A favour to ask....

[bresker]

Hey all,

I've decided to enter the running to be a director of the board of the Western Bulldogs.

The nominations have to be in by next Tuesday and "are required to be signed by the Candidate and by any two Ordinary Member, Social Club Member or Life Member who have been a member for at least 12 months."

Although I'm active on this on board, I don't know many Bulldogs members in real life, being the sort of bloke who likes to watch the footy with ABC774 in his ear muttering obscenities under his breath.

I need two people to do me a solid before next Tuesday and nominate me to the board. I live in Preston so if any of you are around there I'll happily head to yours, grab the signature and leave. I'll also be in the CBD at 6pm Friday night, at 506 Elizabeth St near the market. Then I'll be at the family open training at Whitten Oval at 8:30am on Saturday. So plenty of opportunities to catch me.

Why am I doing this crazy thing? Well, I'm a member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform - http://www.pokiesplayyou.org.au/ and I want to make a speech asking why our club says it's for community when it operates 60 poker machines. Our club captain Easton Wood said he ‘’just could not stomach’’ gambling. Yet we took $5.2 million from pokies last year. We're small fry compared to the absolute bastardry of $22.6 million pokies barons Hawthorn and $17 millions Carlton, but I want our club to lead the way and shame the others into following.

I won't get elected but I want to make my point at the AGM in January.

Cheers!

 

[Snake Livermore]

Hey all,

I've decided to enter the running to be a director of the board of the Western Bulldogs.

The nominations have to be in by next Tuesday and "are required to be signed by the Candidate and by any two Ordinary Member, Social Club Member or Life Member who have been a member for at least 12 months."

Although I'm active on this on board, I don't know many Bulldogs members in real life, being the sort of bloke who likes to watch the footy with ABC774 in his ear muttering obscenities under his breath.

I need two people to do me a solid before next Tuesday and nominate me to the board. I live in Preston so if any of you are around there I'll happily head to yours, grab the signature and leave. I'll also be in the CBD at 6pm Friday night, at 506 Elizabeth St near the market. Then I'll be at the family open training at Whitten Oval at 8:30am on Saturday. So plenty of opportunities to catch me.

Why am I doing this crazy thing? Well, I'm a member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform - http://www.pokiesplayyou.org.au/ and I want to make a speech asking why our club says it's for community when it operates 60 poker machines. Our club captain Easton Wood said he ‘’just could not stomach’’ gambling. Yet we took $5.2 million from pokies last year. We're small fry compared to the absolute bastardry of $22.6 million pokies barons Hawthorn and $17 millions Carlton, but I want our club to lead the way and shame the others into following.

I won't get elected but I want to make my point at the AGM in January.

Cheers!

I can't sign your thing but good luck!

 

[cleveland]

Imagine if we didnt get that $5m

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Imagine if we didnt get that $5m

Imagine if we were competently run and more success in the last 40 years.

 

[bresker]

Imagine if we didnt get that $5m

Imagine if no clubs got money from pokies and there was a level playing field for all.

The football you watch is no better or worse because of pokies. The Bont isn't going to kick a goal from the boundary because of poker machines.

They don't belong in our game

 

[SCRAY72]

Imagine if we didnt get that $5m

Imagine if we didnt get that $5m

Imagine if Hawthorn didnt get 22 million from pokies.
One of their venues is in Deer Park FFS.

 

[bresker]

Anyway PM me if you can help - http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL .../Articles/WBFC - Nomination Form Director.pdf

I just need two sigs on a form. I guess I'll find two people at open training on Saturday should be easy enough with all the families there

 

[ScragCity]

Best of luck to you Bresker. I admire you for what you're doing.

 

[AJARWA]

Hey all,

I've decided to enter the running to be a director of the board of the Western Bulldogs.

The nominations have to be in by next Tuesday and "are required to be signed by the Candidate and by any two Ordinary Member, Social Club Member or Life Member who have been a member for at least 12 months."

Although I'm active on this on board, I don't know many Bulldogs members in real life, being the sort of bloke who likes to watch the footy with ABC774 in his ear muttering obscenities under his breath.

I need two people to do me a solid before next Tuesday and nominate me to the board. I live in Preston so if any of you are around there I'll happily head to yours, grab the signature and leave. I'll also be in the CBD at 6pm Friday night, at 506 Elizabeth St near the market. Then I'll be at the family open training at Whitten Oval at 8:30am on Saturday. So plenty of opportunities to catch me.

