natwhereyouat
Years ago

Save the Crocs campaign

Sign it >>HERE<<

Run by the Townsville Bulletin, although it is the official petition.

Team meeting up with sponsors tonight to see where they can go from here. It's believed the club will need to raise around 2mil

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Mick  
Years ago

Wonder how they will go about it?

$2k for a "re-foundation" membership? Get 800 people on board and make up the rest with sponsorship $$$ and no strings attached donations.

I would think you would need slightly more than $2m.

I'm in if the model is right and transparency is guaranteed.




Reply #413126 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

+1

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MACDUB  
Years ago

Getting the Crocs back in next season would be huge for the league.


But 'sustainability' is the key.

Sure, someone might be able to get the funds together and make it work for the Crocs for next season.
But then what?

We will be in the same position as now.

Pumping money to get the Crocs back up and running is just masking the problem/putting the inevitable off for another year.
Better to just face the problems head in, address and resolve them, then pump money in.

Reply #413174 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

The Save The Crocs site is listing Foundation Membership for $5,000.

Reply #413176 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

They've just had a creditors meeting and a close source has said it was mentioned that BA are forcing the Crocs to go another year.

Reply #413178 | Report this post


natwhereyouat  
Years ago

Reply #413180 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

5k is steep...

Reply #413189 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Won't raise enough money without asking for hefty amounts from someone.

Might be a few things they can list as being provided to sweeten the deal but that don't cost them much to provide. e.g., mentions in each season's brochure, dedicated page on the website, honour wall at the stadium, etc.

Reply #413190 | Report this post


NBL Fan  
Years ago

Can't they do what the Taipans did and get multiple people to pay say $100 and make up $5000?

Reply #413192 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

I think they should have priced it more along the lines of 2k...

Reply #413196 | Report this post


Tiapans Steve.  
Years ago

Mick when we went through it the $5000 was paid straight up by some people and others went into syndicates to get the $5000 multiple.
Isaac it was enough for us to start and smart and hard business decisions have kept us going. The funds required for the year may be $3000000 but you are going to trade its all about bringing costs into line.

Reply #413205 | Report this post


Tasman  
Years ago

would like to see the crocs saved
If not, then Wellington are ready to go!!

Reply #413218 | Report this post


MACDUB  
Years ago

Tasman,

BA aren't keen on the idea of a Wellington team (not yet anyway)

Wellington Saints CEO came out and admitted that this week in the news.

Reply #413257 | Report this post


Rod  
Years ago

$5000 straight up or ppl making syndicates to get the $5000

we've had over 250 entries into our pledge database - some $5000, some multiple $5000 and some season ticket/club membership

amazing response after just 7hours open to the public. The website crashed for 10mins with heavy traffic!

#savethecrocs

Reply #413260 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Thats a frustrating thing, if Wellington are good to go, we need atleast 8 teams then why not?

If the Crocs survive, great, we have 9 teams, even better.

The fact they are from NZ isnt a good enough reason to not let them in if they are able to meet all other criteria imo.

Having NZ teams in the league works well for other sports could also draw more on the Aussie v NZ sporting rilvary

Would also be good as it would give the Breakers a real competitor for local talent, ie you may not end up with Abercrombie, Pledger, Vukona, Webster all on the same team with imports, atleast one would surely be heavily persued by Wellington at a guess. It would then make the comp a bit more even, the Breakers have a huge advantage, being able to trot out fairly close to the tall blacks, well the best of them apart from Penney, plus imports.

If the concern is increased travel cost, decrease the salary cap by the increase to cover it, id lower it by 200k anyway, make it 800k, the fact there are more jobs available would keep the average wage of players the same with a lower cap. 8 teams at 1 mil = 8 mil, 9 teams at 800k = 7.2 mil, close enough anyway.

Anyway back on topic, hope the Crocs survive and people get in and support them, would be sad to see them go, always enjoyed watching them!

Reply #413261 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Great news Rod, how much needs to be raised?

Reply #413262 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Go the " Hungry Jacks " CROCS!

Reply #413266 | Report this post


Rod  
Years ago

We will need at least $2 million to operate on a bare bones budget

The committee has met with major sponsors already and they appear to be back on board. There is a public meeting tonight at 6:30 at the Crocs practice facility to inform everyone of what is happening and what is required.

Reply #413267 | Report this post


mball  
Years ago

Please delete my last post as I hit enter before posting :S

Don't forget that with a community model the entity can apply for a lot of government grants, as the Taipans do, for programs such as healthy activities for kids, etc. From what I have read the Crocs already do a fair bit of community work in this area so tying this in with the government grants shouldn't be too hard.

