Carlton chief executive Michael Malouf has revealed the club's pre-season triumph could be the difference between the Blues making a profit or a loss come the end of the season.
The Blues are just beginning to emerge from their worst period - both on and off the field - in the club's history after slumping to last place in 2002 amid the salary cap scandal, which saw the club not only lose draft picks but fined almost $1 million.
The club only recently announced a loss of more $11 million for 2004 - most of it due to having to write off the value of the grandstands at Optus Oval - on which it still owes $2.7 million - now that the club has moved its home games to the MCG and Telstra Dome.
But Malouf said the Wizard Cup win has not only improved the club's cash flow - thanks to the $220,000 cash prize for winning the cup - but also boosted membership, sponsorship and particularly merchandising.
"We broke our record on Tuesday (the first business day after the Wizard Cup win) for merchandise sales on a non-match day," Malouf told Sportal.
"We also signed another 150 members (straight after the game) and 500 since then so it has been a very positive result all round."
However Malouf said the most valuable aspect of the win, in terms of the club's finances, was the exposure the club's new sponsors such as Dan Murphy's received from a game that was televised on free-to-air television around Australia.
The Blues last year received the least free-to-air television coverage of any the 16 AFL clubs - primarily due to the fact it was based at Optus Oval and thus could not play as many night (prime-time television ratings) matches as other clubs - at a time when it was struggling to attract sponsors.
But Malouf said the Wizard Cup final - which was watched by more than 43,000 fans - showed the benefit of the club now moving its home games to the larger Telstra Dome.
"It (the free-to-air television coverage from matches at Telstra Dome and the MCG) helps you to attract new sponsors and helps you get maximum value for your current sponsors," he said.
Malouf also described the $220,000 cash injection into the club as "very valuable" with the Blues, like many other AFL clubs enduring cash-flow problems, because so much of the club's revenue is only generated during the season while club expenses are never-ending.
"It (the $220,000 cash prize) means you don’t have to borrow as much to meet your costs so you are also saving on interest."
Malouf said the Blues' were now also targeting 35,000 members - up from their initial target of 33,000 (the club last year had 32,095 members after a club record 33,525 in 2003) following the Wizard Cup success with around 24,000 Blues' fans having already signed up.
And with each 1000 additional members equating to around an extra $100,000 in income, the Blues will gain an extra $200,000 - on top of the $220,000 prize for winning the Wizard Cup - if they succeed in their aim of reaching 35,000 members.
