Tigers to play a home game in Cairns 2011-13 [Official]

[torch]

Did Gale say Darwin?

Did Gale mean Cairns?

Or does this mean we are playing two "Home-Interstate" matches in Qld and NT?

???

v Gold Coast - Cairns

v Port Adelaide - Darwin

???

Is this correct?

That means we only have Nine Home Matches!

???

[torch]

Tigers set to play a home game in Cairns
Caroline Wilson
September 19, 2010

RICHMOND is negotiating to sell a home game to Cairns next season as the AFL's frontiers continue to expand with the introduction of a 17th club.

The Tigers, who will also host a home game against Port Adelaide in Darwin, have tentatively agreed to play a pivotal role in the competition's premiership season debut at Cairns's Cazaly Stadium against the Gold Coast, which has been pushing for a 13th game in Queensland in 2011.

The move would mean Richmond would no longer play the Gold Coast in its AFL debut game at the Gabba in round two, as earmarked earlier this month by the AFL. The Tigers have told the league they would look at hosting a game in Cairns if it removed an Etihad Stadium home game from their fixture.

A Cairns home game would add $500,000 to Richmond's bottom line on top of the $1 million three-year Darwin deal in which the club agreed to play two home games there between 2010 and 2012.

Although Richmond, which is still serving a debt of close to $5 million, has requested to play all home games at the MCG, except for the Darwin clash, the prevailing view is the club would do better to host the Gold Coast in Far North Queensland than at the Docklands.

The AFL is negotiating with the Queensland Government, which is pushing the fixture along with AFL Queensland, to upgrade Cazaly Stadium in time for next season. It is not known whether lights can be installed in the first stage redevelopment but, if not, the match will be played in daylight.

The stadium hosted a cyclone-affected NAB Cup clash in 2009 and the seasonal weather conditions have caused Cairns to be deemed unsuitable for future pre-season games.

Gold Coast chief executive Travis Auld told The Sunday Age last night that his club had requested a fixture in Cairns next year with a view to expanding its development across the state where the club had already established a number of talent academies.

''Our stadium agreements mean it would have to be an away game for us,'' said Auld. ''AFL Queensland is keen to get more games up here and we are keen to have a bigger presence in Cairns.

''We understand the AFL has spoken to a number of clubs and I heard last week that Richmond had shown an interest.''

The Tigers had also looked at selling home games to Hobart, but were told by the AFL that North Melbourne would be the prime candidate to host games at a redeveloped Bellerive Oval, but not before 2012.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-set-to-play-a-home-game-in-cairns-20100918-15h8t.html

This would mean, we will make over $1,000,000 in 2011 for two "Sold" home matches.

Is this good or bad?

[Smokey]

This would mean, we will make over $1,000,000 in 2011 for two "Sold" home matches.

Is this good or bad?

Outstanding.  Melbourne members don't miss out because they get games in compensation and we get a big chunk of money to throw at the $5m debt.  Win win big time and it's not like we're losing blockbuster home games.

[WilliamPowell]

Did Gale say Darwin?

Did Gale mean Cairns?

Or does this mean we are playing two "Home-Interstate" matches in Qld and NT?

???

v Gold Coast - Cairns

v Port Adelaide - Darwin

???

Is this correct?

That means we only have Nine Home Matches!

???

Yes this correct

We will have 9 home matches and 2 away matches that will be treated as "home games" for members to compensate for the 2 interstate home games

Outstanding.  Melbourne members don't miss out because they get games in compensation and we get a big chunk of money to throw at the $5m debt.  Win win big time and it's not like we're losing blockbuster home games.

I hate to rain on everyone's parade but from a purely operational/accounting perspective to suggest that the money for these games will automatically go to paying off our "debt" is fanciful. The money will go to operational revenues and will be used for what it needs to be used for in the operations of the club if anything is left over then yeap we pay of the debt.

The Club would be very silly to promise to pay of the debt when it maybe needed for other things

I have mentioned this before but this debt thing although not a great thing to have is not as dire as the Caros of this world make it out to be. Because the RFC unlike the Demons or Roos for example don't have the struggles to service the debt (read paying the interest bill) that the other clubs do.

[Penelope]

true, WP, debit in a business sense in not necessarily a bad thing, particularly if you have much more assets than debit. AS for whether the extra money itself is directly used to service debit is probably a moot point as one way or another extra income will allow the debit to be repaid quicker, unless spending is increased in another area.

[Smokey]

I hate to rain on everyone's parade but from a purely operational/accounting perspective to suggest that the money for these games will automatically go to paying off our "debt" is fanciful. The money will go to operational revenues and will be used for what it needs to be used for in the operations of the club if anything is left over then yeap we pay of the debt.

The Club would be very silly to promise to pay of the debt when it maybe needed for other things

I have mentioned this before but this debt thing although not a great thing to have is not as dire as the Caros of this world make it out to be. Because the RFC unlike the Demons or Roos for example don't have the struggles to service the debt (read paying the interest bill) that the other clubs do.

