Should we ask for AFL assistance money (2012)?

[saintspremiers]

Looking at our membership we are on 39K and won't crack 40K this season as we are at June cut off.

Next season 35K would be a very good effort - might even be lower!

How can we even hope to get a reserves side without some extra cash.

IMO you must have a minimum 40K members to compete nowadays otherwise the big clubs will destroy us for years (even bumbling Essendon might get their act together soon!).

[plugger66]

Not unless we need it. We made over a million last year so you would hope we make money again this year.

[Stillwaiting]

Not unless we need it. We made over a million last year so you would hope we make money again this year.

Agree, as long as we are making money and have what we needtobe competitive on ghe field, I would rather not, may need it in future

[GrumpyOne]

Not unless we need it. We made over a million last year so you would hope we make money again this year.

Agree, as long as we are making money and have what we needtobe competitive on ghe field, I would rather not, may need it in future

+1

[Dr Spaceman]

Not unless we need it. We made over a million last year so you would hope we make money again this year.

Agree, as long as we are making money and have what we needtobe competitive on ghe field, I would rather not, may need it in future

+1

Exactly right.

Unfortunately seeking and getting AFL funding only leads to the perception that the club is on the ropes. It may be intended as a temporary thing but to the outside world, to the media, to the sponsors etc it's sending a totally different message. Look at how the Bulldogs, Roos and Demons are viewed.

If we went down the path it would be very difficult to claw our way back to where we currently are.

Ask for help yes, but only if there is no other alternative.

[Junction Oval]

"Debt" is the absolute killer for Clubs. The less we have, the better off we will be.

AFL assistance is already there, but not in cash - it has provided the Saints with a Security Guarantee of up to $5mil. for which we have drawn down $2.5mil through a Commercial Bill. The arrangement expires at the end of Oct this year (could be extended?).

[bigcarl]

We've done okay without our own reserves side in recent years.

It would be nice to have one for player development's sake, but it is not a necessity.

So no. Do not ask the league for anything unless we are in diabolical.

I'd prefer not to feel indebted to Demetriou and Co. It weakens us as a club.

[Dan Warna]

Pretty sure saints have never got a hand out from the AFL.

we did get a re-location payment (gate guarantee) when we were forced from Waverley to Docklands. However my understanding is that we did lose a lot of money from the forced transfer.

[Sainternist]

"45,000 STRONG"

What were they thinking?!?!

[White Winmar]

We need a few years of mismanagement/tumbling membership numbers to qualify for extra help. Just goes to show that incompetence has its own rewards!

[mr six o'clock]

we should ask the afl for our share of the replayed GF , after all how much money did they make out of it ? The only teams that should profit from this are the saints & pies . The AFL probably put the money into consolidated revenue , which would pump up their preformance based bonuses !!!!!

[Tess]

we should ask the afl for our share of the replayed GF , after all how much money did they make out of it ? The only teams that should profit from this are the saints & pies . The AFL probably put the money into consolidated revenue , which would pump up their preformance based bonuses !!!!!

Welcome to blockbuster world where you play on a to packed MCG just to share the gate with 16/17 or 18 other clubs ...... Just to be fair!

[saint58]

Looking at our membership we are on 39K and won't crack 40K this season as we are at June cut off.

Next season 35K would be a very good effort - might even be lower!

How can we even hope to get a reserves side without some extra cash.

IMO you must have a minimum 40K members to compete nowadays otherwise the big clubs will destroy us for years (even bumbling Essendon might get their act together soon!).

Play 2 or more home games in Hobart over $200 thousand per game plus all the other members we would expect to get.

North expects to get 10,000 members out of a pop of 200 thousand we could expect just as much if not more if maketed right.


Or play interstate teams in Seaford like geelong and make all the gate reciets and gound advertising a nother 200 grand we put in seats for 35/40 thousand people.

We lose money at Edihad if we g et under 30,000 spectaters at seaford we would be making money.

We could rent the ground out to other AFL sides playing the interstaters and still make money.

People say its to far to go well its closer to melbourne then Geelong is?????

[Dr Spaceman]

From all reports we've been traveling well in regards to memberships, sponsorships, profits etc.

You can't ask for AFL assistance on the basis things may drop off. You have to actually wait til you're waste deep in it. That's how it works.

And to suggest the AFL would give us money to enable us to fund a Reserves side is fanciful. The AFL money is to save you going under, not to pay for non essentials.

[hungry for a premiership]

I agree that we should not ask for a handout, for the reasons already stated.