Our club has been in the news lately, and while the reason was completely out of our control and unfortunate in the current climate, it’s been truly pleasing to see the overwhelming response from our members and supporters, and even those not associated directly with the club, who have come out to support us.
We can always count on members to stand up for the club in times of need and I hope you also know we are always there for you too.
We want to thank each and every one of you out there flying the flag and letting your voice be heard whether it be through social media or other means.
Regardless of who is saying what and why, we must realise we are all in a fight for survival right now, and the league itself is facing an unprecedented challenge to come out of the shutdown with enough strength and wherewithal to continue on.
While we’re extremely confident we will all withstand the damage being inflicted upon us by COVID-19, now is not the time to be talking about mergers, relocations and vulnerable clubs – we are all at risk and must come together to fight for the existence of our game as we once knew it.
The AFL industry, clubs, players, staff, members, supporters, sponsors and partners, led admirably by the AFL, are all doing their bit to protect the game we love. The level of unity and spirit is unprecedented and is something we can draw strength from to pull through.
We must also not lose sight of what’s most important in these uncertain times, and that is the health and wellbeing of each other, our families and loved ones.
We also want to highlight our partnership with Tasmania and the great football-loving community there. We have been playing games in Hobart since 2012 and have enjoyed a tremendous relationship with the people, the government and our partners such as Spirit of Tasmania.
Our discussions with Tasmanian premiers have always been about ensuring we’re providing top-line football content with the men’s and women’s competitions, creating talent pathways through our Next Generation Academy, helping to boost the economy and getting out to the community via the numerous schools programs we run and community camps we hold.
We can’t afford to allow ourselves to be side-tracked by outside noise and negativity. The Board and executive are working overtime to secure our future, as is the case for all clubs and many other sporting teams across most codes.
We are not alone in this. Our club is hurting, but so too are the businesses of hundreds of thousands of Australians across the country.
We have been around for more than 150-years and we will be around for another 150-years and more. Our club was built on resilience and an insatiable desire to succeed. Adversity has never stopped us before and it won’t stop us now – it will only make us stronger.
Whether it be world conflicts, great depressions, financial crises, or attempted mergers and relocations,we have survived all that has been thrown at us and we will prosper once again.
For more than a decade, we have run a lean, efficient and productive club. Thanks to our loyal members and partners, we have been able to reduce our once crippling debt of around $9 million down to just $650k. If it wasn’t for this recent event, we had planned to be debt free by the end of this financial year. In this time, we have posted eleven profits in the past twelve years, we have redeveloped our facility not once, but twice, invested more into our football department than ever before, and retained all of our star players.
One thing we know, is that we wouldn’t be in this position without our amazingly loyal members, coteries and sponsors like our major partner Mazda.
History tells us the challenges we are facing can only be overcome with the right amount of passion, backing and unconditional support – and we are lucky to have all that in abundance.
Thank you from all of us,
Ben Buckley (Chairman) & Ben Amarfio (CEO)
