Author Topic: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)  (Read 595 times)

Offline one-eyed

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Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« on: February 16, 2018, 03:54:24 AM »
Tigers chief wants a club with higher purpose

Daniel Cherny
The Age
16 February 2018


Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale says his club almost has a “higher purpose” than football, as he reiterated the Tigers' shift to reduce their reliance on pokies.

With the issue of alternative revenue streams at AFL clubs a hot topic, Gale echoed the sentiments of Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett that alternative means of income would need to be found if the nine Victorian clubs were to move away from gaming venues as a source of revenue, but noted that a recent Richmond staff survey had highlighted to him the importance of having a football club that stood for something.

Richmond are one of the nine Victorian clubs who own po-ker machines, operating 87 machines at the Wantirna Club, making them one of the smaller players among Victorian clubs in terms of pokies. However the Tigers have in recent years diversified their non-football revenue streams in the form of Aligned Leisure and the Richmond Institute of Sports Leadership.

Aligned, a wholly owned subsidiary of the football club, operates health, fitness and leisure facilities, having won tenders in recent years with Cardinia and Nillumbik Shires. It had been run by Cain Liddle, the former Tigers executive who was late last year appointed Carlton chief executive.

The Richmond Institute is an education program run in partnership with Swinburne University in which students can obtain a double diploma in sport management and leadership, with the club able to draw on its high performance resources to further the students’ learning. The first graduating class of 43 students recently completed the program, with the second intake having three times that many entrants. Gale said the Tigers were already beginning to reap the benefits, with a handful of graduates working for the club.

While noting that there was a long-term cap on the amount of students they could put through the business, Gale said the club would continue building both Aligned and the institute, in the hope of having greater flexibility in the future.

“We’re diversifying our business in a way that’s consistent with our purpose,” Gale told The Age.

“Football clubs have an incredibly privileged position in this country, and it doesn’t come without responsibility. Football clubs in this increasingly fragmented world have the capacity to bring people together.”

Gale said the two spin-off organisations were a strong fit for his club, with health and education helping the communities while also benefiting the football club, who last year ended a 37-year premiership drought.

While not putting an end date on his club’s involvement with pokies, he said that the need for purpose was increasingly crucial.

“[For] young talent coming through, purposeful work is more important than say me growing up,” Gale said.

“In that respect, it’s important as a club for talent. Don’t get me wrong, footy’s really important. But we almost play to a higher purpose.”

Of the 10 Victorian clubs, only North Melbourne don’t operate po-ker machines. An AFL working party was last year established in a bid to investigate clubs’ reliance on gaming.

Hawthorn make more money from pokies than any other club, with Kennett recently warning against a departure from pokies, arguing that it could weaken financially strong clubs.

Gale said that Aligned and the institute could help Richmond’s financial position, but pointed out that pokies were a broader issue.

“If we can keep growing [other businesses] it at the rate we’re going and get some scale, it gives us options, and it could reduce our reliance [on pokies]. At the moment, we’re invested in gaming. In relative terms we’re small," he said.

“I do acknowledge, if the AFL [clubs] are out of gaming, it’s not going to stop the problem.”

He added that AFL clubs would need to find other ways to make money before leaving gaming altogether.

“I think it goes without saying. Were there to be situations where there’s some options, those revenue streams just can’t be lost,” Gale said.

“We’re a not-for-profit business. Turnover is $66 million this year, and we’ve just won a premiership. But for the sugar hit of winning a premiership, it is tooth and nail.”

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-chief-wants-a-club-with-higher-purpose-20180215-p4z0hw.html

Online WilliamPowell

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Re: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2018, 06:55:02 AM »
Here's an idea with "purpose"

Focus on getting a core part of the business right, on e that makes you a fair bit of coin

That is....

Merchandise sales and filling orders

That people are still waiting 5 months after ordering GF merch is inexcusable




"Oh yes I am a dreamer, I still see us flying high!"

from the song "Don't Walk Away" by Pat Benatar 1988 (Wide Awake In Dreamland)

Offline Rampsation

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Re: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2018, 10:42:32 AM »
Its one thing talking about it and another thing actually doing it. Whilst we're talking about it, Collingwood and Geelong are on the verge of
selling there venues for huge prices. Maybe we should sell out to and make some money, and that money could then be reinvested into
growing Aligned Leisure and making it a great business.

Offline crackertiger

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Re: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2018, 10:36:59 PM »
Here's an idea with "purpose"

Focus on getting a core part of the business right, on e that makes you a fair bit of coin

That is....

Merchandise sales and filling orders

That people are still waiting 5 months after ordering GF merch is inexcusable

Without knowing anything about this particular situation. Where is this merchandise coming from WP? If it's China well then like almost every industry relying on Chinese imports there is no real surprise that its all delayed.

1) Shipping company shortages creating extra long delays.
2) Container price increases to get your products on a boats. Pay your new price or you miss out etc... You dont even get a empty container until you pay the inflated price.
3) Chinese new year.China closes for 3 weeks.
4) Australia are minows compared to the rest of the world. So a massive American order comes in and we get pushed aside.
5) Textiles industries are going through major enviromental changes that are closing factories and forcing improvements. They are trying to reduce there polution which they need.
6) Unions at Melbournes docks when it finally gets here.
7) Customs delays.

All equal to a supply Disaster... I bet that there will be components of this premiership merchandise delay linked to this massive issue.

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Re: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2018, 09:24:06 AM »
I wouldn't call one of thrir suppliers (Puma) a minnow

The club would love you being so accepting of the litany of excuses

Also, orders were placed by the club/AFL before the grand finsl. That is orders were place for multiple clubs to cover the first run of orders despite not knowing who the winner was going to be

While i understand your points, if you palce an initial order for something in Sept. There is no excuse, none what so ever for not having ALL orders filled by now.

That some pople who ordered GF evening havent got their jumpers and while some who ordered on late October have theirs is totally unacceptable - no excuse for that
"Oh yes I am a dreamer, I still see us flying high!"

from the song "Don't Walk Away" by Pat Benatar 1988 (Wide Awake In Dreamland)

Offline crackertiger

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Re: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2018, 09:42:01 AM »
I understand what you are saying but supply from over there is very difficult for any textiles products atm. I just suspect this will likely be the case. Even for Puma.

Online WilliamPowell

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Re: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2018, 07:06:58 PM »
I understand what you are saying but supply from over there is very difficult for any textiles products atm. I just suspect this will likely be the case. Even for Puma.

We are not talking about orders placed in December we are talking about orders placed in September/ October. Puma miraculously managed to launch a GF t-shirt a fortnight after GF ans had then available within a week

What about non textile items?

The numerous framed prints? The jewelry? The basiv stubby holder?

Facts are from where I sit is the club, the AFL have stuffed up, it is not acceptable. It is inexcusable and the club need to fix it, htey have failed to do so. All fhey doen is make excuses

I get for some people its all Ok because it hasnt effected them or nothing matters because we won a flag. But for people wha have forked out their hard earned and to still be waiting is a disgrace

"Oh yes I am a dreamer, I still see us flying high!"

from the song "Don't Walk Away" by Pat Benatar 1988 (Wide Awake In Dreamland)

Offline Slipper

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Re: Tigers chief Benny Gale wants a club with higher purpose (Age)
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2018, 07:43:25 PM »
I would have been OK if I had even heard an excuse.

I heard bugger all except when I rang the club, although they did send me an email offering me a 20% discount on the Puma website. I took that up, not.