Hawks consider expanding Aurora capacity

[Hawkk]

Hawks attract rush on seats

http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23967307-13222,00.html

IT still might be six weeks away but the Hawthorn-Brisbane round 19 game at Aurora Stadium is sold out of reserve seating.

It is the second successive time reserve seating has been sold out at Launceston well before the match. This follows on from the round 10 Hawks-Western Bulldogs game resulting in calls for expansion on the grounds 11,500 seating capacity.

Hawthorn's Tasmanian operations manager Shayne Stevenson said Hawks president Jeff Kennett had discussed increasing the stadium's capacity.

"Jeff Kennett has outlined that it would be fantastic for the stands to be developed where we could fit more seats into the stadium so 25,000 fans can fit in comfortably," Stevenson said yesterday.

"If these last two games are a reflection of the popularity of the Hawks in Tasmania, obviously that needs to be seriously looked at in the future to be able to provide comfortable facilities for Hawthorn and Tasmanian football supporters in general."

Stevenson would not be drawn on whether the Hawks -- beneficiary of $3 million-plus a year deal with the Tasmanian Government -- would contribute to the ground's upgrade.

"That is something that would have to be discussed at board level, I can't make comment on that on what sort of investment the Hawthorn Football Club would make," he said.

"These are the sort of things we need to start talking about because the team's really gaining in popularity, the membership is more than 4000 now in Tasmania and our overall membership is more than 41,000 which is a record for the club.

"We are going to see more people from Victoria wanting to to watch the Hawks play in Launceston," Stevenson said.

 

[Tasmaniac]

More seats would be excellent.

25000? Don't fool yourselves. The Bulldogs match was a sellout and they had less than 18000.

 

[Grooves]

More seats would be excellent.

25000? Don't fool yourselves. The Bulldogs match was a sellout and they had less than 18000.[/quote]

Yes agreed, but how many people did not attend the match at all, due to the 'seat' sellout - people who cannot / do not want to, stand for a whole match?

 

[kimbopen]

Don't forget the reduced capacity of the Northern Stand due to fire means that the maximum crowd is capped at around 20,000.

Glad HAWKS HEROES & I booked our seats for the Lions match about 6 weeks ago.

 

[Linda Crescent]

Thread title should read - 'Hawks loving Aurora contract. Its double the money or nothing come 2010'.

 

[Splash]

I'd probably wait to see if Tassie get their own AFL team

 

[ricta]

would be worthy, great place to watch footy, great ground with plenty of scope to have more seating capacity

 

[Mitchell Madness]

insurance? if the hawks want to expand, do you think they would be wanting a renewal of the sponsorship? especially with the Tassie team wanting in, the club wouldnt want another team cashing in on our use of money.

 

[lickmerocks]

Surface unbelievable however facilities are garbage.

ground stuck in the 70's

Stood in a queue for 20 minutes to take a u and me and ended up poking the old fella out the back fence into the paddock for some relief.

Getting a britney spear was almost impossible...Missed half the game in a line.

Finding a dogs eye at half time not possible....

Stood on a hill as a reminder to the old days at Princess Park.

We are kidding ourselves if we think that the surface is the only thing that matters these days.

 

[Pessimistic]

I sincerely hope the board isnt think in of frittering away capital (hard earned) on assets we dont own or can't realise.

Selling property in hawthorn to buy property in waverley was bad enough.

Bet your life a certain board member wouldnt be selling his surry hills property to buy one in wavereley

 

[nigelbs]

I would be expecting any financial contribution by the club to the development of Aurora would be on the basis of a long term sponsorship guarantee.

If Tassie do not get their own team, I see our Tasmanian connection being something other Melbourne based clubs will eye will envy over the coming years. Whilst they fight over the Melbourne market, we, providing our relationship with Tassie is a win-win for both parties, will have an ongoing growing captive market.

Sponsorship aside, just think of the additional revenue to be gained from having a 25k 'reserved seat only' stadium.

I have full confidence in those pulling the financial strings at our club... confidence acquired over the last 11 years which has seen us turn around from being a doomed basket case to a financially secure club that is prepared to make the hard decisions to secure our long term future.


To all those Taswegians who have come on board I say welcome. Our club is big enough to share. Together we can build a powerhouse reaching 50k members as planned.

As a sign of respect I will refrain from any two-headed, brother-sister, jokes for the next seven days

 

[walhawk]

I agree that we should not contribute a cent.
Hawks V Lions should be played in front of 45K at the 'G.
We should only be playing Freo/WC/Adel/Port/GC/WS if we resign with Tassie for 2012 - 2016.

 

[Hawkk]

I'd probably wait to see if Tassie get their own AFL team

I assume the extension is on the provision that the AFL doesn't go ahead and grant Tasmania a license.

 

[RustyHawk]

I would be expecting any financial contribution by the club to the development of Aurora would be on the basis of a long term sponsorship guarantee.

