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LostDoggy
17-01-2009, 10:57 PM
It just gets better and better......

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24925413-19742,00.html

Herald Sun 18 January

WESTERN Bulldogs chairman David Smorgon makes no apologies: he and the football club will never again settle for second best. As Smorgon surveyed Whitten Oval's $50 million development, pondered the write down of $8 million debt in the past three years, enjoyed last season's $643,000 profit and declared the team's improvement to third on the ladder unacceptable, he added another vital brick in the re-building of the Bulldogs.

Mission Foods, a global giant, had signed a $4.5 million three-year deal as the club's major partner, he said.

Smorgon said negotiations stretched back to September and the deal was a compliment to the Bulldogs - they beat Essendon, Richmond and Melbourne for the lucrative signing.

"What we have done in recent years is outstanding," he said.

"We are initiators, prime movers."

They were proud words from the man who has spent almost two decades trying to add authority and respectability to the western suburbs club broadly regarded as a financial basket case.

"We knew last August that Lend Lease would end its six-year sponsorship," he said.

"We made it clear we were not in the market to plonk someone's name on our jumper, just for the money.

"We are past all that. We spoke to a lot of companies in the meantime, but we were not going to drop our value or what we wanted - a quality, large, global partner.

"Look, we have been on a mission for years, and maybe it was only the dedicated Bulldogs fans who believed in it, but we set ourselves goals and we are now achieving them on and off the field."

Mission Foods, which has recently completed a new $50 million factory in Epping, distributes from its 97 worldwide plants its flatbread and Mexican products and corn-based snacks in 92 countries.

Besides the logos on the Western Bulldog outfits, Mission Foods staff will also display the Dog connection during its daily 30,000 deliveries throughout the nation.

Mission Foods boss Juan Gonzalez said: "We see it as a perfect fit.

"We will spend $12 million to promote our products and we have the same core beliefs about community and health as this club.

"We did our due diligence. We spoke with the AFL, we looked at four or five clubs to make comparisons. In the end, we kept coming back to the Bulldogs."

Meanwhile, Richmond is desperate for AFL officials to give the all clear on its proposed $2.4 million sponsorship deal with corporate bookmaker Sportsbet.

Melbourne still is without a sponsor.

GVGjr
17-01-2009, 11:02 PM
Meanwhile, Richmond is desperate for AFL officials to give the all clear on its proposed $2.4 million sponsorship deal with corporate bookmaker Sportsbet.

Melbourne still is without a sponsor.

What a sensational sponsorship $2.4M would be. I still don't think the AFL will cop this though.
Best approach would be to try for the shorts sponsor but not a naming rights sponsor.

ledge
17-01-2009, 11:21 PM
I see Melbourne got their money promised to them from the MCC though.

BulldogBelle
17-01-2009, 11:35 PM
Besides the logos on the Western Bulldog outfits, Mission Foods staff will also display the Dog connection during its daily 30,000 deliveries throughout the nation.

Thats excellent news - further promotion of our brand. :)

Sockeye Salmon
18-01-2009, 10:16 AM
What a sensational sponsorship $2.4M would be. I still don't think the AFL will cop this though.
Best approach would be to try for the shorts sponsor but not a naming rights sponsor.

Depends on how long for. They already have Dick Smith, I can't imagine another company ante-ing up $1.2K per year as a shorts sponsor.

aker39
18-01-2009, 10:48 AM
"We knew last August that Lend Lease would end its six-year sponsorship," he said.



I hope this was a mistake of the journalist and not David.

LostDoggy
18-01-2009, 12:41 PM
"We will spend $12 million to promote our products and we have the same core beliefs about community and health as this club.

"We did our due diligence. We spoke with the AFL, we looked at four or five clubs to make comparisons. In the end, we kept coming back to the Bulldogs."

This is the part that I liked best:)

ledge
18-01-2009, 12:50 PM
If this company takes off in Oz and we can get a premiership, this could be a very long time arrangement.
I am really impressed with this signing and looking worldwide to get it.
Well done to all, god I love this footy club.
Does anyone know if they sponsor any sports teams in other countries because to be honest I have never heard of them before.

Sockeye Salmon
18-01-2009, 01:12 PM
If this company takes off in Oz and we can get a premiership, this could be a very long time arrangement.
I am really impressed with this signing and looking worldwide to get it.
Well done to all, god I love this footy club.
Does anyone know if they sponsor any sports teams in other countries because to be honest I have never heard of them before.

The nature of their business means that it won't be long term.

They are doing it because they have zero brand recognition, now that they sponsor a footy club they will get that brand recognition they want and will have no need to sponsor a sporting club again.

They are spending $12 mil getting the Australian operation up and going (sales and marketing-wise) but their annual budget once they've been launched will be nothing like that amount.

ledge
18-01-2009, 01:31 PM
Good point but I do hope your wrong.
Nothing better than not having to look for a major sponsor every 3 years.
Sometimes things just click and everything in the world is good.

LostDoggy
18-01-2009, 02:36 PM
Good point but I do hope your wrong.
Nothing better than not having to look for a major sponsor every 3 years.
Sometimes things just click and everything in the world is good.

I believe there is an option for an additional two years - $6.5M over five years isn't too bad if it eventuates this way!!

LostDoggy
18-01-2009, 02:48 PM
I believe there is an option for an additional two years - $6.5M over five years isn't too bad if it eventuates this way!!

Correction - make that $7.5M over five years...potentially!!

LostDoggy
20-01-2009, 11:51 AM
WESTERN Bulldogs chairman David Smorgon makes no apologies: he and the football club will never again settle for second best..

I can read that over and over and over again!!!!!!!!!!

Sockeye Salmon
20-01-2009, 03:55 PM
WESTERN Bulldogs chairman David Smorgon makes no apologies: he and the football club will never again settle for second best. As Smorgon surveyed Whitten Oval's $50 million development, pondered the write down of $8 million debt in the past three years, enjoyed last season's $643,000 profit and declared the team's improvement to third on the ladder unacceptable, he added another vital brick in the re-building of the Bulldogs.



I didn't know of that bit. Add $8 mil (plus the interest payments we have had to make on it) over 3 years and our bottom line starts looking a whole lot better.

I understand we only have debts of about $4mil left. Hopefully we can get rid of that over the next two years and actually start putting some cash in the bank!

bornadog
20-01-2009, 05:40 PM
I didn't know of that bit. Add $8 mil (plus the interest payments we have had to make on it) over 3 years and our bottom line starts looking a whole lot better.

I understand we only have debts of about $4mil left. Hopefully we can get rid of that over the next two years and actually start putting some cash in the bank!

Still not clear why the club borrowed 13 million last year.