bornadog
30-05-2013, 10:48 AM
Link (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dogs-can-make-a-profit-20130529-2nbx5.html)
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/art-353-peter-gordon-300x0_zps43213f04.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/mmsalih/media/art-353-peter-gordon-300x0_zps43213f04.jpg.html)
The Western Bulldogs say they can still break even or make a profit this year, despite spending an extra $1.2 million on their football department in a difficult season on the field.
And the Dogs say they are ''putting their money where their mouth is'', while seeking extra equalisation funding from the AFL, which they say is critical to the club's prosperity in the longer term.
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said, while the club was spending an extra $1.2 million on football - not counting player payments - it was still in a position to break even or make a profit, despite losing key revenues in what he termed ''a rebuilding'' season.
Of the club's financial outlook this year, Gordon said: ''We're capable of making a loss, we're capable of making a profit and we're capable of breaking even.''
Gordon and other individuals have made sizeable financial contributions to the club this year, much of which has been used to fund a football department that has increased staffing levels and other areas, such as use of GPS technology.
Gordon said the club's reserved seat, membership and social club income streams were down this year following 2012 results.
But the club has raised additional revenues from sponsors - such as Gordon's former firm, Slater & Gordon - and has raised funds from individual backers.
In addition to Gordon, long-time director Susan Alberti has been a strong financial backer of the club.
Gordon said for the long term, the club would ''need equalisation policies … but no one should think that people at the Western Bulldogs aren't putting their money where their mouth is''.
Gordon said equalisation was crucial because the financial gap between the top clubs and those in the bottom third ''is going to get wider and wider''.
He said, in terms of poker machine revenue, the four biggest clubs in Victoria would add $5 million per year in revenues per club due to the new pokies arrangements.
One of the Dogs' most significant new costs in the future will be the fielding of their own VFL team rather than the affiliation with Williamstown - a measure that is earmarked for 2014.
Gordon confirmed that the club intended to have its VFL team play most of its games at Whitten Oval, the club's training base, which would require some works and funding to enable matches to be played there.
Gordon said he welcomed the contribution of his Collingwood counterpart Eddie McGuire - who called for the Dogs and Demons to be given higher salary caps - but said the question of how to equalise the competition was best left to the AFL commission.
The likelihood that the Bulldogs will play their VFL team at Whitten Oval means the second-tier competition will increasingly resemble the old ''VFL'' days, given that Richmond wants to play its new VFL team at Punt Road, Essendon is at Windy Hill and Collingwood has been playing VFL home games at Victoria Park.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/art-353-peter-gordon-300x0_zps43213f04.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/mmsalih/media/art-353-peter-gordon-300x0_zps43213f04.jpg.html)
The Western Bulldogs say they can still break even or make a profit this year, despite spending an extra $1.2 million on their football department in a difficult season on the field.
And the Dogs say they are ''putting their money where their mouth is'', while seeking extra equalisation funding from the AFL, which they say is critical to the club's prosperity in the longer term.
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said, while the club was spending an extra $1.2 million on football - not counting player payments - it was still in a position to break even or make a profit, despite losing key revenues in what he termed ''a rebuilding'' season.
Of the club's financial outlook this year, Gordon said: ''We're capable of making a loss, we're capable of making a profit and we're capable of breaking even.''
Gordon and other individuals have made sizeable financial contributions to the club this year, much of which has been used to fund a football department that has increased staffing levels and other areas, such as use of GPS technology.
Gordon said the club's reserved seat, membership and social club income streams were down this year following 2012 results.
But the club has raised additional revenues from sponsors - such as Gordon's former firm, Slater & Gordon - and has raised funds from individual backers.
In addition to Gordon, long-time director Susan Alberti has been a strong financial backer of the club.
Gordon said for the long term, the club would ''need equalisation policies … but no one should think that people at the Western Bulldogs aren't putting their money where their mouth is''.
Gordon said equalisation was crucial because the financial gap between the top clubs and those in the bottom third ''is going to get wider and wider''.
He said, in terms of poker machine revenue, the four biggest clubs in Victoria would add $5 million per year in revenues per club due to the new pokies arrangements.
One of the Dogs' most significant new costs in the future will be the fielding of their own VFL team rather than the affiliation with Williamstown - a measure that is earmarked for 2014.
Gordon confirmed that the club intended to have its VFL team play most of its games at Whitten Oval, the club's training base, which would require some works and funding to enable matches to be played there.
Gordon said he welcomed the contribution of his Collingwood counterpart Eddie McGuire - who called for the Dogs and Demons to be given higher salary caps - but said the question of how to equalise the competition was best left to the AFL commission.
The likelihood that the Bulldogs will play their VFL team at Whitten Oval means the second-tier competition will increasingly resemble the old ''VFL'' days, given that Richmond wants to play its new VFL team at Punt Road, Essendon is at Windy Hill and Collingwood has been playing VFL home games at Victoria Park.