Season 2016 - early days

[Mug Punter]

Decent reply. However a question i get from that and probably one tim f can answer... do wages and bonuses show in your financial figures for the players that work for your sponsors?

Why on earth would they?

A solid response by Oscar, OMG what an almighty mess they have out there, $445K to repay is a lot of money and an astounding amount for a club in the city to have squandered

Clearly not an attack on Oscar as he was not involved in the NNEAFL but on how on earth was the club allowed to trade itself into such a parlous situation. Surely the previous directors are guilty of trading while insolvent which should make them personally liable for the $440K? And what role did the NSWAFL play in ensuring proper governance in the game, were not audited financials required given they were playing in a league the level below the AFL - none is my suggestion....

Surely getting their U19s strong again has to happen if they cam survive

[unconfuseme]

Thanks Oscar, a very comprehensive and passionate response, if not quite timely.

Just a few points;

Whilst ever there is a signed Confidentiality Agreement in place, the public will never really know the full facts ... wonder who was on the grassy knoll?

There are other clubs who have gotten themselves into grim financial positions and then worked their way out of it. Mostly they start by withdrawing player payments and rebuilding their culture from the ground up.

Football Clubs and their sponsors/supporters have been offering players inducements in kind - jobs, freebies, brown paper bags, winning raffle tickets, BOG awards, etc - since they were all amateurs - no news there, provided it's done right (see Melbourne Storm ...)

Still no one from the AFL wishing to defend themselves on any matter? ... they were complicit in all of this, from dangling the ill conceived carrot, and then overseeing the near demise of a major club ... or was it the Phoenix Principle in play again?

[The Runt]

Oscar very good reply but you do know that there are those out there that view any success through the green eyes of jealousy and you will never be able to satisfy the inner need to pull people and clubs down. They can only wish that their club had as many committed people to achieve what you and your committee have achieved out of what could of been terminal. Best of luck to you all.

[Coastal Boy]

Always thorough as usual Oscar.

Let me start by saying I don't think anyone on this forum are ripping into ECE. I don't believe I have been anyway. IMO ECE are the benchmark of the competition, particularly off the field(under recently at least). All clubs should aspire to be more like them. Which is why when we hear they are having dramas we are intrigued how such a well oiled machine can breakdown. Its a forum...we have to talk about something!!!!

I will make a few comments. After ECE find themselves in a financial bungle.....one bad enough to bring down a small nation.....they proceed to put the best team on the field that the SydneyAFL has seen in 20 years or maybe ever. I think anyone would find this most interesting.

Clubs signing confidentially agreements.....of course the general public are going to think what are they hiding.

A club receives $$$ from the league each year to help enter a NEAFL team which improves their profile, sponsorship appeal and player recruitment/retainment. When this club drops back to the SydneyAFL and then many of the players agree to play for nicks. I can only think the players were thinking...."we took the money in the good times now we can give something back". Its been the $$$$ given in the good times which have now indirectly helped put the team on the paddock now. Not just a good team as well....an awesome team. Then there's a loan to go with this. So yeah you can spin this anyway you want but its the AFL community dollars at play here. The other SydneyAFL clubs receive no financial assistance from the league. It just would have been better if ECE shed some more players and came 3rd or 4th. Technically no rules broken here...but just a little ugly.

Finally, an unsecured loan of approx. $150K given to a club in a financial crisis. Wow! I would love to know which financial institution would even consider that for a millisecond. I think its fair to say wherever the money has come from has definitely given ECE "preferential treatment" on this matter without a doubt. But that's not an issue with ECE whatsoever. There's possibly a dangerous precedent being set here.

Once again good luck to Oscar and ECE. God can only help the rest of the competition when they do find themselves debt free with solid money coming in. I think everyone agrees we need a strong ECE in the comp but we also needed Campbelltown too. History will be the judge in the long run.

[cartman48]

Great response Pete.

[unconfuseme]

Always thorough as usual Oscar.

Let me start by saying I don't think anyone on this forum are ripping into ECE. I don't believe I have been anyway. IMO ECE are the benchmark of the competition, particularly off the field(under recently at least). All clubs should aspire to be more like them. Which is why when we hear they are having dramas we are intrigued how such a well oiled machine can breakdown. Its a forum...we have to talk about something!!!!

I will make a few comments. After ECE find themselves in a financial bungle.....one bad enough to bring down a small nation.....they proceed to put the best team on the field that the SydneyAFL has seen in 20 years or maybe ever. I think anyone would find this most interesting.

Clubs signing confidentially agreements.....of course the general public are going to think what are they hiding.

