Sturt in Financial Trouble?

[Psyber]

Sturt should consider playing some night games at Norwood Oval. The Sturt area is very close and supporters would not have to travel far and be seated in an historic and traditional venue. If these games were home games revenue from food and drink would go to Sturt and how many would go back to Unley club rooms anyway ? Grab a beer after the game in the Premiers Bar.
Mount Barker is a logical choice and long term might be the anwer .... better be quick before West Adelaide are given more of the traditional Sturt Hills area !

I was initially revolted by this idea, but the more I think about it the more I realize it maybe isn't so bad, and we are short of options.
Back in the day of ground rationalisation a number of VFL clubs came to use Carlton's home ground as their own. So precendents do exist, even if it's in other leagues.
Footy park's too big and far, Wayville too small, Mt Barker not ready.
Perhaps a stint at Norwood would be alright until Mt Barker gets sorted out?

Besides that, if the Power collapse and are wrapped up the original Sturt-Norwood merger with the AFL licence thrown in could be resurrected after a period of trial marriage...

[has been]

Too late to help unfortunately. Castle Plaza was one of many mistakes. Business partner the ATO wants his money and the SANFL claim no money to help. Move or die - should have happened years agobut the old boys club is about to die. Real pity that - no soul left, you only need go to a game, does not even feel like a club anymore. All good juniors have left - ask yourself - why has a club that has had so many good junior teams ended up like they have....... They are a snob club and don't listen, that private school mentality, we are better..........simple but sad................

[JK]

Bit rough HB .. I'm as anti-Sturt as they come, but wouldn't wish on anyone the prospect of losing their club, because I know how devo'd I'd be if it happened to mine.

So for their sake, and the sake of the competition I hope they can find away to dig themselves out of their troubles.

[DOC]

Prior to playing their home games at Adelaide oval. Sturt sought a merger partner and were unable to find a suitor. They have been doing it hard financially for a long time now....

Neither Mt Barker or Wayville are solutions. Stay at Unley and cut the cloth to suit.

Huh? From memory we moved to Adelaide in 1986.
the 20 years preceding that we'd won more games and more premierships than any other club. Why would we be searching for a merger partner under such circumstances? Surely it'd be more of a takeover, we were a powerhouse back then.
Got any proof?

P.S how can we cut the cloth at Unley? On most days this year it'd be cheaper to have no fence at all and let people in free than put the thing up. How would anyone make money under those circumstances?

Should read, after playing at Unley. You are quite right. Sturt approached South seeking a merger in about 1993 ish. South declined.

I agree that Sturt are losing money playing at Unley having to put up fences etc. Thus my comments regarding player recruitment such as Ben Kane.

[therisingblues]

Huh? From memory we moved to Adelaide in 1986.
the 20 years preceding that we'd won more games and more premierships than any other club. Why would we be searching for a merger partner under such circumstances? Surely it'd be more of a takeover, we were a powerhouse back then.
Got any proof?

P.S how can we cut the cloth at Unley? On most days this year it'd be cheaper to have no fence at all and let people in free than put the thing up. How would anyone make money under those circumstances?

Should read, after playing at Unley. You are quite right. Sturt approached South seeking a merger in about 1993 ish.
South declined.
I agree that Sturt are losing money playing at Unley having to put up fences etc. Thus my comments regarding player recruitment such as Ben Kane.

Fair enough.
On the other hand though, if Kane slotted into the side and made it a genuine top 3 deal then we'd be getting the crowds to warrant the fence. In the past we've been able to uncover talents without spending the big dollars, basically punching above our financial weight on the premiership ladder, meanwhile smirking at other sides for spending big coin on big name failures. I can't say for certain who or what's to blame for our premiership slide living in Japan and all, but recruiting from Glenelg hasn't helped much so far as I understand it:

[Sojourner]

In the mid 1980's at South Adelaide found ourselves in a similar situation and the news broke that the club had gone to the SANFL to guarantor the players wages until the end of the season which the SANFL were happy to do.

There was never one single solution to the problem, but a number that were put done at the time.

