Port Melbourne kicks off ‘future fund’ as VFL season remains up in the air
One of Australia’s oldest footy clubs is in a fight to survive, launching a public fundraiser to save the 146-year-old stalwart of Victorian sport from the coronavirus crisis.
Victorian Football
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victorian Football. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Port Melbourne, one of Australian football’s most iconic clubs, has launched a “future fund’’ to help it beat one of its toughest opponents, the coronavirus pandemic.
Like other VFL clubs, the Borough are in a waiting game about the state league season going ahead.
The lack of football has struck at its bottom line, with no match-day receipts or social functions, and membership down.
Port has about 700 members and was targeting up to 1500.
In another financial blow, the social club at North Port Oval has remained closed during the pandemic.
Staff, including two-time premiership coach Gary Ayres, have been placed on reduced hours or leave as the club reins in expenses while waiting for a call about the season.
Port Melbourne CEO Paul Malcolm said sponsors had stuck by the 146-year-old club “but who knows what will happen if we have a no-go or go decision’’.
“At this stage they’ve stuck tight and we’ve been in contact with them on a weekly basis,’’ he said.
Malcolm said membership was “nowhere near where we were heading towards … we were looking to get to the 1200, 1500-mark … the ones who signed up earlier have stayed true and we’ve been signing two to five on a weekly basis,’’ he said.
He said Port Melbourne was “pretty keen to get a game going’’.
The Borough and other clubs said as much in a statement last Saturday.
“We’re working as much as we can to cover all bases, to get the right information and make the call, but at the end of the day if we can’t break even in a worst case then it’s going to be pretty tough,’’ Malcolm said.
“No club wants to go into debt and put themselves in danger for the future. It’s trying to weigh that up against the health and wellbeing of all the players and supporters.’’
Players in the SANFL have agreed to play for nothing to help get a season underway.
Malcolm said the Borough had put “absolutely all scenarios on the table’’ to players and coaches, including receiving no payments this season.
“The vast majority of the group is keen to play,’’ he said.
“If it gets too far down the track with no understanding of when we will or won’t return to play, that keenness will drop off, and it will drop off pretty quickly.’’
The “Borough Future Fund’’ was launched this week, with Malcolm calling the Borough a “tough breed and true survivors’’.
He said Port had taken most challenges in its stride but the COVID-19 pandemic “represents one of the most significant threats to the foundations of our club in many years’’.
“Without the resources of the large AFL clubs, we already work harder than most to survive in today’s elite football landscape,’’ Malcolm said.
“But add to that a situation where our season is on hold, and with it all our key sources of revenue, it makes for a very testing set of circumstances.’’
MORE VFL
VFL CLUBS 'HOPEFUL' OF SEASON START
CALL FOR RESTRUCTURE OF VIC SECOND TIER
VFL'S TOP 50 PLAYERS SINCE 2000
He said the fund had been set up to “help strengthen our efforts to steer a way through the lasting financial impacts of this pandemic’’.
“The fund is also designed to continue to lay the foundations for the ongoing growth and development of our club, our men’s and women’s teams, and to set us up for lasting success on the other side of this.”
Port Melbourne local, Australian TV personality and club ambassador Scotty Cam helped in launching the Borough Future Fund.
Donations can be made here.