Harvey Wallbanger

Mick Stinear did a nice summary of the season. In retrospect, the last game away to Brisbane had a big effect. A very physical match, and all credit to Brisbane who, of course went on to claim the main prize. That meant we were still "down" against North and Mick referred to "other factors" aroud that time which were reported in some forums as illness. He felt like it was only in that last quarter against Geelong that we got our "mojo" back and pehraps a few more minutes and we may have been through to a prelim. A nice touch now that the MFCW B&F will be known as the Daisy Pearce Trophy.

Absolutely, love is long, raking left foot kick. Good prospects with Jed and Disco coming through...

Jed's training and Harry isn't - still recovering from his injury.

From our Constitution: 2.8 Members’ forum The Board may, in its absolute discretion and from time to time, establish and determine the rules for the operation and composition of a forum to act as an advisory body to the Board or to perform such other functions as determined by the Board from time to time. Advise away.....

Non-attendees so far this week - Chandler, May, Viney, Brayshaw, Kosi, Langdon, Tomlinson and Smith. Assume will all be there on Monday, other than Joel of course.

Petty not in a moonboot, but not training. New attendees today - Schache, B Brown and Melksham doing exercises with Jack McLean the physio. Apparently training will be at Gosch's on Monday before they head to Casey for the remainder of the year. Clayton doing his run throughs again - will probably re-join the main group before Christmas.

Blake Howes!

Petty in track suit, no moon boot. Fritta in training gear but just doing light work. As WCW said - probably not far away from joining in fully.

Ch 7 were on the other side of the ground - they had already filmed Clayton. The journo was looking to interview someone from the Club as I left.

Roll Call - apart from Clayton, ANB and Lachie Hunter were both there and training with the main group. Clayton just doing short runs with the physio. Fritta and Petty not involved with the group. Fritta doing stretches, Petty seems not ready yet. So 11 of the 44 not there, Chandler, May, Viney, Brayshaw, B Brown, Kosi, Langdon, Schache, Tomlinson, Melksham, Smith.

Well done Andy. My main takeaway from JT is that we must pronounce Coltyn's family name without the "h" so TOL- STRUP. It's taken a couple of years to get the "o" out of Van Rooyen, so that it is Van ROY-YEN. 🙂

Spot on George. We have never had a comprehensive financial strategy, with sustainable fund-raising embedded - we just rattle the tins occasionally when the need arises - e.g. to get Gosch's Paddock upgraded and further work done at Casey. Foundation Heroes are now being "re-booted" - why now, why not in October 2021 when euphoria reigned? Oh the cheques that may have been written back then.

So Petty was there but not training (same as Fritta) - mystery solved.

Listed on one site at 186 cms - closer to 183 I reckon.....

I am hoping that Clayton is still over with Kade in SA. A few SA boys not there - e.g. ANB, Kosi, and the mystery as to whether Petty was there or not this morning......

I reckon that there were about 14 boys that were not "required" today. Good to see! 29 on the track, if you include Fritta, 15 absent.

Petty was not out on the track

And no Melksham of course.

Absentees from the track (not all required at this session of course): Chandler Oliver (maybe still with Kade in SA?) J Smith May Viney Brayshaw Hunter B Brown Petty Kosi Langdon Schache ANB Tomlinson Tmac moving freely - nice to see. Fritta did not join the group - rehabbing, but didn't look serious. All the draftees and rookie picks were there, plus Fullarton, McAdam, Billings. Marty Hore, fit and firing, like he never left...

That's a fair reading of it. It has been unclear to me how much would be put into this Future Fund. As you know, money is fungible. Seems the final decision is not to top up the Future Fund (bentleigh Club proceeds) with surplus cash, but to "allocate" $7.7 million to the new Home Base. So $23.7 million it is for the FF.

In fact the sale of Leighoak and the Bentleigh Club has generated $34.4 mil. Our current net assets $30.4 mil and still no home base.

Straight from the Board's mouth, yesterday: The Club has previously outlined to members and supporters that we plan to have primary (Melbourne) and secondary (Casey Fields) training bases. Whilst the Club has been unable to achieve its aim of commencing construction on a new Melbourne home base facility during the strategic period, all involved in the Club are working tirelessly to deliver the vision of a world class primary facility that can be enjoyed by players, staff and supporters, and are confident this vision will be realised in the term of the Club’s next Strategic Plan. We understand the delay is frustrating for players, staff, supporters and your Board, however it is a long-term project and in order to deliver the world class facilities we want we can only move at the speed determined by our key project partners and State Government given our requirement for land and funding. The Club is continuing to work closely with the Victorian State Government on our primary home base, and as advised at last year’s Annual General Meeting this includes opportunities within the Caulfield Racecourse. The next Strategic Plan is coming out in February, 2024 but get your votes in for three of our eight directors before this Christmas. So is the MCG prospect dead? If so, please advise why.

Absolutely, so the additional 12 financial questions can come at the end. You had better be there in person because you if you were on the stream last year you saw no Q&A.

Future Fund - $23.7 mil. Cash $10.2 mil, of which $7.7 mil "of these funds are allocated for investment in the Club's Training & Administration Facility project". That leaves $2.5 million cash. And we have current liabilities including trade and other payables of $5.5 mil. Perhaps that explains the new $4.5 million loan facility from NAB (not drawn) - see Note 15. Just in case. And that cash is there partly because of the prepaid 2024 memberships as at 31 October 2023 of $3.7 million. Not saying any of this is bad. Just giving you the financial facts as contained in our audited financial statements.

And the proceeds from the sale of Leighoak? That was $10.7 million. The quote above come sfrom Key Highlights. The other quote from those 2022 Financials is this one further on in the Dircetors' Report: "Bentleigh Club Sale, Future Fund & Investment Committee As outlined previously, the sale of Bentleigh Club settled just after the financial year end. The sale of Bentleigh Club is the culmination of a long-term strategy to exit the gaming industry, which commenced with the sale of Leighoak in 2018 for $10.7m. The Club exits gaming with combined sale proceeds of $34.4m, and the expectation of an annual income stream from the Future Fund that will exceed income otherwise expected had the Club retained its two gaming venues. The Board have established a Future Fund with the proceeds of the sale, with the purpose of the Future Fund to underpin the long-term financial sustainability of the Club." One could read that the Future Fund was to be $34.4 m. Maybe the wording was unclear (sale proceeds/proceeds of the sale?) and it was only ever to be $23.7m?