I support another team but am also a basketball fan and would hate the NBL to lose the Crocs. I have made a pledge of $50. Not everyone can afford 5K so hopefully if a lot of other basketball fans can contribute what they can, the target can be reached.

Reply #413277 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

2 things I like about the Wellington bid, 1. if gives the Breakers a NZ derby, greater interest an internal rivalry etc. 2. If offers 10 more jobs in basketball, could dilute the Breakers dominance on Tall Blacks players which wouldnt be a bad thing in my opinion.

The other thing I like is everyone going to NZ would play a road double, Breakers Friday, Wellington Sunday or whatever day scheduling suits. It would Alleviate the the often rubbish schedule we have now where a team plays NZ on a Thursday night and then has to play back in Australia on the weekend.

Wellington to me is a no-brainer....if they are good to go let them in!

Reply #413282 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

Looking very promising a day after looking very bleak.

Good stuff.

Will be good to know details as soon as they emerge especially regarding what a foundation membership entails.

Even though the basketball side of things is our last problem right now, this development basically ensures we will be re-signing everyone from last season's roster, possibly minus Nevill and Ervin. I wonder how much consideration this has been given by the steering committee considering the on court performance was what was driving lots of people away and therefore minimising revenues. Probably hasn't quite got to that stage yet, but it is a major decision that will come up: ie. how much do you penny pinch to keep costs low vs. putting a great team together that people will pay money to see.

Reply #413284 | Report this post


Rod  
Years ago

very early stages but we haven't got long! Clubs can talk to free agents from 2 weeks after the end of the finals series - lets hope perth win this one to give us an extra week

Reply #413286 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

"Just try throwing out a toy a child hasn't played with for years." A pretty good analogy I just read on ozhoops.
See also Cairns and Wollongong $5000 for foundation membership amd a vote etc .
Strange how the Adelaide 36ers said it doesn't seem to fit here .

Reply #413288 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

The NBL has officially asked other clubs not to talk to Townsville free agents until a direction forward is reached, so hopefully they play nice and heed that request. That said, the only players (formerly) under contract who I would mark as "can't lose" are Mitch and Todd, only because they are young and have nice upside. PC is coming off a bit of a shocker and he is (was?) overpaid anyway, while Jake had a shocker offensively, even if he rebounded well. Rusty won't attract any attention from other clubs anyway.

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The Situation  
Years ago

Rusty shouldn't even be attracting attention from his current club.

Reply #413313 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

sad but true... although in a time like this you need passionate guys like him, even if his days as a productive player are behind him.

Reply #413321 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

I'd keep Hinder given they may not have the money/stability to attract a better replacement and the rest of the front court has hardly dominated.

Blanchfield would be my only lock. But as said, I think they will have few alternatives to some of the rest and may have to keep Cedars, etc.

Reply #413322 | Report this post


Rod  
Years ago

We have changed a few options in the SaveTheCrocs.com pledge drive to make it more accessible and affordable to everyone.

* $5000 foundation membership,
* Purchase part of a Syndicate for a foundation membership - for however much can you afford,
* Club Membership/Season Tickets, or
* General monetary donation

what do you think?

Reply #413323 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Similar to Cairns and Wollongong , very successful on and off the court.

Reply #413324 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I'm just playing devils advocate here so please don't flame me, the extra ordinary fund raising might get them through another year but what's the plan for self sufficiency beyond that?

You can't do this every year moving forward just to keep the Club going?

Is this a stay of execution or will/can the club announce a strategy of guaranteed funding for the next 2-3 years?

I guess i'm just asking are we throwing good money after bad...

Reply #413325 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

It's one off not every year , if you follow CNS and WLG all will be OK .

Reply #413326 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Camel, you still need to find the money regardless of the ownership model.
The funds needed for next season to make up the shortfall from takings/sponsorship will be no different the following year unless revenue is increased via sponsorship/people shelling out money or spending cuts.

Reply #413327 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

What anon is saying is that if the profits aren't going to be there, well, the profits aren't going to be there. The club was slated to lose 3/4 of a million dollars this upcoming season under it's previous model, and Townsville hasn't exactly been a big spender these past few years.

