RFC CEO Benny Gale on 3aw the other night with Gerard Healy and Dwayne Russell:
AUDIO:
http://media.mytalk.com.au/3AW/AUDIO/191113SportsToday.mp3 ..... go to 50 minute mark.
Summary* The $3.3m profit is the result of a lot of hard work. An improving football team doesn't hurt. Our supporters/members have been instrumental in the result. We want to build a competitive footy team that plays finals and ultimately wins a flag but you can't do that without a strong business so it's an encouraging result.
* Russell - We all thought you were crazy when a few years ago you were talking about having 75k members etc?
We've really made some strong progress but clearly where our football program was at the time that was our biggest stretch. The goal to play in 3 finals series was to build some real muscle in that area. We've played in one and we really want to make that two in a row. However, as I said before, you really can't do that without a strong business behind you in this day and age so this result in another step in that direction. Hopefully our football team continues to improve and climb up the ladder.
* On Choco - Obviously, Mark Williams has got a proven record as a coach. He’s an outstanding development coach, a nurturer of talent, who really gets in our boys’ faces and demands improvement. We would have been disappointed to have lost him, particularly so late in the year, but clearly he would have gone with our blessing. Look, he’s really happy with us; he’s very settled; he’s having an impact; he’s valued and he’s got great relationships particularly with our coaches – a lot of history with the likes of Damien Hardwick and Brendon Lade as well as Blair Hartley. We’re thrilled to have kept him but I think Mark’s equally as thrilled and settled here as well. He naturally would have been a bit disappointed, but he’s moved on pretty quickly.
* Healy - 10 years ago you were rattling cans but now you're a strong club and the AFL is looking to take money off strong clubs as part of their equalisation measures?
There's still a lot of work to do. It's a strong result but we still are a marginal business and we don't have some of those really strong alternative revenue streams that some other clubs have. Our football program is our biggest engine of all and so that needs to continue to be big and strong. We still have some heavy lifting to do don't you worry about that. Equalisation is a big concern and anything that affects competitive balance should be a concern as it's been the hallmark of our game and obviously the AFL are looking at ways to maintain it.
* On Peggy O'Neal - She's great. She's an outstanding director - an eminent company director and involved in a couple of other boards. She's a very passionate supporter of the Club. She's very very thorough and you need to be on your game all the time which is good for me and good for the orgnanisation. So she'll be a very supportive and strong and thorough type presence. She'll be her own person and it speaks volumes for the Club that we can be the first club to have a female president and she'll be a very strong one.
* Poaching coaches late in the piece?
I don't think you can really stand in the way of a senior coaching opportunity. However, given a change like this so late in the season - it's more than just an inconvenience. There's limited opportunity to go to the market and find another coach; they (Port) have obviously spent a lot of time and money over the last year or so. So maybe consider compensation in some shape or form - I'm not sure. I know it's on the agenda for the AFL-clubs meeting [ed. which they held yesterday]. We'll give it some consideration.
