BULLIES BOSS BACKS DEES TO STAY
BY STEPHEN BAKER
OUTSPOKEN Western Bulldogs president, David Smorgon has slammed Jeff Kennett’s call for Melbourne to relocate to the Gold Coast at a charity fundraiser last night.
“I told the panel members to fire up and give our paying audience something, but I didn’t expect the explosion we got from Jeffrey Kennett,” he said today.
Speaking on SEN radio, Mr Smorgon said that he believes that the club’s future remains in Melbourne.
He also said that he was yet to see proof that Victoria cannot support ten teams.
“I took issue with Jeff last night when (he) said that Melbourne should become the Gold Coast Demons,” he said.
“I took issue with him because I, like many people, have heard for the last thirty years, twenty years, the last ten years and again last night, how Melbourne can’t sustain ten AFL clubs,” he said.
“Some of the smaller clubs that are based in Melbourne have, by example, shown those critics and those skeptics that things can turn.”
Smorgon said that although Melbourne have struggled on and off the field for longer than most clubs, the right leadership can make a difference.
“It was only 12 years ago the Geelong footy club had a debt of $9m and they were talking about moving the Geelong footy club away from Geelong,” he said.
“I reminded Jeff that it wasn’t that long ago that Hawthorn had to seek a merger with Melbourne becasue they were that far out and desperate. Have a look at the league ladder now, have a look at the Bulldogs’ situation,” he said.
“Things can turn around and that’s where you need new enthusiasm, a new business plan.”
“That’s where Andrew Demetriou last night to his credit said look; Paul MacNamee is the new CEO at Melbourne, we’ve got to give him some time to put his plan into place and thats where things just need to be put in perspective - as compared to the doomsayers saying Melbourne can’t sustain ten clubs.”
Smorgon agreed that while most observers saw relocation of a Victorian team as inevitable no one wanted it to happen to their club.
“Everyone thinks that everyone else should do it and that was what Jeff alluded to last night.”
FOOTYHEADS: Can Victoria continue to support ten AFL clubs? Should the Demons think about relocating to the Gold Coast?
