Tigers head for record profit
05 October 2006 Herald-Sun
Jon Pierik
BOOMING sponsorship and encouraging on-field performances have Richmond primed to announce a record profit of almost $1 million for 2006.
The Tigers had forecast a profit of about $350,000 in May, but club president Gary March said yesterday he would have even better news to deliver at the annual general meeting in December.
"Earlier in the year we were budgeting for $350,000. What we are saying now is we think we will achieve a record profit for the club," March said.
"I think Richmond in its history has only had one profit above $900,000 and that might have been in the Save Our Skins year, which came on the back of a huge amount of fundraising.
"We are slowly but surely making money off the field."
It's a stunning turnaround for the Tigers, who only two years ago were in the red by $2.2 million.
A combination of cost-cutting in the football department and revenue growth, particularly in sponsorship and membership, last year sparked a transformation that delivered a modest $40,000 profit.
Further revenue growth this year, along with another encouraging year on the field where the Tigers finished ninth, has left the club just shy of its first seven-figure profit.
March said the club had a full list of sponsors for next year and was now looking at other ways to continue its upward financial curve.
"We have got very little to sell for next year, so we are looking at other opportunities for the club," he said. Stability at board level has also helped the turnaround.
Board members Maurice O'Shannassy, Rob Dalton and Anthony Mithen are up for re-election in December and all want to remain. March said: "At the moment all of those three have indicated they will stand for re-election, so we won't have a casual vacancy."
Coach Terry Wallace left this week for a holiday in the US, where he also intends to follow the lead of Sydney counterpart Paul Roos and inspect the set-ups of some NFL and Major League Baseball clubs.
March said he expected the Tigers to be active during the trade period, but the club was sticking to its youth policy.
The Tigers are interested in Fremantle defender Graham Polak, while Carlton full-back Bret Thornton could also be a target.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20527339%255E20322,00.html