Well one week to go, and we are sitting in third position.
But now the real work starts for coaches, players and supporters.
We are all in this together in true Hawthorn style.
The game against Western Bulldogs resulted in a comfortable win, the size of which could have been greater had we kicked more accurately. But again, we got the four points and now head to the Gold Coast for our first game in their new stadium.
My sincere thanks to the team who worked on our Round 23 banner - our cheersquad led by Darren Wallen - not only for their effort each week, but for their personal salute on Saturday. Thank you guys, it was much appreciated. But remember - we are all in this together, and your work each week is important in starting our players’ efforts for every game.
Check out the Round 23 Hawks banner featuring Jeff Kennett on twitter. The banner is posted each week by @HawksCheersquad
In particular, to our Tasmanian members:
The President’s lunch on Saturday, which was hosted by Tasmania, was attended by the Premier Lara Giddings and some guests from the Tasmanian tourism department, together with a number of Tasmanian business people who flew over for the game.
It was a great occasion with a full house of over 600 guests who were treated to a meal using Tasmanian produce prepared by our friends at Pure South, a wonderful restaurant at Southbank that specialises in Tasmanian produce. Thank you to the whole team as well as to our sponsor Ninth Island who provided the wine.
It was without a doubt the best lunch of the year, and because of the function's reputation, the room fills to capacity quickly each year.
On this occasion, I released a document that “fell off the back of a truck”, to use a political phrase.
It was headed “Tourism Tasmania”, and is an evaluation of the economic impacts of Tourism Tasmania’s sponsorship of Hawthorn Football Club.
The Tasmanian Government commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to undertake the study, and the final report is dated September, 2011.
The Government has never released this report. I am not sure that the previous Premier ever disclosed its existence to the Tasmanian Cabinet. If the Cabinet did know about its existence and findings, why did the Government never release it? And why did Premier Giddings in her speech on Saturday at the President’s lunch still use the old figures?
You might recall the Government, and therefore we at the Club, have always reported to the public that for the $3 million sponsorship that Hawthorn Football Club receives each year from Tasmania, we generate $15 million of new economic activity for Tasmania each year. Not a bad return - five times Tasmania’s investment!
Some citizens of Tasmania, and from time to time some in the media, have been critical of your state’s investment in Hawthorn through this sponsorship. I would argue that if I could invest $100 and get a $500 return - let alone $3 million for a $15 million return - that is a wonderful outcome, which is represented by jobs and economic activity in Tasmania that would not be there if Hawthorn was not playing in Tasmania.
Why this latest report (which only looks at the economic activity generated by Hawthorn last year - 2010) is so important is because it concludes that “the indicative findings of the economic impacts resulting from the Tasmanian Government’s sponsorship of HFC” was not $15 million, but a massive $58 million.
39 per cent of the 76,000 spectators who attended our games came from interstate. 26,500 additional tourists to Tasmania in 2010 were a direct result of the Tasmanian Government’s sponsorship deal with Hawthorn Football Club.
What an extraordinary result! $58 million of new economic benefits! For one year alone! Almost 20 times the annual $3 million Tasmania spends on the sponsorship is returned to the state.
Sponsorships are often hard to measure. I strongly suggest Tasmania is achieving not only the best return of any sponsor sponsoring an AFL team, but it might be the best sponsorship deal in the country.
As you all know, we at Hawthorn spend about a third of the $3 million we get from Tasmania each year ($1 million) reinvesting in community events and activities in Tasmania. Hawthorn has always conducted our relationship with Tasmania with a great deal of passion and professionalism. Not only in conducting our community camp in Tassie each year, but the number of corporate trips we conduct in Tasmania each year.
Felicity and I recently spent three days at the new and wonderful Saffire Freycinet. Magnificent.
I personally advocate Tasmania around the mainland all year, so much so I feel as though I am Tasmania’s minister on the mainland.
So I feel let down that the Tasmanian people have been misled. For what reason? Surely we have earned the respect of the Tasmanian Government and people! We even rejected financial offers from the AFL to move from Tasmania to allow North Melbourne to take our four games. We rejected those overtures because we like being in Tasmania, we are committed to Tasmania, and we have obligations to our 8,000 plus members.
$58 million of economic benefits in 2010, and I am sure when 2011 is evaluated it will be an even bigger return, for we have done so much more this year with new initiatives planned for 2012.
I suspect over the life of the next five year contract, Hawthorn Football Club could deliver almost $400 million worth of benefits to Tasmania for an investment of just $15 million. Not a bad return. Name me a bigger Tasmanian tourist attraction? But that is not the point.
I hope from now on, the Tasmanian Government will treat us at Hawthorn and the citizens of Tasmania with the respect we are owed. Being honest and transparent is not a bad place to start with your partners.
At the President’s lunch, Lara Giddings said the Government had “netted down the $58 million”.
Well, that will take some explaining. Where did the $41 million difference go? The only netting down that may be appropriate is by subtracting the $3 million cost of the sponsorship from the $58 million the sponsorship generated. In which case, the net value of the Tasmanian sponsorship of Hawthorn Football Club was worth in 2010 $55 million! For no cost to Tasmania.
Anyway, we at Hawthorn hold no grudges, tomorrow is a new day, and we will work even harder in the interests of all Tasmanians. Just remember $58 million equates to $116 of benefit for every Tasmanian.
Not a bad return, not a bad contribution from Hawthorn to Tasmania.
For now we get on with next week’s game. I know many members are travelling to the Gold Coast so I look forward to catching up with you there.
A news flash:
Victory to Zabreena Manjerovic!
Our first potential female player Zabreena played a pivotal role in the Lauderdale Bombers premiership win in the Youth Boys under 13 match yesterday in Tasmania.
Well done to the team, and as the only girl in the team, well done Zabreena.
We are getting excited about you playing for the Hawks in six years' time.
Go Hawks, Go Zabreena!
Jeff Kennett
President