A club receives $$$ from the league each year to help enter a NEAFL team which improves their profile, sponsorship appeal and player recruitment/retainment. When this club drops back to the SydneyAFL and then many of the players agree to play for nicks. I can only think the players were thinking...."we took the money in the good times now we can give something back". Its been the $$$$ given in the good times which have now indirectly helped put the team on the paddock now. Not just a good team as well....an awesome team. Then there's a loan to go with this. So yeah you can spin this anyway you want but its the AFL community dollars at play here. The other SydneyAFL clubs receive no financial assistance from the league. It just would have been better if ECE shed some more players and came 3rd or 4th. Technically no rules broken here...but just a little ugly.

Finally, an unsecured loan of approx. $150K given to a club in a financial crisis. Wow! I would love to know which financial institution would even consider that for a millisecond. I think its fair to say wherever the money has come from has definitely given ECE "preferential treatment" on this matter without a doubt. But that's not an issue with ECE whatsoever. There's possibly a dangerous precedent being set here.

Once again good luck to Oscar and ECE. God can only help the rest of the competition when they do find themselves debt free with solid money coming in. I think everyone agrees we need a strong ECE in the comp but we also needed Campbelltown too. History will be the judge in the long run.

Can't see anywhere that it has been said that the players "played for nicks" Coastal Boy ...?

Just this;

"I don?t need to tell you this, but the 2015 AFL Sydney player budget was 80% less than the 2014 NEAFL budget. I?d like to think we?re not that irresponsible to maintain NEAFL payment levels in the AFL Sydney competition."

... any professional team that lost 60% of the best players on it's roster, is likely to save 80% of its budget ... the best players demand more money!

It doesn't mean that the players who stayed took a cut at all, or if so, it was in any way significant ... chances are, they were not going to get a better deal anywhere else.

Lots of Sydney clubs would love to have 20% of a NEAFL budget to pay their players ... especially after defaulting on payment to most of their creditors!!!

... gotta take your hat off to that ingenuity!

"And like every Sydney club has to do, our operating budget and all audited financials for 2015 have been submitted to the AFL for scrutiny and approval."

... and since they don't speak in this forum, unless you are in a privileged position at the AFL, you will never know the true numbers ...

[Pekay]

Have noticed Blacktown has been replaced by Western on the Magic committee email addresses....a regional plan in place?

[justabaraker]

good to see that we are all kept in the loop as usual....not.

[ShortHalfHead]

It was actually announced at the planning meeting last year that Blacktown were changing to "Western". And also Moorebank were becoming South West Sydney Magpies.
It is interesting however how Blacktown can get access to contact numbers from players from other clubs easier than most.

[Coastal Boy]

It was actually announced at the planning meeting last year that Blacktown were changing to "Western". And also Moorebank were becoming South West Sydney Magpies.
It is interesting however how Blacktown can get access to contact numbers from players from other clubs easier than most.

If Moorebank are going back to SWS it may have been an opportunity for them to pick up a different nick name. Having 2 clubs as Magpies is a bit dumb. I realise Moorebank were magpies before the divisionalisation of the comp came in so they have as much right to use magpies as any other club. But if there are name changes coming in why not? Just a thought.

[tara]

If Moorebank are going back to SWS it may have been an opportunity for them to pick up a different nick name. Having 2 clubs as Magpies is a bit dumb. I realise Moorebank were magpies before the divisionalisation of the comp came in so they have as much right to use magpies as any other club. But if there are name changes coming in why not? Just a thought.

CB I won't go into the nitty gritty of the manner in which Moorebank came about but will acknowledge that some of it was to do with a short lived sponsorship. We could have easily reverted straight back in 2012 however waited as no one at the club wants to change every 5 seconds even though since 1947 it has gone thru numerous changes.

Returning to Sthn Districts was a possibility however it was felt that SWS is more in keeping with the times and neutral to the Liverpool and Bankstown aspect.

We obviously want the club to continue to flourish and had been prepared to look at another emblem other than the magpie if and when we reach premier division. However given the AFL appear happy to allow three clubs to recently don the Giants insignia (auburn marcarthur and that other western Sydney club manly) then I reckon they can tolerate two magpies.

[tara]

It was actually announced at the planning meeting last year that Blacktown were changing to "Western". And also Moorebank were becoming South West Sydney Magpies.
It is interesting however how Blacktown can get access to contact numbers from players from other clubs easier than most.

That's a myth mate we all play on an equal footing some clubs are just more organised.

[ShortHalfHead]

That's a myth mate we all play on an equal footing some clubs are just more organised.

Oh, exactly mate. Gotta love organisation. If anyone is chasing a few bucks, maybe ring Parramatta. They have opened the chequebook and offering big bucks in their 2016 recruitment drive.

[justabaraker]

advertising for a new footy co-ordinator - what's happened to Scott B ??

[Woosh]

Scott B is going overseas for some cricket and a break. Be a big loss a great young man and hopefully he will come back