Colless email and Caroline Wilsons spin !

[Auntie.Gerald]

AFL's ticking time bomb (http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/afls-ticking-time-bomb-20121016-27p4r.html)

wow didnt she model her article around helping the supporters of the 10 Vic teams hate us even more !

:hmmmm2:

[Mug Punter]

AFL's ticking time bomb (http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/afls-ticking-time-bomb-20121016-27p4r.html)

wow didnt she model her article around helping the supporters of the 10 Vic teams hate us even more !

:hmmmm2:

Well Done Dicky Colless.

Whilst the Melbourne whingers are whining about our inadequate COL Adjustment they should be reminded that at least 50% of Melbourne Clubs are on financial life support and are a drain on clubs like us.

Politely worded but the message is clear - Don't start another xenophobic war against us like you did before because we won't be pushed around like we used to. Whilst I'm not a fan I really do think that GWS had added to our power in the football landscape. For all the massive concessions they have given that mob they cannot weaken us in any way, shape or form. And the reason we needed GWS was to get a bumper TV deal to prop us dead wood Melbourne clubs.

Seriously, can anyone see Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne or Richmond winning a flag in the next 20 years. Mere survival is an achievement for these clubs

[dimelb]

Do you think so AG? I thought it was a pretty fair article. It has been a problem for a while, requiring regular rescue missions for Vic clubs, and now Port has gone belly-up as well. And as Richard points out, we are one bad season away from serious problems: we are in the same boat, even if others are in the water desperately clutching the lifebuoy. I think his main point is that the market model may be fine for businesses (though even there is the assumption of the level playing field), but it will be fatal for football. I agree with him.

[R-1]

Bear in mind she didn't write the headline, either.

[Auntie.Gerald]

"SYDNEY chairman Richard Colless has questioned the AFL's commitment to 10 clubs in Victoria in calling for a wide-ranging review of the competition and its structure.

i just thought the opening sentence was alarmist and on the band wagon of targeting sydney

when you compare the flow of what he wrote and the context that he wrote the email in compared to her speil

[satchmopugdog]

It is like the whole economy thingy at the moment....you can't keep basing your economy whether it is a country, your household or your football league on the idea of continual growth. Resources will run out whether it is the earth or the Football market. Colless is right. The AFL has to look at how to cope with the lean times and work out a plan for keeping the struggling clubs and their extremely loyal supporters and not just hope they will right themselves, or another model that is quite different. Australia's housing market seems to be reaching its point of no more growth for a while.Will this be reflected by the AFL???? To sum it up I agree with Colless. End of slightly misguided rant.

[Doctor]

Politely worded but the message is clear - Don't start another xenophobic war against us like you did before because we won't be pushed around like we used to. Whilst I'm not a fan I really do think that GWS had added to our power in the football landscape. For all the massive concessions they have given that mob they cannot weaken us in any way, shape or form. And the reason we needed GWS was to get a bumper TV deal to prop us dead wood Melbourne clubs.



Well said. GWS actually helps us in a huge way in pushing this debate, something RC is no doubt very aware of. Instead of moaning about our COL allowance, the smaller clubs should have been viewing our Flag as a big win for smaller clubs, to show that it CAN be done. Something many fans of Vic teams don't get is that, while Sydney is a very big city, the Swans are a small club. We have been punching above our weight for a long time and will continue to do so while we remain as blessed as we are with high quality frontoffice and coaching staff and such an incredibly gutys and courageous playing group.

If we do start to struggle though, it's not inconceivable that we could head back in the direction that we were prior to the mid 90s. God forbid.

[Auntie.Gerald]

as some of you are aware there are sessions happening down at GWS for 80 or so 12 to 15 yr olds who come along for training every tues night.

My mates son is going along and he is 15. He said last night that GWS were so stretched for development staff that a Swans development person came along to help them out last night !!

I wonder if Eddie would let one of his youth development staff pop along to help Carlton if they were short staffed :rofl

But seriously I thought this was a true indication of the Swans culture and AFL community ethos !

