The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) and Australian Football League (AFL) have got together to save the Demons from a financial crisis. Melbourne required $2 million to get out of debt to proceed in 2009, which it got from a deal with the MCC and the AFL. Melbourne will receive a million dollars from the MCC and a further million from the AFL to plug the gap in the Dees coffers.
The Demons finished last season with a $5 million debt; $3 million of which was bulldozed late in 2008 by supporters in a Debt Demolition campaign by the football club. The $3 million and $2 million solve Melbourne FC’s debt problem and put them on track for 2009. Despite this Melbourne will still have to cut costs in the long run to keep itself afloat. The Demons cannot rely on their supporters, MCC and AFL to bail them out at the end of every season. The problem will be choosing where you cut costs when you are at the bottom of the table, moving to a new home and trying to rebuild your club. One would suspect that there are some tough decisions down the track for the Melbourne Football Club. Maybe they could sell off Aaron Davey’s mo for some extra cash (image of the mo).
What is pleasing for Melbourne is the higher than expected membership numbers for this time of the year. Latest reports have the membership number above 15,000 and at the start of December the club was 4,000 members ahead of the same time last year.
Melbourne’s other problem is the lack of a major sponsor for 2009, which leaves them around half a million dollars out of pocket. It seems that the economic downturn has affected sponsors enthusiasim to support a struggling club. Other sports are suffering the same fate; Formula one lost manufacturer Honda and World Rally Championship lost the car maker Subaru. It seems as though a high risk, low return club like Melbourne is not the best choice in this climate. Melbourne have sent out propaganda asking members if they want to purchase the 2009 Jersey which contains ‘Sponsor’ on it in a no descript font. Not to mention that Jack Watt’s Jumper said ‘MFC 2008 National Draft Selection’ on the back and where the sponsor’s logo should be on the front (image of jumper). Surely by the end of the season Melbourne will have dropped their price significantly to get some two bit organisation to sponsor the Dees, my guess $100,000 from AMI Nasal Delivery Technology.
See Also
Demon Blog
Melbourne FC Article
Herald Sun Story
Tags: AFL
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