Tigers plan to be top Victorian club (Age)

[one-eyed]

Tigers plan to be top Victorian club
MICHAEL GLEESON
March 4, 2010

RICHMOND has embraced a vision for a golden decade with an ambitious plan to more than double membership, clear debt and play finals three times, all within five years.

The Tigers are determined to rouse the sleeping giant of football and their dormant fans through their plan, which carries a motto of 3-0-75. The motto stands for playing finals three times, having zero debt and signing 75,000 members within the next five years.

The five-year plan is about positioning the club for where it will be by the end of the decade, with a vision for 2020 that they return not just to being one of the top four Victorian clubs, but the top Victorian club.

Significant in the short term is the intention to play finals three times by 2014, which would require the Tigers to make the eight no later than 2012 - and stay there.

Left unstated was if, when or how many premierships the club hoped to win by 2020.

The five-year written plan, drafted by Brendon Gale after he took over as chief executive last year, pledges the club to the surprisingly bullish targets, which exceed the stated goals of any rival.

All staff at the club - players, coaches and administration - as well as the board gathered in the players' gym at Punt Road on Tuesday night for the presentation, and all ''signed up'' to the goals.

The plan has been driven by Gale and reflects the belief at the club that, after two years of significant personnel change, the Tigers have the critical people in place to attack such broad goals.

Gale has taken over as chief executive, Craig Cameron as general manager of football, Damien Hardwick is the new senior coach, Simon Derrick has been appointed commercial operations manager and Cain Liddle is membership manager.

Richmond carries about $4 million in debt, although importantly the new final stage of its Punt Road redevelopment is being done without further capital input by the club. The existing debt would be wiped out and the club would enjoy strong profit growth after retiring the debt.

The financial improvement would ride from a doubling of membership to hit a target of 75,000 members. The Tigers last year enjoyed a record membership of 37,000, which was primarily seen as a spike in response to the arrival of Ben Cousins.

The long-held belief at Richmond, and broadly in football, is that there is a huge reserve of support that has drifted from the club over the past two decades, which have been marked by upheaval and poor on-field performance.

However, Gale reminded staff on Tuesday that Richmond was the first club in the VFL to attract one million fans to its games in a year - 1972 and again in 1973 - while the next club to do so, Collingwood, took until 1979. Essendon did not do so until 1993 and Carlton 1995.

The belief is not just that Richmond can get back to being one of the top four Victorian clubs but that it can get back to being the top club.

On the field, Richmond comes from a long way back in its push to make the finals, having finished 15th last year and being the bookmakers' favourite for the wooden spoon this year.

Complicating matters is that to fill holes remaining in their list the Tigers confront drafts weakened by the concessions for the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

Gale last night declined to comment on the strategic plan, saying he wanted to send the information to members first.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-plan-to-be-top-victorian-club-20100303-pizq.html

[mightytiges]

Significant in the short term is the intention to play finals three times by 2014, which would require the Tigers to make the eight no later than 2012 - and stay there.

Being ready by 2012 is still very uncertain given our young list. The likes of Griffiths and Astbury who we want to eventually takeover our key forward posts next to Jack will still be in only their 3rd year of AFL. 2013 IMO would be a more confident prediction for us.

Also predicting finals by 2012 coincides with Hardwick's final year of his contract. The last thing we need is another media campaign frothing from week to week based on whether we win or lose. Do we plan to do a Hawthorn which followed a similar strategy and re-sign the senior coach at the end of 2011?

Good to have high ambitions but this year I wish we had just kept quiet as we had been doing and laid the foundations first both on and off field before spruiking 3 years in a row of finals  .

[WilliamPowell]

Good to have high ambitions but this year I wish we had just kept quiet as we had been doing and laid the foundations first both on and off field before spruiking 3 years in a row of finals  .