[alison.z]

Sure they're not just AFL NSW/ACT staff? Those in the Western Sydney offices wear the GWS polos and those from the Moore Park offices wear Swans gear, but all employed by AFL NSW/ACT.

[Auntie.Gerald]

quite possibly............but it wasnt presented as a course by the AFL NSW ACT........it is a GWS initiative and branded.......but Im not 100% on all the details etc

[BillyRayCypress]

Sure they're not just AFL NSW/ACT staff? Those in the Western Sydney offices wear the GWS polos and those from the Moore Park offices wear Swans gear, but all employed by AFL NSW/ACT.

What you're saying is correct. It would be AFL staff. Except it's not the Moore Park Office but they wear the gear for the region that they are allocated to.

The Swans don't do this on a weekly basis.

[barry]

I am sick of Colless saying we're almost broke. There are no excuses anymore.

We no longer have to singlehandedly promote AFL in NSW, so that must free up some serious $$$.
We mismanaged the post 1996 and post 2005 income by blowing money on silly promotion ideas (I think templeton got the arse for some of them).

Post 2012, I'd like to see us bank a few million, rather than spend it all. We are in a market when we will make money in the good times, and lose it in the bad times. We are in the good times, so need to start banking it for the inevitable bad times.

[GongSwan]

Do you think so AG? I thought it was a pretty fair article. It has been a problem for a while, requiring regular rescue missions for Vic clubs, and now Port has gone belly-up as well. And as Richard points out, we are one bad season away from serious problems: we are in the same boat, even if others are in the water desperately clutching the lifebuoy. I think his main point is that the market model may be fine for businesses (though even there is the assumption of the level playing field), but it will be fatal for football. I agree with him.

Now that Kennet has bought in, even though from a different perspective, it probably vindicates Colless' statement

[justabaraker]

as some of you are aware there are sessions happening down at GWS for 80 or so 12 to 15 yr olds who come along for training every tues night.

My mates son is going along and he is 15. He said last night that GWS were so stretched for development staff that a Swans development person came along to help them out last night !!

I wonder if Eddie would let one of his youth development staff pop along to help Carlton if they were short staffed :rofl

But seriously I thought this was a true indication of the Swans culture and AFL community ethos !

The AFL has released the findings of a report they commissioned into the state of community footy in Sydney; in part, the GWS Giants copped a 'whack' for not being a team player in developing our game in the 'burbs.
So it would be a bit surprising if they called on the Swans to help them out of the poo.

Most likely it was NSW/ACT people as the others have suggested.

[DamY]

I am sick of Colless saying we're almost broke. There are no excuses anymore.

We no longer have to singlehandedly promote AFL in NSW, so that must free up some serious $$$.
We mismanaged the post 1996 and post 2005 income by blowing money on silly promotion ideas (I think templeton got the arse for some of them).

Post 2012, I'd like to see us bank a few million, rather than spend it all. We are in a market when we will make money in the good times, and lose it in the bad times. We are in the good times, so need to start banking it for the inevitable bad times.

Unfortunately I don't think he's playing Chicken Little. Revenue is hard for Sydney Swans to generate. I saw a presentation by AFL that showed all Sydney Swans spending was on on-field performance (coaches, facilities etc) and were underspending on off-field, especially administration. Swans admin is lower than the minimum expectations set by AFL. With the third or fourth-lowest membership numbers, it doesn't surprise me that there are very few profits. Corporate sponsorship is nowhere as strong as Collingwood's for example who have 4 big sponsors.

[Mark Busuttil]

I am sick of Colless saying we're almost broke. There are no excuses anymore.

We no longer have to singlehandedly promote AFL in NSW, so that must free up some serious $$$.
We mismanaged the post 1996 and post 2005 income by blowing money on silly promotion ideas (I think templeton got the arse for some of them).

Post 2012, I'd like to see us bank a few million, rather than spend it all. We are in a market when we will make money in the good times, and lose it in the bad times. We are in the good times, so need to start banking it for the inevitable bad times.

