In the latest of a series of regular columns, Richmond President Peggy O’Neal answers questions from Richmond members and supporters.
Dear Members and Supporters,
Welcome to the last of my regular columns for 2017. It has been a truly remarkable year for the Richmond Football Club. It’s wonderful to reflect on what we achieved and at the same time look forward to 2018 with great excitement. The players and coaching staff are back on deck and totally focussed on next year, as is the entire Club for that matter.
As always, in this column, I will answer some of your questions.
Will the Club be able to share its master plan vision in the near future?
Our ambition is to share conceptual drawings for the master plan at Punt Road Oval in the first quarter of 2018. Naturally there is much to consider in terms of what the new facility might look like and how it works with our existing facilities – those considerations have been ongoing for some time. Beyond that, we need to engage key stakeholders in our plan and develop a strategy to fund the redevelopment.
I’m really disappointed the museum is closing? Surely the Club had other options.
Firstly, the museum is a highly valued part of our business and an important way to recognise the rich history of this great Club. It is important to note the museum isn’t closing long-term, it is simply being relocated and members and supporters will be advised when this relocation has been completed. The Club will certainly be considering the museum and where it fits long-term as part of our master plan considerations.
As to why we are relocating: our staff simply need the space to adequately resource our growing business. Our staff do a fantastic job and they deserve to be given the appropriate space and resources to help deliver success on and off the field.
What will the departure of Dan Richardson mean for the football department? He did a good job with contracts.
Firstly, I would like to thank Dan for his service. The Richardson name is synonymous with this Club and I’m sure Dan found the decision to move an extremely difficult one to make. We wish him well in his new role at Essendon.
The football department structure, roles and responsibilities is something that Neil Balme will look at along with Brendon Gale. We have a number of highly-experienced administrators and we are well placed to ensure the pre-season proceeds without a hitch. Neil and Brendon will make any changes they deem necessary and we will share that with members and supporters in due course.
Where is my merchandise?
As I’m sure all members can appreciate, the Club sold an incredible amount of memorabilia and merchandise following the Grand Final win. Our staff are working overtime to get those orders fulfilled and delivered pre-Xmas. I understand that there has been some frustration but our merchandise team is working extremely hard to fulfil orders as quickly as possible. The fulfilment of some orders is also reliant on production and delivery of stock meaning some of these delays are unfortunately out of our control.
It is great that we will have an VFLW team next year leading into an AFLW team the following year? When will we get details of the upcoming VFLW season?
We are excited and pleased to have a VFLW team in 2018 and Kate Sheahan who heads up our women’s program is working hard to develop our playing list for next year. It is a significant undertaking and she is leaving no stone unturned looking for players. Our final list and fixture for the 2018 season will be shared with members and fans as soon as it is available.
If you have any questions you would like me to address in future columns please send them through to president@richmondfc.com.au
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members and fans a happy and safe holiday season. I look forward to seeing you all at the football in 2018.
Go Tigers
Peggy O’Neal
President
Richmond Football Club
