex Fitzroy supporters there imploring US to not lose our team by NOT being paid up members.

 

[Catman]

I can remember going. A chilly November day, sat in the Hickey Stand. Can remember Sam Newman as well as others giving speeches on what the club meant to them. Pretty sure it was one of Bomber's first public appearances as senior coach too.

 

[winty]

Unless I am suffering a mental disorder and confabulating, I can swear we were there, and there were several ex Fitzroy supporters there imploring US to not lose our team by NOT being paid up members.

There was something mentioned about it in the book "Good to Great" that some guy from the Geelong Advertiser wrote back in 2011.

 

[Vdubs]

I can remember going. A chilly November day, sat in the Hickey Stand. Can remember Sam Newman as well as others giving speeches on what the club meant to them. Pretty sure it was one of Bomber's first public appearances as senior coach too.

Spot on.
We heard from Cook, Bomber, Benny Graham, et al.

 

[winty]

Speaking of 1999, I remember a wrestling show at the Arena that year which also served as a fundraiser for the GFC, and Ben Graham fought 1/2 Cat while in one of those Sumo suits.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Speaking of 1999, I remember a wrestling show at the Arena that year which also served as a fundraiser for the GFC, and Ben Graham fought 1/2 Cat while in one of those Sumo suits.

How far did he kick him?

 

[winty]

How far did he kick him?

Not that far. Bit hard to kick someone while in a Sumo suit. He did bounce off the ropes and splash him though.

 

[vinum coupe]

Way to sidetrack an interesting thread guys.
And a bloody mod to boot.

 

[JUBJUB]

Way to sidetrack an interesting thread guys.
And a bloody mod to boot.

How was it a sidetrack when winty said it was a fundraiser ?
Stop taking the grumblebum pills vinnie

 

[SJ]

1997-1999 were the few years I wasn't fully invested into the GFC.

From 1992-1996 as a child I was obsessed.

From 2000 I have been a member.

But I don't have many memories of those three Ayres years. Very interesting.

 

[JUBJUB]

But I don't have many memories of those three Ayres years. Very interesting.

not many of us do

 

[FredLeDeux]

not many of us do

My favourite memory of Ayres is the fan beating up on the Coaches' Box when he came back.

 

[SJ]

http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/app...0&sp=adv&clsPage=1&docID=news990819_0306_3631
http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/app...0&sp=adv&clsPage=1&docID=news991123_0533_3435

 

[vinum coupe]

How was it a sidetrack when winty said it was a fundraiser ?
Stop taking the grumblebum pills vinnie

Fair call.
I'm out. Throw me a few

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Not being too cynical - but what saved Geelong - Collingwood - and Hawthorn - were blooody poker machines

Its interesting Nth Melb - are considered a poor club financially- but they have made an ethical decision - not to have anything to do with poker machines - and thus miss out on a stack of revenue

Cook and Costa deserve their due credit - but the other thing that saved Geelong - was Westpac writing off about 5-6 million of debt - i mean if that had of been xyz pty ltd - the liqidators would have gone in - changed the locks - wound the thing up - and it would have been bye bye the Cats

If Westpac had done that - they would have had a massive hit to their brand - football clubs are blessed in a way

 

[Hot Tin Roof]

Not being too cynical - but what saved Geelong - Collingwood - and Hawthorn - were blooody poker machines

Its interesting Nth Melb - are considered a poor club financially- but they have made an ethical decision - not to have anything to do with poker machines - and thus miss out on a stack of revenue

Cook and Costa deserve their due credit - but the other thing that saved Geelong - was Westpac writing off about 5-6 million of debt - i mean if that had of been xyz pty ltd - the liqidators would have gone in - changed the locks - wound the thing up - and it would have been bye bye the Cats

If Westpac had done that - they would have had a massive hit to their brand - football clubs are blessed in a way

Not wishing to sidetrack the thread - Do you remember when North tried for a floating casino on the bay, to bypass gaming laws? If memory serves me correctly the AFL and state government appeared to prevent North's every effort to raise revenue at the time. May have been something to do with the AFL's desire to push another team north of the border. Not sure if North now have a better moral code, or if they just gave up on the gambling idea.

 

[CF]

Not being too cynical - but what saved Geelong - Collingwood - and Hawthorn - were blooody poker machines

Its interesting Nth Melb - are considered a poor club financially- but they have made an ethical decision - not to have anything to do with poker machines - and thus miss out on a stack of revenue

Cook and Costa deserve their due credit - but the other thing that saved Geelong - was Westpac writing off about 5-6 million of debt - i mean if that had of been xyz pty ltd - the liqidators would have gone in - changed the locks - wound the thing up - and it would have been bye bye the Cats

If Westpac had done that - they would have had a massive hit to their brand - football clubs are blessed in a way

Actually you have it wrong. GFC was $10 million in debt to the ANZ and on negotiation they wrote off $2.5 million. Then Cook & Costa convinced The Bendigo Bank to take over the debt, on the basis of a sponsorship deal which still exists today I believe they wrote off some of it too. The club directors went guarantor for $1 million out of their own pockets to get the deal done.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/frank--earnest-20100827-13w0n.html

 

[Seeds]

1997-1999 were the few years I wasn't fully invested into the GFC.

From 1992-1996 as a child I was obsessed.

From 2000 I have been a member.

But I don't have many memories of those three Ayres years. Very interesting.

I think we are all trying to block out those years. When you go to games and the starting midfield is Lowther, Corrigan and Kilpatrick you know something is seriously wrong.

 

[Pivo]

My favourite memory of Ayres is the fan beating up on the Coaches' Box when he came back.

IIRC Ayres had the final laugh that day - f**ker.

 

[El Dubya]

1997-1999 were the few years I wasn't fully invested into the GFC.

From 1992-1996 as a child I was obsessed.

From 2000 I have been a member.

But I don't have many memories of those three Ayres years. Very interesting.

I think we're about the same age, and I have a pretty similar timeframe. I pretty much remember being obsessed until Gary Snr. retired, then getting back into around 2003.
I was a little heartbroken after 2005, watching Moons lose it just got to me. 2006 I was in Year 12, concentrating on study (which turned out to be a bit of a waste anyway), and I was still a little damaged by 2005. I don't think I went to a single game. 2007 was probably the best year of footy I've ever seen, went to the Grand Final, just amazing.
To think it all stems from that meeting back in '99, when the club really started to turn around is amazing.