Just got back and might I add a very tasty breakfast and well organised. A crowd of just over 200 attended at $30 a pop. Highly recommend you get along in future if you get the chance.
Digby MC'd the morning and a did very well.
Had the privilege to sit on Greg Swann's table right at the front. But more on the conversation later.
Here are the key out takes:
First speaker Greg Swann (Digby referred to Greg as one of the "Dream team" that Pratt has brought in
)
- Sold heaps of merchandise in Perth last week, in fact he may have said they sold out!
- There are already 500 attending the Prez lunch this Sunday and the vast majority are Carlton (Swann did jokingly say that Melb has no supporters and we could still pull 500 to such an event
but good for the coffers)
- we are talking to prospective sponsors for next year
- massive staff change at the club, new membership manager, new events girl, new Marketing director (A Barham) and doing a fantastic job, etc
- did say we
WILL make a profit this year, much to the applause of those in attendence, and said
we have cash in the bank that will predominantly be used for the football department.
- he occassionally will pop into the coaches box and MC meetings to keep tabs on how things are travelling
- got on the private jet with Pratt on the way home from Perth, as did sticks (gee, would've liked to have been a fly on the wall of that plane)
- Ins for this week - here's the "scoop" -
GRIGG, Bower, Kennedy, didn't mention the outs.
Denis was next to speak (spoke about some off field stuff that Greg already covered)
-let us in on another function at Raheen hosted by none other than our astute and wise Prez.
-focussing on developing leadership within the playing group
- focus is on developing the young players
- acknowledged that we have a tall list and one of the main focus' of recruiting will be for running midfielders
- said don't put the heat on to the young players, he's willing to bear the brunt of our frustration "on his shoulders", and words like "i'm a big boy, and I can take it"
Sticks spoke
- whilst he is Chairman of selectors, he said Icke has a lot more control at MC, and he's taken a lesser role in the MC.
- his role is to keep the board "quiet" (no sneaky leakers)
- we're taking a harder, but fairer line on players that transgress on & off field, eg Fev, and said he needed to show more leadership and decide whether his future is here or not, as we don't have an abundance of leaders at the club. (hence the extended leadership group this year in terms of developing)
Whitnall spoke (says he'll be beck next week, at least that's what he thinks)
- rehab is going well, then summerised how he thought the season went thus far for the team, usual sort of response.
Some stuff about Fev was talked about at our table, but I will not post here what Greg disclosed to me, not that it was ground breaking, but was enough to say 'enough is enough'. I will say the off field stuff that was reported in the media, eg on 6PR was not mentioned, and some of the stuff that wasn't on the vision of Saturday's game was very poor from Fev. This was part of it and the club did the right thing.
Also, I asked Greg about development of our players, and model the filth have with Alan Richardson & Brad Scott, Greg said to me we're about to appoint a full time development coach to work with the players - YES!
All in all, a very good start to the day, and for those that attended, if I missed anything, please add the missing bits.
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