So how do you not only avert that impending disaster but make sure that you keep the coffers full enough to keep going the season after next. It's going to be short term pain. Those Wollongong and Cairns rosters were not great after they immediately switched to the community model, but now they are looking pretty decent. The Crocs can't just come back with the same product. Not just in terms of the fiscal side of the operation, but all of the things that were keeping people away: game night presentation, marketing, record, roster, etc. all have to change if they want to give themselves half a chance. And on a tight budget. Reidy seemed committed to turning around the game night experience though, which is a positive.

On the plus side, Wayne Swann has confirmed that the $5m to upgrade the Townsville Entertainment Centre is still guaranteed. Things are looking up.

Reply #413331 | Report this post


Hawkeye  
Years ago

Agree with Mick and Anon the saviour's of the Crocs will have to fund multiple year losses, not just the start up capital, unless there is a sugar Daddy, as I cant see more being raised from the current sponsors and season ticket holders.

The $ raised need to be on top of the existing income.
IE Pay $5000 and still buy your season ticket or sponsorship.


Reply #413338 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

anyone interested in the save the crocs meeting, check out @mattic6 on twitter who has been live tweeting from the meeting.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Hawks have a benefactor who backs the $1mill guarantee and subsidises their losses.
Now that the Crocs have handed back their licence I suspect that they havn't had to pay that $1mill surety. So there is an immediate stumbling block. As others have cor4ectly said, where will the sugar daddy come from. Colbran and co have been that in recent years and have had enough.
Public support is a band aid solution to the inevitable losses that almost ever tean has in the NBL.

Reply #413401 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

An anonymous millionaire donor has gifted $1.4m to the cause.

What a bloody legend!

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2013/04/12/379225_news.html

Reply #413411 | Report this post


bowtie  
Years ago

Hearing and reading lots of stuff about the venue rent is being halved.
What figures are we talking about?

Reply #413422 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

Going from approx. 22k per game to down around 12k, according to the newspaper.

Reply #413425 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Aw , Cairns council put up the $1M guarantee .
Of the "shortfall." Well , there ain't any .
It doesn't necessarily follow that if you pay a player more money he becomes a better player.
On day 3 of the campaign the Crocs have found the way.

Reply #413432 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

The campaign will have less than a month to run in total I reckon.
The NBL have to commit to an 8 team competion woth 10 and Perfom media by the end of May.
The will need their own time to submit their paperwork and ensure their own house is in order.

If Cairns are just breaking even then that's hardly exciting news. That was reflected in their season just finished. Crowds will drop away because they only want winners and putting a mediocre side on the floor agin will only make matters worse next season. Hawks are still losing money and being subsidised, Sixers still dodgy and the whole thing very shaky.

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Mick  
Years ago

One thing Townsville has going for it is a much stronger and stable economy than Cairns, so you have a strong business base to potentially draw from. It's just a matter of tapping into that and getting local businesses to support the team the way they did in the 90s and early-to-mid 2000s. Some are questioning the lack of fiscal / business expertise in the group heading up this revamp, but maybe an enthusiastic and fresh approach is what is needed.

I trust Pat Reidy to get the basketball and game night experience (incl. price point) right moving forward, we just need to stabilise the finances in the meantime. If Townsville are competitive and the game night experience isn't off-putting, the rest will sort itself out. It's just about getting those two things on track with enough dollars in the kitty to keep from going belly up.

People are writing-off the game night experience complaints as irrelevant in these dire circumstances, but making a night out to a ball game fresh and appealing again is the only way you are going to get people coming back who aren't diehard basketball fans. Everyone who I've taken to a game who isn't a fan likes the basic product: fast-paced game, arena in the city, cheap drinks (compared to other sporting venues), a perfectly suitable timeslot for something to do before heading out to a bar -- all of which are in walking distance from the venue, but they find it hard to get past the tacky presentation.

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Isaac  
Years ago

If Cairns are just breaking even then that's hardly exciting news. That was reflected in their season just finished.
In professional sport, breaking even is good news. Season wasn't exceptional, but they know Wilson can play better and they did have the ROTY. Loughton and Tragardh are better than they played too.

No team in a 5k stadium is going to rake in big profits until there is a really strong TV deal in place.

I think breaking even or slight profit is the ceiling for regional teams. The teams with access to 7k+ stadiums have a bit more potential in the interim.

Reply #413443 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

If it's true one person has already donated $1.4 mill then the Crocs will be in next year, and with a bit of community support, which looks like coming on, should start from a stronger position than Cairns and Wollongong did in year one as community owned teams.

The first key is to only spend what they earn, Cairns do this very well and Wollongong pretty well. The second key is to gather a big membership base so you are earning enough to do that, something Cairns are again doing very well.

Good luck Crocs.

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