The hardest part was the number of rival SANFL supporters who made it well known through KG's show that they would like to see the end of the SAFC and in some cases jubilant Sturt supporters suggesting that yes Sturt would merge with South - as a takeover with nothing of the SAFC left in the supposed new club.

As much as we were a smaller group then we responded by galvanizing together and we called a public meeting at St Marys. People then put in pledges of money and work went into contacting various businesses across town to gain new sponsorship, so much money came in from that excersize over a week or two that our problems were essentially solved there and then.

We brought over two people from the VFL, I cant remember their names who had helped one of the struggling VFL clubs to survive and they helped us spearhead our efforts at raising new sponsorship and so on, one of them also got stuck into KG and accused him of being on the side of those that wanted to end South from the SANFL which he vehemently denied.

What is not so well known amongst the SANFL is that at that time the SAFC were also approached by the VFL and offered a deal to enter the VFL competition which the club said no to.

Once we had cleared our immediate debt problems as a group we committed to moving to Noarlunga and getting a home ground of our own. Again through the efforts of supporters joining together and petitioning governments and raising funds we gained the land for the Southern Sporting Complex and the rest is largely history.

[Sojourner]

As to Sturts current situation I would offer a similar set of advice.

First off the club or members of the club need to call a public meeting of those that are members and those that are Sturt supporters in the community and get together and discuss a way of raising this rent money along with other funds to get the club out of the immediate problem. I suggest that you find someone in the media to lead the campaign. As I recall on the last occasion that Sturt struggled and a meeting was called, Jim Derrington got up and gave a very passionate speech about what the SFC meant to him and why people should get on board to save the club which you then did. This time around I don't know who would be the right person, but someone needs to be the figurehead of the movement.

As for the suggestions for moving I don't have a suggestion on that, only to say that if you are all not united on what you want to be done the club will likely fall over and that will be that. The advantage that we had at South is that we were all in agreement of what we wanted to do. Sturt need to find the same agreement be it to stay at Unley or shift somewhere else. Tough decisions have to be made, Sturt are suffering like everyone else due to the financial crisis which is proving to be worse in the community than it was in 1992, I cant see markets bouncing back for at least another year or so. If Sturt are to survive they need the resources to get through the next 18 months and only a keen group of committed members can make that happen, I cant see the club doing any more than they currently are without the help of people getting on board and being willing to help.

[Dutchy]

SANFL are guarantor for Sturt's debts, so they wont be able to take a hands off approach if the bank loses patience.

[Higglytown Hero]

Remove the CEO and get someone with half a business brain in would be a good start.

[CUTTERMAN]

Too late to help unfortunately. Castle Plaza was one of many mistakes. Business partner the ATO wants his money and the SANFL claim no money to help. Move or die - should have happened years agobut the old boys club is about to die. Real pity that - no soul left, you only need go to a game, does not even feel like a club anymore. All good juniors have left - ask yourself - why has a club that has had so many good junior teams ended up like they have....... They are a snob club and don't listen, that private school mentality, we are better..........simple but sad................

Just about the stupidest post I've ever read about this topic.
Have a look at how many AFL players have been recruited from Sturt (players that have come through the Juniors, not blow ins from interstate ), and how many of them have been first round draft picks. While you're at it, have a look at where Sturt are on the Reserves and U18's ladder. How do you back up your comment that all our good juniors have left?
Meanwile, your comments about it being a "snob club" and "private school mentality" are old, tired, lazy and outdated.
If you're the model for the current Norwood supporter then it's no wonder supporters from other clubs are coming to the realization that there is a large knob mentality at the Parade. Apologies to other reasonable Legs fans.

[CUTTERMAN]

As to Sturts current situation I would offer a similar set of advice.

First off the club or members of the club need to call a public meeting of those that are members and those that are Sturt supporters in the community and get together and discuss a way of raising this rent money along with other funds to get the club out of the immediate problem. I suggest that you find someone in the media to lead the campaign. As I recall on the last occasion that Sturt struggled and a meeting was called, Jim Derrington got up and gave a very passionate speech about what the SFC meant to him and why people should get on board to save the club which you then did. This time around I don't know who would be the right person, but someone needs to be the figurehead of the movement.

