Financial Results

[KT31]

Re: Financial Results

This is by know means directed at you Ozza.

Being disappointed in attendance is one thing but there has been the odd inference that those who do not attend games are doing the wrong thing, don't care as much and are not as passionate about the Dog's as those that do.
I can only speak for myself ( and I know others will only see these as excuses)but having been to the majority of the games from the eighties until a few years back, I now live 700klms away, run my own 18 hour a day/ 7 day a week business, tied up heavily with the local footy club, have pup's who occasionally play 500klms in the opposite direction and coach kids on the weekend.
I still buy a membership each year and would love to have my family at the footy each week but other priorities have taken over.
I am not on my Pat Malone on here with many Woofers living overseas or interstate, this however does not mean we don't have as much the passion for the Dogs or we don't "Crack In".

[ledge]

Re: Financial Results

Our loss looks very good against Essendons and Melbournes

[Mantis]

Re: Financial Results

Our loss looks very good against Essendons and Melbournes

Not sure we should be comparing ourselves with those 2.

Essendon have pretty much funded their own elite training centre out in the sticks and had huge costs with the drug scandal.

Melbourne are a basket-case... but have little debt (thanks to Jimmy)

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In isolation our result looks ok when you factor in a drop in membership, poor on-field performances (for most of the year) and increased footy dept. spending.

Going to be an equally challenging year in 2014 when we are already committed to spending an extra $2mil this year (footy dept. & VFL team).. Hope we can find an increase in revenue streams.

[always right]

Re: Financial Results

This is by know means directed at you Ozza.

Being disappointed in attendance is one thing but there has been the odd inference that those who do not attend games are doing the wrong thing, don't care as much and are not as passionate about the Dog's as those that do.
I can only speak for myself ( and I know others will only see these as excuses)but having been to the majority of the games from the eighties until a few years back, I now live 700klms away, run my own 18 hour a day/ 7 day a week business, tied up heavily with the local footy club, have pup's who occasionally play 500klms in the opposite direction and coach kids on the weekend.
I still buy a membership each year and would love to have my family at the footy each week but other priorities have taken over.
I am not on my Pat Malone on here with many Woofers living overseas or interstate, this however does not mean we don't have as much the passion for the Dogs or we don't "Crack In".

No-one is having a crack at people who physically can't attend games. Every year....even in our relatively successful years....there have been supporters like yourself who can't get to our matches. It simply doesn't explain the pathetic support we have received the last two years even allowing for our uninspiring perrformances. There appeared to be no substantial improvement in the last eight games when we were playing an attractive brand of football and getting results.

[jeemak]

Re: Financial Results

Our last four games in 2013 at Etihad saw us play on a Sunday at 4:40pm three times and once at 1:10pm.

The games we played at Etihad prior to that saw us play at 3:15pm on a Sunday on three occasions, and once at 7:45pm on a Saturday as an away team.

What sort of crowds are we going to attract at those time slots, apart from low ones?

I've often thought about the impact these Sunday games being played live on FOX has on our attendances. Essentially, taking the family to four weeks of footy on a Sunday afternoon or evening would be a lot more expensive than paying for a FOX subscription each month.

Our supporter base needs reinvigorating, and perhaps it also needs to get used to watching its team play at shitty times.

The only way we can improve our membership is by playing well at those shitty times and embracing the situation we have, and making the most of it. I hope the club has a strategy for doing so.

A good starting point would be to conduct a quantitative survey of all members, and those not re-signed these last couple of years to see exactly why they don't attend our games.

Finding out what can be done to bring them back to games after the survey is completed would help as well.

[always right]

Re: Financial Results

Our last four games in 2013 at Etihad saw us play on a Sunday at 4:40pm three times and once at 1:10pm.

The games we played at Etihad prior to that saw us play at 3:15pm on a Sunday on three occasions, and once at 7:45pm on a Saturday as an away team.

What sort of crowds are we going to attract at those time slots, apart from low ones?

I've often thought about the impact these Sunday games being played live on FOX has on our attendances. Essentially, taking the family to four weeks of footy on a Sunday afternoon or evening would be a lot more expensive than paying for a FOX subscription each month.

