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Swans given grant of Olympic proportions
By Peter Kogoy and Chip Le Grand, AFL
March 25, 2003
THE AFL has agreed to contribute $500,000 to the promotion of Sydney's three games at Telstra Stadium this season in recognition of the club's efforts to curb costs after the Swans' loss of more than $1 million last year.
Cost-cutting measures include the restructuring of player payments, administrative costs and breaking ties with feeder club Port Melbourne in the VFL.
Club chairman Richard Colless admitted yesterday playing three "blockbusters" at Sydney's Olympic precinct last year had cost the Swans $700,000.
"Those costs contributed significantly towards our loss for the year. This year the AFL has agreed to pay $500,000 in cash and kind towards the promotional costs of those games starting with Carlton on Saturday night," he said.
New CEO Colin Seery said the other stadium fixtures, against crowd-pulling teams Essendon and Collingwood, and an Anzac Day clash with Melbourne at the SCG were vital to the club's bottom line.
Colless confirmed further savings would come from the restructuring of player contracts which he said were "in the club's favour".
The club also admitted its membership was down 15 per cent compared with the corresponding period last season.
Furthermore the club was feeling the pinch of the rugby union World Cup on its sponsorship and hospitality markets.
"The World Cup rugby is dragging a significant amount of funds from our traditional corporate market," Seery said.
"I know for a fact there's one organisation that's put $120,000 into the rugby World Cup corporate hospitality area and that's just one example."
Seery said the football department had undergone significant cost-cutting and hit back at criticism over the cost-of-living allowance granted to the club by the AFL. Under the allowance, the Swans can pay 15 per cent above the salary cap.
The club is budgeting at this stage to operate on between 103 and 104 per cent.
"I think one of the fallacies is that all the players live in harbour mansions," Seery said. "People obviously need to live close to the SCG and the airport. That's basically where we all live and it's very expensive."
Veteran Swan centreman Daryn Cresswell is expected to announce today this will be his final AFL season. Cresswell, who joined the club from North Hobart in 1992, has played 225 games and kicked 189 goals.
New Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley yesterday embraced the traditional spirit of obfuscation that descends upon clubs in the final days before an AFL season.
Laidley's suggestion that Glenn Archer, having just had hardware surgically inserted into a broken hand, would be fit to play against St Kilda by Saturday.
"He sees the specialist tomorrow morning and we will take it from there. At worst it will be this week, at best he will probably play," Laidley said.
Closer to the truth: Archer will see the specialist and will miss the next two weeks. At worst, he could be out for a month.
Laidley then tried to defuse pressure on teenage sensation Daniel Wells by saying: "He'll be in the mix of 26 to 28".
Closer to the truth: On the basis of Wells' sparkling pre-season form and the club's faith in taking him second overall in the national draft, he'll be one of the first picked.
In the absence of Matthew Burton, who is an outside chance to play this week, the Kangaroos are counting on Mark Porter to carry the rucking duties against the Saints.
By Peter Kogoy and Chip Le Grand, AFL
March 25, 2003
THE AFL has agreed to contribute $500,000 to the promotion of Sydney's three games at Telstra Stadium this season in recognition of the club's efforts to curb costs after the Swans' loss of more than $1 million last year.
Cost-cutting measures include the restructuring of player payments, administrative costs and breaking ties with feeder club Port Melbourne in the VFL.
Club chairman Richard Colless admitted yesterday playing three "blockbusters" at Sydney's Olympic precinct last year had cost the Swans $700,000.
"Those costs contributed significantly towards our loss for the year. This year the AFL has agreed to pay $500,000 in cash and kind towards the promotional costs of those games starting with Carlton on Saturday night," he said.
New CEO Colin Seery said the other stadium fixtures, against crowd-pulling teams Essendon and Collingwood, and an Anzac Day clash with Melbourne at the SCG were vital to the club's bottom line.
Colless confirmed further savings would come from the restructuring of player contracts which he said were "in the club's favour".
The club also admitted its membership was down 15 per cent compared with the corresponding period last season.
Furthermore the club was feeling the pinch of the rugby union World Cup on its sponsorship and hospitality markets.
"The World Cup rugby is dragging a significant amount of funds from our traditional corporate market," Seery said.
"I know for a fact there's one organisation that's put $120,000 into the rugby World Cup corporate hospitality area and that's just one example."
Seery said the football department had undergone significant cost-cutting and hit back at criticism over the cost-of-living allowance granted to the club by the AFL. Under the allowance, the Swans can pay 15 per cent above the salary cap.
The club is budgeting at this stage to operate on between 103 and 104 per cent.
"I think one of the fallacies is that all the players live in harbour mansions," Seery said. "People obviously need to live close to the SCG and the airport. That's basically where we all live and it's very expensive."
Veteran Swan centreman Daryn Cresswell is expected to announce today this will be his final AFL season. Cresswell, who joined the club from North Hobart in 1992, has played 225 games and kicked 189 goals.
New Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley yesterday embraced the traditional spirit of obfuscation that descends upon clubs in the final days before an AFL season.
Laidley's suggestion that Glenn Archer, having just had hardware surgically inserted into a broken hand, would be fit to play against St Kilda by Saturday.
"He sees the specialist tomorrow morning and we will take it from there. At worst it will be this week, at best he will probably play," Laidley said.
Closer to the truth: Archer will see the specialist and will miss the next two weeks. At worst, he could be out for a month.
Laidley then tried to defuse pressure on teenage sensation Daniel Wells by saying: "He'll be in the mix of 26 to 28".
Closer to the truth: On the basis of Wells' sparkling pre-season form and the club's faith in taking him second overall in the national draft, he'll be one of the first picked.
In the absence of Matthew Burton, who is an outside chance to play this week, the Kangaroos are counting on Mark Porter to carry the rucking duties against the Saints.
