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cino
SotS Media Liaison
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 2145
Location: Stuck between South and West
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 Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:38 am Post subject: Bulldogs deny Dees in fight for sponsor |
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Hmm, this is an interesting read.
| Quote: | Bulldogs deny Dees in fight for sponsor
Caroline Wilson | February 8, 2009
THEY started out like two battling footballers scrapping for the spoils of pre-season. Both were desperate to become major players; in the short term, in fact, simply desperate to survive the often cruel competitive world of the AFL.
When push came to shove and D-Day approached and one delivered the knock-out punch after some heated wrestling, it was said by the loser that the winner had kicked him when he was down with a vicious and ultimately decisive undercut.
But that was only one side of the story. According to the winner, the battle had not been won with dirty tactics at all. Victory had come for a raft of reasons — through professionalism, good form, long-term promise, better preparation and smarter tactics.
The story of how the Western Bulldogs got under Melbourne's guard and won a $4.5 million three-year sponsorship agreement with Mission Foods, a multi-national based in Mexico and the US and the world's largest tortilla supplier, has several versions.
But the fact remains that the Bulldogs are now producing new jumpers with a new backer's name on them while the Demons, who remain $2 million in debt and facing another big loss this year, are not.
This despite the fact that the contracts for a three-year agreement between Mission Foods and Melbourne had already been drawn up and, according to the Demons, were on the verge of being signed. This despite the fact that Mission Foods' US-based Mexican owner Juan Gonzalez had been welcomed on to the middle of the MCG with his name and company emblazoned on the scoreboard as part of the club's big sell.
Genuine tension, resentment even, now exists between the two clubs as the Demons continue to search for a sponsor while fighting off attacks from disenchanted and disenfranchised former stakeholders such as Paul McNamee.
Corporate insiders insist the Bulldogs' victory — and make no mistake, for a club still reliant on $1.7 million a year from the AFL with one of the competition's lowest supporter bases, this was a massive victory — was much more than one club CEO outsmarting another despite the fact that Campbell Rose has good form when it comes to extracting big money from surprising sources.
Mission Foods' Gonzalez, who was also in negotiations with Essendon, liked both Jim Stynes and David Smorgon and what they stood for, but in corporate terms he related better to Smorgon, who took a front seat in the negotiations. His company thought the Bulldogs had a bigger and better future.
At least that's one version. It is also true that former Bulldogs board member Graham Sherry represents Mission Foods in Australia. And that Melbourne was dealing with the company, it says, on the basis of $2 million sponsorship a year.
The Demons believe these were two key ingredients in losing the deal they thought was theirs, although surely they would have accepted the lesser figure had they known the Bulldogs were so heavily involved and also had the naming rights of an elite learning centre with which to bargain.
The fact is the Demons are not exactly an exciting brand. They are without stars, their fixture for 2009 is a shocker in financial terms, they were the worst-performed club in the competition last year and their future looks the shakiest of all the 16 clubs.
So that's how it is these days as AFL clubs struggle for corporate support. Not only are they competing against each other but also against the AFL itself in the sponsorship hunt, not to mention venues such as the MCG and Telstra Dome.
The AFL continues to be locked in battle with its two Melbourne stadiums — as a last resort it will take the litigious route with Telstra Dome and push for state intervention with the MCG — and the pressure for victory has been compounded by the global financial crisis.
Supporters are still buying memberships but businesses are not buying tables at functions or corporate boxes.
Richmond, a club that would seem to have a more solid future and has sold some genuine hope to its members this season and has a much bigger supporter base, has been forced to settle with gambling outfit LuxBet as a co-major sponsor.
Every club is struggling to sell corporate packages this season. The Kangaroos have chosen to be realistic and limited their home-game functions to six out of a possible 11. North Melbourne has budgeted for a $750,000 loss if no significant agreement is struck with Telstra Dome. And the Kangaroos at least have a new major sponsor.
As soon as Gonzalez and his expanding food company mooted a desire for a place in the Melbourne market, the Victorian clubs, like Cameron Cloke and Setanta O'hAilpin, jostled for position until the competition turned a little vicious. Unfortunately there were only so many tacos to go around.
Melbourne was the loser, leaving it the focus of ongoing debate as to whether the oldest AFL club in its current place, like O'hAilpin, could just prove to be expendable. |
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cino
SotS Media Liaison
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 2145
Location: Stuck between South and West
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:39 am Post subject: Brad Johnson looks at who could succeed him |
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| Quote: | Brad Johnson looks at who could succeed him
Jackie Epstein | February 08, 2009 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25022582-19775,00.html
BULLDOGS captain Brad Johnson has nominated Robert Murphy and Daniel Giansiracusa as the likely candidates to succeed him. Johnson hopes to continue playing for another two seasons, but could hand over the leadership before he retires.
"I'll sit down with 'Rocket' (coach Rodney Eade) . . . and work out what direction he wants to take with that sort of stuff and once the other guys are ready they'll step straight in," he said.
"Probably 'Murph' and 'Gia' are the two that are likely to take it over.
"Matty Boyd has come along in leaps and bounds, too, and it really is hard to leave out a Daniel Cross.
"His work rate and what he does on the ground is just a huge example for everyone and then you've got Dale Morris, who just has a desire to win every contest. So everyone shows something where you think they've got that ability to lead."
Shaun Higgins comes into the leadership group this year in place of Scott West. Johnson said he also showed captaincy potential.
"Higgo's just got that natural leadership ability," he said. "He has that good confidence about him. I've got no problem that he'll probably lead the club in a few years time.
"The role will probably go to a Gia or a Murph if that's what the club wants and then you'll probably see someone like Shaun come through."
Johnson said he had no doubt midfielder Adam Cooney would cope with expectations as the Brownlow medallist.
"He's obviously coming off an injury so he's starting to get himself going at the moment," Johnson said.
"So I wouldn't expect too much too early from Adam. As the season starts to unfold you'll see him start to step up again and he coped with heavy tags last year so can't see why he won't this year." |
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Furtanken
Adam Cooney
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 108
Location: Bat Country
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:02 am Post subject: |
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Didn't we have some of those betting agencies ready to sponsor us anyhow?
Then the AFL blocked them.
And now they are relaxing the restraints.
(Richmond)
I think you could say we lost out too.
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