Yes, very true WP but I didn't say that the whole amount would be earmarked for the debt alone.  It means an extra ~$1m to our bottom line which gives us more opportunity to reduce our debt - one of the identified aims of the Gale Plan - and that can only be a good thing.

[WilliamPowell]

Yes, very true WP but I didn't say that the whole amount would be earmarked for the debt alone.  It means an extra ~$1m to our bottom line which gives us more opportunity to reduce our debt - one of the identified aims of the Gale Plan - and that can only be a good thing.

Agree smokey but and it's a big but what seems to be getting lost in this discussion is the fact that we already behind on our bootom line for 2011 because we've lost the nett profit from the Royal Oak. I would suggest that the monies we are getting for selling home games is in part just replacing those $$$ anyway.

I want the debt gone as much as anyone but I just don't get as wound up about it as the Caros of this world do. This is what I do for a living (which I better get back to BTW  ) and as it currently stands I would rather the Club be where they are today funding the footy department properly with a manageable debt than what we've done in the past

[cub]

If Melbourne can get rid of their debt with their pi55ant supporter base, how come we can't do the same ??????????
Need to get something going in this direction also and get this problem solved and then we can all go to the G on Saturday arvo like times of old.
Pile it on Tigers - Chuck everything on the fire and see what burns, let's just get this crap out of the way.

[Smokey]

Agree smokey but and it's a big but what seems to be getting lost in this discussion is the fact that we already behind on our bootom line for 2011 because we've lost the nett profit from the Royal Oak. I would suggest that the monies we are getting for selling home games is in part just replacing those $$$ anyway.

I want the debt gone as much as anyone but I just don't get as wound up about it as the Caros of this world do. This is what I do for a living (which I better get back to BTW  ) and as it currently stands I would rather the Club be where they are today funding the footy department properly with a manageable debt than what we've done in the past

Fair points WP.  For interest's sake - how much was the Royal Oak worth to us on average a year?

[tony_montana]

Agree smokey but and it's a big but what seems to be getting lost in this discussion is the fact that we already behind on our bootom line for 2011 because we've lost the nett profit from the Royal Oak. I would suggest that the monies we are getting for selling home games is in part just replacing those $$$ anyway.

I want the debt gone as much as anyone but I just don't get as wound up about it as the Caros of this world do. This is what I do for a living (which I better get back to BTW  ) and as it currently stands I would rather the Club be where they are today funding the footy department properly with a manageable debt than what we've done in the past

Fair points WP.  For interest's sake - how much was the Royal Oak worth to us on average a year?

300k pa

[WilliamPowell]

300k pa

Royal Oak would have been more profitable than that Tony M

It's the Wantirna Club that doesn't make much for the CLub - The Royal Oak was a good earner for the Club

[tony_montana]

300k pa

Royal Oak would have been more profitable than that Tony M

It's the Wantirna Club that doesn't make much for the CLub - The Royal Oak was a good earner for the Club

Don't know WP, just what I've been told, sounds realistic to me going by what a lot of other clubs make from pokies, its a decent income but not a cash cow unless you're carlton and spoon fed by mathieson   

Wantirna makes nowhere near that unfortunately

[one-eyed]

The local paper is promoting our game up in Cairns 

Cairns showdown in July
The Cairns Post
Saturday, October 30, 2010

FOOTY fans should keep Saturday, July 16 free in their diaries next year because that is the day the AFL officially lands in Cairns.

The AFL released its 2011 draw yesterday, disclosing the date for the Round 17 Richmond versus Gold Coast match at Cazalys.

As expected, the clash is a day game and will start at 2.10pm.

It is the first competition-round AFL game to be played in Cairns, which has previously hosted NAB Cup and practice matches.

The fixture, the first of three to be played between the clubs over three years at Cazalys, was announced last month, but the date was not revealed until yesterday.

Suns player Charlie Dixon, who grew up in Cairns, already has the game circled on his calendar.

Dixon played in the Suns’ VFL match against Bendigo at Cazalys in July and does not want to miss the chance to play AFL in front of his home fans.

"It’s a big goal of mine to play in that game," he said.

"There were a fair few people there last time we played in July and now that there
are going to be two proper AFL teams playing, I think it’ll be even bigger.

"We had a good win up there last time we were there and hopefully we can do that again."

AFL Cairns president Gary Young will meet Tigers and Suns officials over the next fortnight to begin planning for the game.

Now a date has been set, Young said the league could also start working with local business and tourism operators to maximise Cairns’ exposure.

"We’ve got the date, it’s going ahead and it’s huge, not just from a footy follower’s point of view, but also from the city’s point of view," he said.

"We want to attract as many people as we can from Melbourne for this game.

"We’ll be working with local operators to put together packages and programs to entertain them outside of football so they’ll want to stay up here an extra four or five days."

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/10/30/132921_local-sport-news.html

[Loui Tufga]

I have just booked to make the trip to Cairns to see the game, air fares were cheapish $189 one way with Virgin but accommodation was harder to secure with a couple of places we really wanted to stay already booked out for that weekend. I would suggest anyone wanting to travel up get on to it asap...........

[Muscles]

Just booked my flights to Cairns for the game.  Anyone else booking accomodation anywhere near the Esplanade?