First up the article doesn't spruik finals 3 years in a row the strategy supposedly says finals 3 times over a 5 year period. The writer has assumed that there will be no finals in 2010 or 2011 so to play 3 times in 5 years he has made the call that it will be 3 years in a row

Secondly, I said after the AGM that they had said that there was a new "vision" plan for the Club that Benny had put together and that he was going to release it to the members. This is clearly that plan

At the time the majoirty on here thought it a great idea even though we had no idea what was in it  and wanted to see it, so I don't think we can now be too critical if it gets put out in the public

The most pleasing thing to me is that Benny wouldn't talk about it until he releases it to the members

Most disappointing thing is again someone at the Club has opened their traps and told the media

[Mr Magic]

If you build it, they will come.

[FNM]

A little bit of sunshine for our eternally optimistic but always cruelly let down supporters 
Actions speak louder than five year plans
Been there, done that

What happened to the club's supposed low-key approach lol
Come in "spinner" doctor

[mightytiges]

Good to have high ambitions but this year I wish we had just kept quiet as we had been doing and laid the foundations first both on and off field before spruiking 3 years in a row of finals  .

First up the article doesn't spruik finals 3 years in a row the strategy supposedly says finals 3 times over a 5 year period. The writer has assumed that there will be no finals in 2010 or 2011 so to play 3 times in 5 years he has made the call that it will be 3 years in a row

To be fair to the journo that's not an unrealistic assumption. It's highly unlikely we'll play finals in the next two years.

Secondly, I said after the AGM that they had said that there was a new "vision" plan for the Club that Benny had put together and that he was going to release it to the members. This is clearly that plan

At the time the majoirty on here thought it a great idea even though we had no idea what was in it  and wanted to see it, so I don't think we can now be too critical if it gets put out in the public

I was more interested in the off-field plans - increasing our revenue base through non-footy means. I don't have a problem with the 75k members and $0 debt aims of this plan. They aren't pie in the sky dreams IMO given we are still able to generate 46k members after 30 years of being rubbish. On-field promises though I wish we as a club would shut up.

The most pleasing thing to me is that Benny wouldn't talk about it until he releases it to the members

Most disappointing thing is again someone at the Club has opened their traps and told the media

Agree on both counts WP.

[tony_montana]

who the #!ck is the mole?!!!  Flush him/her/them out immediately, we leak like a sieve, pathetic  

[Smokey]

To be fair to the journo that's not an unrealistic assumption. It's highly unlikely we'll play finals in the next two years.

Damn!  I was hoping to use my Grand Final guarantee this year.   

[Ramps]

Vision is correct. The goals are high but can be achieved- especially those revolving membership numbers. Get on board.

[mightytiges]

To be fair to the journo that's not an unrealistic assumption. It's highly unlikely we'll play finals in the next two years.

Damn!  I was hoping to use my Grand Final guarantee this year.   

Patience smokey patience  . I've got a GF guarantee too. Hoping to get to use it within the next decade  but not the next 2-3 years.

[Judge Roughneck]

well done Benny Gale

[cub]

Why not?

[tiga]

If you build it, they will come.

Not always......

[yellowandback]

A vision is always good and while I understand why the clubs taking the angle of being no 1 for members, 75k is still directing it's revenue efforts at the one trick pony.....us.

Love the 0 debt but is that really a visionary, aspirational goal?

Being a number 1 club does target zero debt, look at the Magpies, Hawks, crows, Eagles etc they have cash RESERVES.

And playing finals 3 of 5 years is low balling particularly when your vision is to be the number 1 club.

So they may have been better off taking this year to communicate transformation - easier to justify and general enough to avoid it blowing up in your face.

Take the year to better understand capability - on and off field, use this year to take baby steps of progress so people can actually see you are making a difference, THEN build, articulate and pitch a vision.

Too hard, too soon.

[mightytiges]

Take the year to better understand capability - on and off field, use this year to take baby steps of progress so people can actually see you are making a difference, THEN build, articulate and pitch a vision.

Agree Y&B. In a year's time the new facilities would be finished and we would have seen how the cubs went after a year under Hardwick. Add another draft's worth of kids as well on top of our current young core. Have at least  something concrete to sell to back up the message. Less time for our supporters to have to wait too for the vision to become a reality.