If Tassie do not get their own team, I see our Tasmanian connection being something other Melbourne based clubs will eye will envy over the coming years. Whilst they fight over the Melbourne market, we, providing our relationship with Tassie is a win-win for both parties, will have an ongoing growing captive market.

Sponsorship aside, just think of the additional revenue to be gained from having a 25k 'reserved seat only' stadium.

I have full confidence in those pulling the financial strings at our club... confidence acquired over the last 11 years which has seen us turn around from being a doomed basket case to a financially secure club that is prepared to make the hard decisions to secure our long term future.

To all those Taswegians who have come on board I say welcome. Our club is big enough to share. Together we can build a powerhouse reaching 50k members as planned.

As a sign of respect I will refrain from any two-headed, brother-sister, jokes for the next seven days

Well said

Exactly the right attitude to take.

I smell stadium deal here. Naming rights, increased corporate $, quality venue to watch THE quality team of the AFL. A boutique venue where if we can keep our costs low could be quite a significant boost to with additional revenue.

An asset which I hate to say, if they develop into a mini Waverley the boys could head over for a week or so in the off season and train away from the spotlight of Melbourne based club spies and others

Remember AFL clubs like North, Melbourne and St Kilda all FAILED in their attempts to secure additional revenue outside of their local area. The AFL is contracted to provide a 16 team competition. Once GC and WSydney come aboard...I wouldnt want to be in these teams supporters place.

Go Hawks.

 

[Hawkk]

I agree that we should not contribute a cent.
Hawks V Lions should be played in front of 45K at the 'G.
We should only be playing Freo/WC/Adel/Port/GC/WS if we resign with Tassie for 2012 - 2016.

Its all about circumstances.

Best case scenerio: Secure 1-2 premierships, consolidate position as one of the top 4-5 drawing Melbourne clubs and have a stable financial future

Worst case scenerio: Struggle for sponsorship, drop down the ladder, crowds drop off and rely on Tasmanian money to make a profit.

The worst case scenerio is vintage 2006, where the Tasmanians had the balance of power in the negotiations. The stronger the position of the club, the better position it is to negotiate better terms.

 

[medusala]

Its all about circumstances.

Best case scenerio: Secure 1-2 premierships, consolidate position as one of the top 4-5 drawing Melbourne clubs and have a stable financial future
.

If the club can maintain 40k members then Tas doesnt look anywhere near as good as when we had 30k members

However, most on here lose sight of the reality of the situation ie its not completely in the hands of the club.

The opposition in Tas has never been as keen as the govt. Not only that but the ASD agreement ends in 2009 (and coincidentally so does the agreement with the poor clubs to play in Canberra)

If two Vic clubs disappear then their home games in Vic will likely have to be replaced due to stadium agreements.

For the club to contribute to any stadium in Tas now would be as stupid as the previous boards agreement at Princes Park which almost cost the club its existence.

 

[Linda Crescent]

I reckon it’s fantastic that Hawthorn will play Brisbane in Tasmania. Hello, this is serious Australian Rules Football - 2nd half ’08 season. This kind of fixture is what the whole ‘sponsorship deal’ was created for – for the benefit of Tasmania and the Hawthorn Football Club. I hope one day soon there’s a Tasmanian team in the AFL. It won’t resemble Hawthorn because it will be Tasmanian, so, go Hawthorn.

‘Pessimistic’ – have faith and trust in our elected Board. Don't lose sight of the fact that we, the members installed them.

 

[mightymagpie1999]

If the club can maintain 40k members then Tas doesnt look anywhere near as good as when we had 30k members

However, most on here lose sight of the reality of the situation ie its not completely in the hands of the club.

The opposition in Tas has never been as keen as the govt. Not only that but the ASD agreement ends in 2009 (and coincidentally so does the agreement with the poor clubs to play in Canberra)

If two Vic clubs disappear then their home games in Vic will likely have to be replaced due to stadium agreements.

For the club to contribute to any stadium in Tas now would be as stupid as the previous boards agreement at Princes Park which almost cost the club its existence.

One thing with what youve said Tassie will keep looking birghter and brighter for the club even if the club can maintain 40k Members because around 10$ of those members are actually from Tassie

 

[medusala]

One thing with what youve said Tassie will keep looking birghter and brighter for the club even if the club can maintain 40k Members because around 10$ of those members are actually from Tassie

how many?

 

[MadBomberfan]

Surface unbelievable however facilities are garbage.

ground stuck in the 70's
.........
We are kidding ourselves if we think that the surface is the only thing that matters these days.

I think the best way to describe the facilities at AS is quaint...

I would be expecting any financial contribution by the club to the development of Aurora would be on the basis of a long term sponsorship guarantee.

