Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett has penned the following letter to members...
Dear Members,
Today, with great regret, we announce the start of the survival campaign for both the Australian Football League and our club.
Yesterday the CEO of the AFL announced the suspension of the 2020 season until, at the earliest, the end of May.
In light of medical advice and the decisions of Federal and State Government, Gill McLaughlin had no alternative.
The situation will be reviewed at the end of April, but I doubt the competition will resume before July at the earliest.
That, therefore, means the income generated by the competition and the clubs has been dramatically reduced.
For Hawthorn, we continue to receive revenue from memberships and some sponsorship. I thank every member who has pledged their support to the club, it is more crucial than ever.
We will see a significant reduction in income across the club. Gate receipts and the distribution received from the AFL for player payments will be significantly reduced.
Even income the club would normally receive from our business operations will cease because of government edicts.
In short, our expenses would greatly exceed our income unless we take drastic action to reduce our costs.
The Board has instructed the CEO Justin Reeves, with the Board’s support, to take all necessary action to ensure the club survives this period of uncertainty. We must ensure we can emerge on the other side ready to resume our place in the competition, whether that is this year or next.
In making these necessary adjustments, we are cognisant of the impact this will have on many of our loyal staff who have built the club to what it is today. But sadly, we are no different from every other organisation addressing the consequences of this coronavirus.
I should also say that we are in a much stronger position than many other clubs, but that helps little when our revenue has been so dramatically reduced.
So, by today’s end the club will have made some very tough but necessary decisions. To delay making those decisions will only compound our challenge.
We will write to you again soon, but for now I want to thank you all for your ongoing support.
We will get through this. But we must remember the club is bigger than any one individual, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure the club survives to provide our children and grandchildren the enjoyment we have and currently enjoy, for decades to come.
As our great coach, value setter and legend John Kennedy once instructed his players, DO SOMETHING! Today your club and the people you entrust to lead it will “do something” to readjust, to survive, re-emerge and then succeed again.
