Corporate Governance and Football Clubs

[Whispering_Jack 29,828]

I was revisiting the 1972 retrospective and a few things struck me about the way the club was run in those days.

Back in 1972, the Melbourne Football Club was a division of the Melbourne Cricket Club. We had our own committee with representatives nominated directly by the MCC, others representing the  MCC members and a small number (2) directly elected MFC members. In other words, the MCC pulled the strings. The administration was run essentially by a small group out of secretary Jim Cardwell's office. I suspect that much of what the club achieved in terms of building the champion team of the 50s and early 60s was done by Cardwell in concert with Norm Smith. Of course, life was less complicated then - clubs relied heavily on volunteers, the game was still amateur/semi-professional, there were rules against poaching and committees were often rubber stamps meeting monthly and occasionally stirred into action at times of crisis - see the sacking of Norm Smith.

Financial matters were still small beer in 1972 when we  "made a substantial profit for the first time since 1956 turning a $7,493.80 loss in 1971 into a $8,923.30 profit."

What's 9 grand these days when wet behind the ears punks with bad haircuts and dodgy knees can extract $2m from the sport's purse?

Who cares for blokes like ALV King who, according to the 1972 annual report had been "a member of Committee since 1938" which means he presided over 10 premierships?

By the end of the 70s, the club was preparing to cut its ties with the MCC and to incorporate. 

Three decades later and questions are being raised over "corporate governance" but what does that mean in terms of a company whose major preoccupation is with the running of a football club whose aims are always more than the making of money but also to win the premiership of the game's elite competition?

[Guest Jackie]

9 grand from 1972 would barely pay fat Phill's salary these days.