If Melbourne can position itself as the club:
- with the closest ties to remote Aboriginal communities,
- leading the way in developing Aussie Rules in those communities, and
- investing in non-football related community projects in those communities,
such a reputation can potentially be used in the club's favour. I'm thinking, in particular, benefits could include:
- Corporate branding during sponsorship negotiations,
- Positive news pieces in the media regarding the club's involvement in such projects, and
- Negotiations with the AFL.
Melbourne can position itself as 'The Club with a Heart.'
Would the AFL ever allow Melbourne to hang out to dry, when it is the club investing most in remote Aboriginal communities? Imagine the harm to the AFL's public image.
Adopting a presence in Darwin, where the club apparently has good support (according to above posts), seems like a good opportunity for the club to begin working towards developing such an image.
Also, although I'm not an expert on the issues that surround Aboriginal communities, I would have thought that the club would bring about some positive change to the area, so I think the locals would benefit too. I add this because upon re-reading my post, I realised that it sounded like I was suggesting that the club should exploit the seriousness of the issues facing Aboriginal communities for the club's own gain, which was definitely NOT my intention. I see this as a win-win scenario for the Club and the locals of the area.
