TAC set to dump Tigers, Magpies
By Caroline Wilson
Chief Football Writer
realfooty.theage.com.au
June 3, 2004
The irresponsible off-field behaviour of some AFL footballers could come back to haunt two of the league's biggest clubs, with the Transport Accident Commission on the verge of abandoning sponsorship deals with Collingwood and Richmond worth almost $1.5 million.
And the Tigers' 15-year partnership with the TAC was further jeopardised yesterday by president Clinton Casey's boast that the club would soon announce a new three-year deal with the Victorian government body.
The Age believes that the TAC has become increasingly concerned this year at the off-field image portrayed by footballers. Four AFL players - Adelaide's Ronnie Burns, Hawthorn's Danny Jacobs, West Coast's Quinten Lynch and St Kilda's Allan Murray - have lost their licences this season for drink-driving offences.
Even before young Magpie Cameron Cloke put his club's lucrative TAC deal at risk last weekend, the commission's marketing subcommittee had refused to officially approve the Collingwood and Richmond renewal presentations.
The TAC board will consider the presentations on June 16, with the commission's six directors also considering the short-term ramifications of the Cloke misdemeanour: he exceeded the speed limit four days ago by 44 km/h, for which the Magpies are expected to be fined by the TAC.
Collingwood and Richmond are in the final year of three-year agreements with the TAC. The Magpie deal is believed to be worth more than $800,000 this year and the Tigers deal is worth an estimated $600,000.
However, the TAC has no intention of ending its long-term relationship with the Victorian under-18 competition, known as the TAC Cup since its outset and worth several hundred thousand dollars a year. It has a deal, with options, extending until 2006.
Last year the TAC was scrutinised for its AFL club sponsorships by the State Government's Public Accounts and Estimates Committee.
At least two of the TAC's six board members have never felt entirely comfortable with the Collingwood and Richmond agreements, believing the massive sponsorship dollars could be better spent elsewhere.
The TAC has had relationships with the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn, Geelong and, most recently, a major sponsorship with Essendon that ended in 2000 after the Bombers won the premiership.
Casey's promise this week that a soon-to-be-announced new three-year TAC deal would help alleviate the club's dreadful cash flow problems appears to have proved the final straw for the commission, angry that the Tigers have pre-empted its board deliberations.
A surprised Casey said last night: "I had a meeting with the chairman a week ago and the indication then was that they were looking at renewing with us.
"There were a couple of issues but your information is not the information I have received."
The end of the relationship - which began when Neville Crowe was president in 1989 - would prove disastrous for the club, which has also frustrated its major sponsor, Motorola, by Casey's financial projections.
This week Casey said the club was on the verge of announcing renewals of major sponsorships from the Transport Accident Commission and Motorola and that deals worth $6 million over the next three years would increase the Tigers' sponsorship deals by a $400,000 a year.
However, it emerged yesterday that nothing could be further from the truth. While Motorola has been happy with the Richmond partnership - worth $900,000 this year - the telecommunications company has not yet committed for 2005 and as part of its international policy would not do so for any more than one year.
Motorola's managing director (mobile telephones), Alan Nicklos told The Age: "We're currently negotiating our 2005 budget.
Until we get that locked in we can't commit to any 2005 proposal."
Richmond will lose at least $2 million this year, the board has been depleted and Casey's future as president appears increasingly under threat.
Chief executive Ian Campbell was sacked last week and Danny Frawley is nearing the end of his Richmond coaching career.
The TAC, whose chief executive, Stephen Grant, is overseas, refused to comment yesterday.
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/06/02/1086058917412.html