We have some very serious footy people involved at the club now & I'll back their decisions 100%. Sydney is a very fickle market and it doesn't take much for AFL to drop off. For the prelim final against Collingwood, they were blaming ticket prices for the low crowd.Remember where this club has come from - we nearly folded in 1991. Colless makes allot of sense in his e-mail & it is one that all the AFL presidents will support. This debate about money is long overdue - Ticket-tek make more money in some fixtures than the clubs participating. Some of this is due to long-term contracts but that needs to change.

[DamY]

http://mm.afl.com.au/portals/0/2011/finals/club_funding_presentation_260911.pdf

This is slightly outdated but you can see how the Swans have focused their spending on on-field performance and are working harder in admin to overcome the shortfall.

[DamY]

http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7106/newsid/107672/default.aspx

Financial results for 2010

http://www.afl.com.au/portals/0/2012/afl_annual_report_2011.pdf

AFL annual report for 2011

[Mug Punter]

Well said. GWS actually helps us in a huge way in pushing this debate, something RC is no doubt very aware of. Instead of moaning about our COL allowance, the smaller clubs should have been viewing our Flag as a big win for smaller clubs, to show that it CAN be done. Something many fans of Vic teams don't get is that, while Sydney is a very big city, the Swans are a small club. We have been punching above our weight for a long time and will continue to do so while we remain as blessed as we are with high quality frontoffice and coaching staff and such an incredibly gutys and courageous playing group.

If we do start to struggle though, it's not inconceivable that we could head back in the direction that we were prior to the mid 90s. God forbid.

I opposed GWS as I honestly do not believe the Sydney market can sustain two AFL clubs. I'd love to be proved wrong there too BTW:)

At the same time the strength of the AFL commitment to GWS ensured our future and our concessions too. It also ensures that the "smaller" Melbourne clubs have a future too as how can you cull a Melbourne club with a plastic club soaking $10-20M a year up here.

We have worked this well to our advantage. I'd love to see the AFL review actually INCREASE our COL and given Gonzo's loveable belligerence I could actually see that happening.....

[Mug Punter]

I am sick of Colless saying we're almost broke. There are no excuses anymore.

We no longer have to singlehandedly promote AFL in NSW, so that must free up some serious $$$.
We mismanaged the post 1996 and post 2005 income by blowing money on silly promotion ideas (I think templeton got the arse for some of them).

Post 2012, I'd like to see us bank a few million, rather than spend it all. We are in a market when we will make money in the good times, and lose it in the bad times. We are in the good times, so need to start banking it for the inevitable bad times.

It would be nice but it's a luxury we cannot afford....

We are figthing in probably the toughest sporting market in the world and we fight above our weight. There is an arms race going on the football and recruitment spend and our unique and creative way we have approached the battle (compare us to the Lion FFS) is nothing short of incredible.

I don't think for a minute Colless is crying wolf. GWS is a circuit breaker for us for sure but to continue as an elite club as we have will be an ongoing tough battle.

[BillyRayCypress]

The AFL has released the findings of a report they commissioned into the state of community footy in Sydney; in part, the GWS Giants copped a 'whack' for not being a team player in developing our game in the 'burbs.
So it would be a bit surprising if they called on the Swans to help them out of the poo.

Most likely it was NSW/ACT people as the others have suggested.

Do you have a link for that report as i can't find it on the AFL website?. Thanks

[justabaraker]

Do you have a link for that report as i can't find it on the AFL website?. Thanks

It's on the Sydney AFL website under "Sydney Review":-

Sydney Review - Sydney AFL - SportingPulse (http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-1047-0-0-0&sID=53282&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=20940957)

[BillyRayCypress]

Thanks for that link. I remember now doing the survey months ago.

It would have been nice if they bothered to email the participants with the survey results. Although quick scan at the report and I hope they didn't spend too much money on getting it done.

Shall read with interest.