Our supporter base needs reinvigorating, and perhaps it also needs to get used to watching its team play at shitty times.

The only way we can improve our membership is by playing well at those shitty times and embracing the situation we have, and making the most of it. I hope the club has a strategy for doing so.

A good starting point would be to conduct a quantitative survey of all members, and those not re-signed these last couple of years to see exactly why they don't attend our games.

Finding out what can be done to bring them back to games after the survey is completed would help as well.

I think the survey is a good idea. Not being critical of your post but I'd love to know why supporters don't attend because your reasons sound like excuses to me.

[Topdog]

Re: Financial Results

Excuses to one person are real reasons to another.

[Bornadog]

Re: Financial Results

Excuses to one person are real reasons to another.

In the past two seasons we averaged around 23500 per game. Compare that to 2009 when we hit 39,000 average for the year.

[Topdog]

Re: Financial Results

football is entertainment.

[jeemak]

Re: Financial Results

I think the survey is a good idea. Not being critical of your post but I'd love to know why supporters don't attend because your reasons sound like excuses to me.

Well, I suppose there's good excuses and bad excuses aren't there?

I know your post wasn't an attack on my attendance throughout the year (which was a little down on what I'd like), but on Sunday's I had family functions to attend, functions with friends to attend and study to work through. These are the types of things that get scheduled on Sunday's, and take priority over attending the football for me and many people.

Why do you think the AFL gives the plum slots to the big teams? Everybody wants to watch football on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday night. The reason why? These times are when people are free on the weekends to prioritise football. The AFL gets the biggest exposure, at the best times.

With respect to my comments on FOX, if you can argue against the logic considering the above then fine. I don't know if it's a factor, but wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Make no mistake, I don't think all of our poor attendances are based on our fixture. Though I think its detriment to our cause really needs to be acknowledged.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Financial Results

Not sure what you mean by that statement.

The financial position of the club is important for not only our long term survival but potentially the difference between being successful, or not, on the field. Collingwood spent $22 million on the footy department, we spent $16 million. Collingwood made a profit of $5 million and they can plough that back into the footy department if they wish and widen the gap even more.

We need to wipe the debt, build the membership and spend more on the football department.

We all know that . The point I'm making is the chest beating that eminates among some of the teams.
Unless we get a reasonable playing field it's a futile argument .

[LostDoggy]

Re: Financial Results

Excuses to one person are real reasons to another.

Let's not just talk about having family commitments, etc. I think it needs to be acknowledged and studied, because there are a vast number of our fans who just can't be bothered. Ok, they won't say that, they'll say they have things on, or that Sunday is a bad day, or whatever, but the real reason is they don't make time for going to the footy as other teams do. Make no mistake guys: if Collingwood played Sunday afternoon, they'd still draw fifty.

A good comparison for mine is people leaving the ground before the siren. You hear plenty of real, legitimate reasons for it: have to get the kids home, have to catch the train, have to beat the traffic, etc.

But these reasons only surface when we're getting beaten. When we're winning, all concerns for little Jimmy's bedtime go out the window.

[always right]

Re: Financial Results

Well, I suppose there's good excuses and bad excuses aren't there?

I know your post wasn't an attack on my attendance throughout the year (which was a little down on what I'd like), but on Sunday's I had family functions to attend, functions with friends to attend and study to work through. These are the types of things that get scheduled on Sunday's, and take priority over attending the football for me and many people.

Why do you think the AFL gives the plum slots to the big teams? Everybody wants to watch football on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday night. The reason why? These times are when people are free on the weekends to prioritise football. The AFL gets the biggest exposure, at the best times.

With respect to my comments on FOX, if you can argue against the logic considering the above then fine. I don't know if it's a factor, but wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Make no mistake, I don't think all of our poor attendances are based on our fixture. Though I think its detriment to our cause really needs to be acknowledged.

Not sure about the FOX argument......might be valid although we have FOX and we go to every game. We signed up so we could see all the interstate games.