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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.
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.
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