Why am I doing this crazy thing? Well, I'm a member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform - http://www.pokiesplayyou.org.au/ and I want to make a speech asking why our club says it's for community when it operates 60 poker machines. Our club captain Easton Wood said he ‘’just could not stomach’’ gambling. Yet we took $5.2 million from pokies last year. We're small fry compared to the absolute bastardry of $22.6 million pokies barons Hawthorn and $17 millions Carlton, but I want our club to lead the way and shame the others into following.

I won't get elected but I want to make my point at the AGM in January.

Cheers!

Good on you for raising this. And good luck getting the nomination. Couldn't agree more, this revenue stream is in direct conflict with the values and the branding of the 'community' club, and the community programs it runs. The science is solid on the negative effects of pokies.

Of course it's not as simple as just eliminating pokies revenue from our books. But the club should be reminded that members are concerned and support any actions it takes to advocate for AFL limits on pokies revenue, as well as other steps, with a view to eliminating pokies revenue.

I raised this with the club six or more years ago. Received no reasonable response after several calls and emails. So I spoke with a journo at The Age who ran a story. Surprise, got a Club response. Then bought a North membership for a year, as they'd just removed all gambling revenue and received endorsement from World Vision. North have now run four consecutive profits and reduced debt significantly since adopting their position.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...h/news-story/02daf4df6419fe2918a711a4c83e2bd5

Seems as though the AFL are at least recognising the issue and are looking to take steps to reduce social impacts and reliance on pokies. At least at the surface.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...n/news-story/5aaf814033928e92939d2553f3699226

This is a difficult challenge for the Club Board. Good stuff for keeping the issue in front of them.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I won’t be in Melbourne any time soon so won’t be able to help you with the signature.

Really admirable work you’re doing, pokies are awful things. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[SCRAY72]

I won’t be in Melbourne any time soon so won’t be able to help you with the signature.

Really admirable work you’re doing, pokies are awful things. I wish you the best of luck.

Here here. I ******* hate the things.

 

[TommyD13]

Great work bresker ! Like you said maybe you wont get elected or anything, but it is great that you are giving up your time to be able to make your point (which is supported by many others, including me) for the greater good of the Western Bulldogs and football community. I really do hope the club takes on board what you have to say, and that we then set the benchmark for the rest of the league when it comes to gambling and its place in footy. Unofrtunately though I wont be able to sign for you as I live interstate, but Im sure you will have plenty of luck up the open training session. Great stuff again mate, keep it up.

 

[Mr. Walker]

Have you got your two signatures?

 

[Freshwater]

I hate the things too would never put a cent in one. I hate all gambling from tattslotto to the horses. But if the club runs a legitimate business and treats all customers ethically, it’s better they do it than others?
What Hawthorn and Geelong do with the pokies in the western suburbs is deplorable, but is it better we take care of our own? Because without us running them someone else will and it could be a lot worse.

 

[bobby2]

I hate the things too would never put a cent in one. I hate all gambling from tattslotto to the horses. But if the club runs a legitimate business and treats all customers ethically, it’s better they do it than others?
What Hawthorn and Geelong do with the pokies in the western suburbs is deplorable, but is it better we take care of our own? Because without us running them someone else will and it could be a lot worse.

Is the club doing it ethically though? In fact, is there any way to do it ethically? It's literally just taking money from people with addictions, most of whom can't afford to lose that money.

I'm not convinced that someone else would run them if the club didn't. Of course that would happen if the club sold the machines, but what if the club destroyed the machines and used the pokies venues for other purposes?

 

[Freshwater]

Is the club doing it ethically though? In fact, is there any way to do it ethically? It's literally just taking money from people with addictions, most of whom can't afford to lose that money.

I'm not convinced that someone else would run them if the club didn't. Of course that would happen if the club sold the machines, but what if the club destroyed the machines and used the pokies venues for other purposes?

Who knows? We are all members and supporters of a club that runs poker machines. It is not ‘literally’ taking money from addicts any more than a pub or bottle shops are taking money from alcoholics. People enjoy a drink and are not alcoholics, people enjoy a punt and are not addicts. I don’t gamble at all, I enjoy a drink sometimes but we have to watch moralising too much for what adults do with their own time and money. I have moral problems with the saturation of the gambling culture on children, its appalling but is the alcohol industry any better??? My family on both sides has been dramatically affected by alcohol, so I am a very occasional and then moderate drinker. But we ourselves must make these decisions, to be responsible. Alcohol is a worse problem, should we stop selling cans at the Whitten Oval??

