Dear members,
Well it has been a busy week for the Club. Together with many others we said farewell to Allan Jeans, our former coach who helped deliver premierships to the Club in 1983, 1986, and 1989.
If ever a funeral could be described as a good funeral, Wednesday’s for Allan was just that.
Serious but humorous, deeply touching but uplifting. The moment brought together so many of Allan’s family and friends from many walks of life. The diversity of those who attended was an illustration of the many lives Allan Jeans touched.
Gone, but never to be forgotten. Allan Jeans, forever part of the ether that is Hawthorn and who with a few others has set the culture for present and future members of our family.
Yesterday, a win over Melbourne. The game never seemed to reach a level of excitement we expect from a game of football. But again, with a number of players back from injury, the team builds week to week.
It was obvious the impact our senior players can have on a game when they are injury-free and committed to the ball. Led through the example of our Captain Luke Hodge, who was well supported by Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell, Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli along with many others players who contributed to the win.
The win has resulted in Hawthorn retaining third place on the ladder, but three teams are contesting third and fourth position - Hawthorn, Carlton and West Coast - and with only one game separating the three of us, each week is important.
Next week we head to Perth to take on Fremantle. It will be a tough encounter and I hope as many of our WA members as possible get a seat to the game. It is ridiculous that visiting teams to Perth are fundamentally locked out of the ground as the home teams get allocated all the seats.
I have suggested to the Premier of WA, who recently announced a new ground will be constructed for AFL games, that at least 10,000 seats should be set aside for WA members of away games, but also to encourage supporters of a visiting team, to make the trip to Perth for the game, and then stay a few days to explore Western Australia. As our members do in Tasmania.
It makes economic sense for WA, but also allows visiting teams to have many of their supporters follow their team to the west.
Finally, still no conclusion on the new contract arrangements between the AFL, the 18 clubs and the Australian Football League Players Association about how the total revenue received from media, sponsors and commercial arrangements will be allocated for the next five years.
All parties need to sit down to resolve this issue prior to the end of the year.
Can I just add another issue to the mix - the AFL have contracted with various media and sponsors that they, the AFL, will deliver 18 clubs to provide the product, competition or the entertainment over that five year period. Accepted.
What I do not accept is that some clubs, through no fault of their own, on certain occasions (partly as a result of scheduling by the AFL) fail to attract sufficient patrons to a game to financially break even let alone make a profit on the game.
No club should, as a result of playing a game at a venue and against an opposition both selected by the AFL be forced to make a financial payment to the venue, in the event that the number of people attending the game do not cover the operating costs of the venue that day.
Such losses should be picked up and paid for by the AFL. Therefore a sum of money from projected revenues should be calculated, and set aside over the five years to pay for any venue losses.
Otherwise, financially strapped clubs will find their financial position will only deteriorate further.
Finally, no claim on the distribution of revenues can be made in isolation of all claims of such monies.
To date, the debate has all been about the players’ claims, there are many more, and the financial viability of the shareholder clubs to me is paramount.
Hope to see as many as possible in Perth next week.
For now, well done again to all in the football department, but as you know better than me, it is all about the next game.
Stay well,
Jeff Kennett
President
