Dear Members and Supporters,
As we move towards the end of the year, I think it's important to reflect on the past 12 months and to look forward to 2022.
Of course, all things start with our members. I feel a great sense of pride when I talk about our members, and I know our staff and players feel the same way. Our members give this Club enormous strength on and off the field and on behalf of the entire Club I again say thank you.
In 2021, the Club’s management and staff have navigated a difficult environment with prudence and resolve, resulting in an operating profit of $2.5 million which maintains our position of financial strength. This result is critical to ensure we can provide the best possible support for our football programs, continue to invest in the broader community and have the capacity to take advantage of growth opportunities.
Of course, one of the key opportunities is the redevelopment of the Punt Road Oval and the construction of the new Jack Dyer Stand. Our CEO Brendon Gale provided members with an update at a recent forum. If you missed that forum, or would like further information, click here. This page also includes a frequently asked questions section.
On field, our men’s program did not have the success they would have liked, missing the finals for just the second time in the past nine years. They have shown resilience in the past and have the talent to bounce back so I’m sure that we will see a much-improved performance in 2022.
Our women’s team took important steps forward, winning three games in just their second season. With a further injection of talent and another pre-season behind them, we look forward to what they can produce in 2022. With round one against St Kilda on 7 January, there is a real sense of excitement about the future.
I also wanted to address some questions that have come through from members and supporters recently.
1. Please advise how much was spent in total on the women’s program in 2020 and 2021?
The AFLW annual soft cap is $675K and the Club spends up to that each year. There are some costs that the AFL allows to sit outside that cap, so the actual spend is closer to $1 million. We are fully committed to our women’s program, and nothing speaks more loudly to that than our $65 million redevelopment of Punt Road Oval that will include state-of-the-art women’s facilities.
2. Could you please update the membership on the Club’s plans to divest itself from poker machine revenue?
There has been a long-running matter before the courts relating to rental costs at the Wantirna Club. The matter was finally resolved in favour of the Club earlier this year. The implementation of the legal decision continues to be worked through.
Until these matters are finalised, the Club won’t be making any firm decision on the future of the Wantirna Club. As a Board, we are of the view that any decision to divest needs to be commercially responsible to ensure we do not risk the financial wellbeing of the Club.
The Board has a standing committee whose function is to monitor these matters and to provide advice.
3. It is disappointing that the Aligned Leisure business doesn’t get an explicit line item (in the financial report) but I assume it must be within the “Health, Fitness and Community Groups” – can you confirm?
Yes, the Health and Fitness line in our financial reports refers to our Aligned Leisure business. The business generated a profit of $700K last financial year. This is a significant contribution to the Club’s balance sheet, and we look forward to growing that even further in the coming years (and COVID-free we hope) as the business matures and opportunities arise for us to expand.
4. What progress has the Board made with regards the re-establishment of the museum?
The Club values its history enormously and that history has been carefully considered as part of the Punt Road Oval redevelopment. Unfortunately, even in the proposed new facility, space will be at a premium, so we are looking for ways to integrate exhibitions within the new facility so that our history is recognised. We plan for these exhibitions to be highly-visible, available for members to visit and regularly rotated to ensure our history is prominently showcased.
There is much to be excited about as 2022 approaches not the least of which is welcoming crowds back to our games.
I hope to see many of you as our AFLW team commences its season in January and as we gather to watch the Tigers at the MCG against Carlton on 17 March.
Have a wonderful, restful and safe holiday season, and I look forward to seeing you at the football in the New Year.
Go Tiges
Peggy O'Neal
President
Richmond Football Club