As for the suggestions for moving I don't have a suggestion on that, only to say that if you are all not united on what you want to be done the club will likely fall over and that will be that. The advantage that we had at South is that we were all in agreement of what we wanted to do. Sturt need to find the same agreement be it to stay at Unley or shift somewhere else. Tough decisions have to be made, Sturt are suffering like everyone else due to the financial crisis which is proving to be worse in the community than it was in 1992, I cant see markets bouncing back for at least another year or so. If Sturt are to survive they need the resources to get through the next 18 months and only a keen group of committed members can make that happen, I cant see the club doing any more than they currently are without the help of people getting on board and being willing to help.

Good post Sojourner as with your previous one. Well done.

[Dutchy]

Sturt have provided a first round draft pick in the last 3 years havent they? Trengove, Day, Wingard.

[on the rails]

Too late to help unfortunately. Castle Plaza was one of many mistakes. Business partner the ATO wants his money and the SANFL claim no money to help. Move or die - should have happened years agobut the old boys club is about to die. Real pity that - no soul left, you only need go to a game, does not even feel like a club anymore. All good juniors have left - ask yourself - why has a club that has had so many good junior teams ended up like they have....... They are a snob club and don't listen, that private school mentality, we are better..........simple but sad................

A bit rich these comments coming from a Norwood supporter??? Your club is hardly kicking goals off field, no clubs rooms and no immediate prospects to get one either. Talking of partnerships, your club is in bed with the Highlander re your Nor-East Gaming venue and that venue doesn't make anywhere near what the NFC expected but a bit harder when the NFC are paying $$$ to the hotel in management fees - money for jam for them!

[JK]

Too late to help unfortunately. Castle Plaza was one of many mistakes. Business partner the ATO wants his money and the SANFL claim no money to help. Move or die - should have happened years agobut the old boys club is about to die. Real pity that - no soul left, you only need go to a game, does not even feel like a club anymore. All good juniors have left - ask yourself - why has a club that has had so many good junior teams ended up like they have....... They are a snob club and don't listen, that private school mentality, we are better..........simple but sad................

A bit rich these comments coming from a Norwood supporter??? Your club is hardly kicking goals off field, no clubs rooms and no immediate prospects to get one either. Talking of partnerships, your club is in bed with the Highlander re your Nor-East Gaming venue and that gives the Hotel money for jam so to speak!

Gives us something we wouldn't otherwise have too in terms of income .. The lack of club rooms can be seen as a positive in some respect too by way of not placing a burden on the club that some others are or have struggled with (our club included) and our asset base is pretty healthy (cash flow could still definitely use an increase).

As for HB's other comments, I don't think Sturt could ever be accused of being a club without "soul".

[Footy Smart]

Sturt have provided a first round draft pick in the last 3 years havent they? Trengove, Day, Wingard.

And will have Brodie Grundy this year.....

[CUTTERMAN]

Not to mention Monfries and a rising star winner in Pearce.

[Barto]

1. NOT go online and argue irrelevant facts when the intent of the post was both clear and correct.

2. Contact the club and ask what I could do.

3. Go and do it.

In the case of Sturt, perhaps take leadership and form a group to run for the board as the current admin would struggle to give answers.

Sitting around doesn't help, that much I am sure we'll agree on.

So simplistic, why didn't I think of that?!

[topsywaldron]

If my club were in this shit I'd be working out how I can help, not playing with factual minutia.

You're awesome.

#humblebrag

[smac]

Hi Potsy!

[csbowes]

Productive approach there Barto.

If my club were in this shit I'd be working out how I can help, not playing with factual minutia.

A similar comment has been made before...

... hell yeah, why bother knowing what the club did or didn't do before, lets just repeat the same mistakes again because we're too precious to do a bit of an internal audit / review / critique.

When Port Adelaide put forward a proposal to Sturt a year or so ago, Sturt examined the factual minutia and decided that the business plan wasn't up to scratch. Perish the thought of anyone wanting to do the same to Sturt.