Tiger Fortunes Still Sound
Steven Wright
Fighting Tiger Bulletin
June '07
At the half-way point of the 2007 season, sitting on the bottom of the ladder with no wins, it's been a nightmare for even the most loyal Tiger members.
As well as being responsible for the management of the Club, I am a diehard supporter; and I promise you, I feel the disappointment as much as everyone.
But despite our '07 on-field results, there are a number of shining lights, which give me strong belief we are well advanced in our march towards sustained success in the near future.
These shining lights are both on and off-field...
On-field, the performances of our developing youth gives us great hope that they will develop into a formidable nucleus to take the Club forward.
The hard work and pace of Nathan Foley, the class of Brett Deledio, the way Adam Pattison has manfully handled the key ruck role, the continued development of Richard Tambling, Matthew White and Andrew Raines, the toughness of Jake King and Daniel Jackson, the return of Will Thursfield, along with the impressive sneak previews of Shane Edwards and Jack Riewoldt, gives all of us great confidence in our youth's quality.
When you add the heart and courage shown by Matthew Richardson, the leadership of Kane Johnson and Joel Bowden, the skills of Graham Polak, and the return from serious injuries of Troy Simmonds, Nathan Brown and Mark Coughlan (2008), we are assembling a very strong list, with both short-term and long- term opportunities for success.
Despite our current position, I am convinced that under the leadership and guidance of Greg Miller and Terry Wallace, we are well on the way to returning to the top echelons of the league ladder.
Off-field, there also has been much happening with the continued improvement of the Club's finances and facilities. . .
Just over two years ago, we made significant changes to our business model, with a view to stabilising the Club and, in turn, creating a foundation to secure our future finances. Since then, we have registered two consecutive year-end profits - most recently a record profit just short of $1 million in 2006.
Early in 2007, we were well on the way to breaking that profit record, until our match attendances started falling away due to not winning. The reduced crowds could impact our budget by as much as $500,000, but the good news is that despite a difficult year on-field, we'll still make another solid profit in 2007.
The decision by the Richmond Board to play more games at the MCG was widely welcomed by our members and supporters, but it does increase our reliance on solid match-day attendances. I encourage you all to come along and watch our boys in action throughout the second half of this season, as it not only encourages the players, but also helps the Club's bottom line.
One of the key reasons for another positive financial forecast is the outstanding result achieved in membership. We have again broken our membership record, and remain on target to reach 30,000 ticketed members. As well as this, our sponsorship revenues have continued to climb. The Club again has secured new, vibrant sponsors and now boasts a suite of bigname partners.
A special thanks to all our members for their continued support. For the Club to be in such a sound financial position this year, despite no victories in the first half of the season, is testimony to the passion and loyalty of the Tiger faithful. I'm also convinced it's indicative that our members are embracing the direction we're taking and are confident, like us, our future is very bright.
Looking forward to 2008, the Club will celebrate its Centenary (the completion of 100 years of our involvement) in the AFL/VFL. It will be exciting to reflect on, and recognise, what the Richmond Football Club, and all who have been involved with it, have achieved throughout the past 100 years. The celebrations will take several forms and I can ensure each and every member and supporter they will have the opportunity to celebrate with us. One of our wonderful member opportunities is featured over the page, being a limited edition chance to be photographed with the 2008 team in Centenary guernseys.
Fittingly, as we go from one century of football to the next. we will start the next crucial phase of the Punt Road Oval re_development. which will encompass the building of a state-of-the-art football facility and a new Community Centre and Social Club.
To ensure we have the funds to facilitate the buildings and manage the on-going maintenance of our Punt Road home, we have engaged the services of fundraising experts, OVA Navion. Former Tiger president, Leon Daphne, as well as a number of directors, members and I, are sitting on a steering committee chaired by Peggy Haines, and working with OVA Navion.
As part of our new strategy, we have created a Bequest Society, which is being spearheaded by another former Tiger president, Neville Crowe. As the costs of running a football club continue to grow, the necessity to raise much needed funds will only increase. We believe the opportunity for passionate Tiger supporters to leave a portion of their estate to ensure the continued development of our young playing list, and the upgrade of the Punt Road facilities, will be well received.
Our planning for 2008 has started early, and we are strategically examining how to improve all facets of our business. There is no 'blood-letting' as some media "experts" have ignorantly insinuated. The planning represents very good news, in particular, for our football operations, with specific attention given to increasing the resources available to Terry Wallace and Greg Miller, to further enable them to bring the best players to Richmond, and provide the environment to develop them to their maximum potential.
Again, I thank all of our members, for your support in 2007. I hope you'll continue to support us during the second half of the season by attending games, as we continue to watch our young group develop into a side to be reckoned with in the near future.