 

[Majunga]

Imagine if no clubs got money from pokies and there was a level playing field for all.

The football you watch is no better or worse because of pokies. The Bont isn't going to kick a goal from the boundary because of poker machines.

They don't belong in our game

Gambling + sport = Corruption. The equation comes out the same way no matter the country, sport, century it's happening in.
All sport is worse off for having gambling tied to it and we as a society are far worse off for allowing such leeching upon us.

If i was a Bulldogs member id support you directly.
As is, i support you fully from afar.

 

[bresker]

Have you got your two signatures?

Not yet busy teaching but I’ll get them on Saturday

 

[bobby2]

Who knows? We are all members and supporters of a club that runs poker machines. It is not ‘literally’ taking money from addicts any more than a pub or bottle shops are taking money from alcoholics. People enjoy a drink and are not alcoholics, people enjoy a punt and are not addicts. I don’t gamble at all, I enjoy a drink sometimes but we have to watch moralising too much for what adults do with their own time and money. I have moral problems with the saturation of the gambling culture on children, its appalling but is the alcohol industry any better??? My family on both sides has been dramatically affected by alcohol, so I am a very occasional and then moderate drinker. But we ourselves must make these decisions, to be responsible. Alcohol is a worse problem, should we stop selling cans at the Whitten Oval??

I'm not moralising. I enjoy a drink and a punt. My understanding of poker machines though is that they are genuinely debilitating to a large proportion of their users. I'm pretty sure the vast majority of money that comes in is from addicts. Very few people benefit from using the poker machines.

This is in stark contrast to alcohol, which, despite causing more problems across the total population, is not as detrimental to the majority of people who drink. For many people, going to a bar or whitten oval and having a few drinks with friends is a positive experience, so the club shouldn't stop selling beer.

While the individual makes the decision to use the pokies, the club makes the decision to supply the machines, which makes people more likely to use the pokies. I don't support the club doing this.

 

[flamethrower]

I much rather this money going into the game we all love, than to greedy politicians, corrupt business people, bikie gangs and other criminal elements.

 

[bresker]

Who knows? We are all members and supporters of a club that runs poker machines. It is not ‘literally’ taking money from addicts any more than a pub or bottle shops are taking money from alcoholics. People enjoy a drink and are not alcoholics, people enjoy a punt and are not addicts. I don’t gamble at all, I enjoy a drink sometimes but we have to watch moralising too much for what adults do with their own time and money. I have moral problems with the saturation of the gambling culture on children, its appalling but is the alcohol industry any better??? My family on both sides has been dramatically affected by alcohol, so I am a very occasional and then moderate drinker. But we ourselves must make these decisions, to be responsible. Alcohol is a worse problem, should we stop selling cans at the Whitten Oval??

Pokies aren’t comparable to alcohol. Pokies are deliberately designed to addict users. The manufacturers know this. At least 40% of the revenue comes from problem gamblers. And though there’s only one person gambling, there are usually 4 or 5 family members affected. Really badly affected in many cases. Bankruptcies, defaulted mortgages, family violence - and suicide.

 

[gordo2016]

Well done Bresker. Keep up the good work, buddy.

 

[AJARWA]

Pokies aren’t comparable to alcohol. Pokies are deliberately designed to addict users. The manufacturers know this. At least 40% of the revenue comes from problem gamblers. And though there’s only one person gambling, there are usually 4 or 5 family members affected. Really badly affected in many cases. Bankruptcies, defaulted mortgages, family violence - and suicide.

For me the real burn is the club branding itself the 'community' club while benefiting from the addictions of those most vulnerable in the community. As I mentioned, it's never black and white. But would be nice to see the club reducing it's reliance on and takings from, what I would call, unethical revenue streams.

 

[ScragCity]

I much rather this money going into the game we all love, than to greedy politicians, corrupt business people, bikie gangs and other criminal elements.

By that logic the club should start selling meth.

 

[gangsta deluxe]

The club will risk their relationship with partners and supporters if they proceed down this path too far.

I know for a fact it will be bad for our relationship with VU.

We have branded ourself as an ethical community focussed organisation. Pokies are at odds with that (if you'll forgive the pun). We should act according to the principles we publicly espouse.

Good on you Bresker.