In the latest of a series of regular columns, Richmond President Peggy O’Neal answers questions from Richmond members and supporters.
Dear fellow Tigers,
This is my first column in 2018 and, as we are all happily aware, much has happened at the Club since I last answered you questions in August 2017.
Season 2018 is underway and our AFL team is working hard to secure its place among the top of the competition. Our VFL side is playing well again this year and lead the league. We are proud to be participating in our inaugural VFLW season and our wheelchair team is undefeated at the time of this writing.
There is a tremendous amount of work being undertaken at the Club and much excitement surrounding all our activities. As I have mentioned before, I am happy to answer your questions through this periodic column so please feel free to send them to me at president@richmondfc.com.au
Has the Club appointed a vice-president given Maurice O’Shannassy no longer serves on the Board?
Yes, the Board appointed Rob Dalton as Club vice-president for 2018 following the resignation of Maurice O’Shannassy.
Why didn’t the Club receive any State Government funding for our masterplan redevelopment?
The Club was disappointed not to receive specific funding for its masterplan redevelopment in the recent round of grants announced in the budget by the State Government.
However, opportunities still exist and we continue to work diligently with the State Government (and other stakeholders) and expect to have some positive news to share with our supporters in the next few months. Our planning and design work on the masterplan are nonetheless progressing.
It was great to see Aligned Leisure secure the Wodonga tender. Does this mean we can get out of pokies?
The Aligned Leisure business continues to expand. Aligned will now be managing recreation facilities in the Shire of Cardinia, the Shire of Nillumbik as well as the City of Wodonga and the City of Albury.
We have plans for further expansion where it makes strategic sense. Our responsibility as a Board is to ensure the financial stability of the Club to allow us to continue to invest in our football program and our people. As our Aligned business grows, the Club will be able to be more flexible in determining which revenue streams make sense in the long term. The Club continually reviews its involvement in gaming.
Do you think we can reach 100,000 members this season?
I wouldn’t put anything past our supporters! If we don't have 100,000 members at the end of this season, I believe that we will eventually reach that number in future years. The whole Club takes incredible pride in our membership number. It is simply extraordinary to think that we have more than 95,000 members with over half the season remaining. I believe that it is evidence of the deep connection between the Club and the Tiger Army.
The museum was to be relocated, has there been any progress on this?
Our plans are to relocate the museum to sit above the Tigerland Superstore. However, this requires us to relocate our consumer team into the Jack Dyer Stand and those construction works are still in progress.
Clearly we want to honour our great history but, equally, we have an important responsibility to provide a healthy, safe workplace for our people who have been such a key part of our recent success. The wellbeing of our staff is our immediate, pressing concern and they require more space to continue to deliver great service to our members and supporters.
Be assured that the permanent location and design of the museum are major considerations in our masterplan for Punt Road Oval.