I suspect that is part of the reason why Tassie (the real ones, not you!) is having a tilt at getting our own team right now. By next year we'll have it confirmed that we won't get one, because Vlad say so, and so they gov will then go bootsand all with the Tassie and seek to continue the AS deal. Seems like a reasonably logical way to go about it IMHO. From your point, you know where you stand, and from ours we will exhaust all possible avenues for our own side and then probably have another crack circa 2015 when Mad Vlad finally might says that it is OK, and the next sponsorship deal is up for renewal.

If Tassie do not get their own team, I see our Tasmanian connection being something other Melbourne based clubs will eye will envy over the coming years.

As a sign of respect I will refrain from any two-headed, brother-sister, jokes for the next seven days

You're too kind! You do know that Vic's are merely living proof that we can swim, don't you?

Quite right about the other point. Tassie were smart enough, and broke enough I suppose or you wouldn't have been looking, along with St Kilda to realise that we were an large untapped footy resource. St Kilda got a premature head-wobble and shot though thinking that they were on the verge of superstardom and crowds of 60k. Now look at them. Let that be a warning...

I agree that we should not contribute a cent.
Hawks V Lions should be played in front of 45K at the 'G.
We should only be playing Freo/WC/Adel/Port/GC/WS if we resign with Tassie for 2012 - 2016.

If you think that sort of treatment towards your MAJOR SPONSOR will be entertained going forward then I suspect that your vertical integration is terminal. Do you think Tassie fans will cop being dished up the same few teams year in and out. You are already pushing the friendship in that regard (read Port and Freo), and the Gov', Tassie's MAJOR SPONSOR, has gone on record to express their expectations.

I assume the extension is on the provision that the AFL doesn't go ahead and grant Tasmania a license.

Which is a monty. Vlad doesn't want us. So how much money do you want?

 

[wahawk]

Surface unbelievable however facilities are garbage.

ground stuck in the 70's

Stood in a queue for 20 minutes to take a u and me and ended up poking the old fella out the back fence into the paddock for some relief.

Getting a britney spear was almost impossible...Missed half the game in a line.

Finding a dogs eye at half time not possible....

Stood on a hill as a reminder to the old days at Princess Park.

We are kidding ourselves if we think that the surface is the only thing that matters these days.

i've been to 4 games there.
2 this year and 2 last year.

we didnt struggle to get beers (on every occasion, which was several)

we didnt struggle to get into toilets , which was often , due to the large amounts of beer.

didnt do food but noticed that there was not much of a line-up.
we stood on the city side , you must have been on other side

 

[hawksrule111]

One thing with what youve said Tassie will keep looking birghter and brighter for the club even if the club can maintain 40k Members because around 10$ of those members are actually from Tassie

Disagree - correct me if im wrong but dont we have just as much members in WA as we do in Tassie? If not I believe it's very close.

As mentioned above, the opposition is no where near as keen for the tassie dollars spent on a footy club and if they were to get into power those dollars may go bye bye. If it was not for the current deal, Tassie is not financially appealing as you may think

 

[medusala]

If you think that sort of treatment towards your MAJOR SPONSOR will be entertained going forward then I suspect that your vertical integration is terminal. Do you think Tassie fans will cop being dished up the same few teams year in and out. You are already pushing the friendship in that regard (read Port and Freo), and the Gov', Tassie's MAJOR SPONSOR, has gone on record to express their expectations.

No other major sponsor gets a say over games.

As for Tas fans, they are around 10% of the membership.

Playing vic teams in Tas makes no sense at all, muppetry to play Vic teams in Tas and low drawing interstate teams in Melbourne

Defeats the whole $ purpose

 

[walhawk]

Correct Medusula.

Plus, as more and more Tasmanians convert to the Hawks, the more fans will come to see us play rather than the opposition.

If Auskick numbers are to be believed, then Hawks supporting kids will be dragging their StK/ Tiges, etc supporting parents to games very soon.

 

[MadBomberfan]

No other major sponsor gets a say over games.

As for Tas fans, they are around 10% of the membership.

1. You can hardly argue that the Tas gov' is your tyical AFL major sponsor. The whole basis of the sponsorship is to bring AFL footy to Tasmania, not because they merely thought it was a good idea at the time! So that puts that one to bed...

Paul Lennon (ex-Premier) went on record a few months ago stating that the diversity of teams playing needed to be attractive to draw the crowds. While the major sponsor may not dictate who you play here, the dollars on the table during the renegotiation of the sponsorship for 2010> might have just a small bearing...

Playing vic teams in Tas makes no sense at all, muppetry to play Vic teams in Tas and low drawing interstate teams in Melbourne

Defeats the whole $ purpose

You're right, it doesn't, but if it was about crowds you wouldn't have entered into an agreement to play here in the first place. I think we all know that this is about the $ at your end, after all you have a footy club to run, and who else was going to fork out $3M/year for 5 years to sponsor Tassie?