Great song, great musician and Whitlams were a great band.
âSky fairiesâ ? Wow ! Thatâs a bit rich coming from a Qantas type.
@Fozdog just out of interest, could you confirm that you acknowledge that the proposed resolution does not ask for the EFC to exit from owing and operating poker machines?
Whatâs the vibe between NoPE and the club like?
From the outside, it seems quite respectful both ways, which is remarkable for a group of members gathering to amend the constitution. A credit to all involved.
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What is that??
Remove pokies, bacchus implosion will be spectacular.
I have been a member of NoPE since it was created. At its establishment, there was quite a bit of discussion about how it would conduct itself given that all (as far as I know) of its members were also active Essendon members/supporters. There was a consensus at that time that NoPE should behave fairly and reasonably in its dealings with the club. For my part, I hope that both sides can continue to treat one another with respect.
I believe that the special resolution has been drafted with this philosophy in mind. Hopefully, once they read the resolution and statement in support, even members who think that the Club canât afford to get rid of its pokies at the moment might be prepared to vote in favour of the resolution.
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Nah, not until they close down Crown. Been learning to play Poker, but I am not very good.
Not sure what is the point of that.
Bit like trying to save Bambi but still having venison on the menu
I support a non Pokie club. Does the EFC need pokie revenue ? I hope not.
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Itâs a traditional Turkish dip
amazing stuff. Genuinely amazing.
Whatâs wrong with that?
My wife loves cute little pigs. But sheâs not giving up pork anytime soon.
Are you trying to shut down Crown by taking all their money playing Poker? If accurate, that is ingenious!
I wish, very competitive place. The players all look feral and from Noble Park , but they know how to play poker better than me. It is fun though
That is true, but those that are out with the pitchforks, that is not their endgame. Can you confirm that?
Once they get a little win, they will keep pushing hard for the eradication.
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Iâm not sure about pitchforks, but yes, NoPE are advocating for the EFC to remove themselves from owning and operating poker machines.
Alongside the social harm argument there is also the reality that running poker machines venues is to have less profit each year while having more regulations and responsibilities put onto the club. In many ways the financial argument to get out of pokies stands on its own.
Only if the investment can be put to a better return than achieved currently.
You Guys realise that your lobbying and noise in the Media degrades the value of this EFC investment ? Maybe a better approach from you geniuses would be to find a buyer for the 190 pokie licenses, instead of the emotional stuff.
Essendon is all about âda moneyâ.
Anyone else get the strongly worded email from the Club Board arguing we should keep our Pokies license? Love that it used bolded text.
" Essendon Football Club has today provided notice to members of a proposed resolution to amend the Clubâs Constitution, which has been initiated by the âNo Pokies at Essendon (NoPE)â group, independently of the Club.
This vote is required under the Corporations Act as a result of the Club receiving a notice for a proposed member resolution signed by 108 Eligible Members of the Club.
Next Tuesday December 3, 2024, Eligible Members will receive an email from CorpVote on behalf of the Club with information on how they can exercise their rights to vote.
The proposed resolution is for the Clubâs Constitution to be amended to require a statement to be included in the Clubâs directorsâ report (which is part of the annual report) each year that electronic gaming machines cause social harm and that the Club, as the holder of a venue operatorâs licence, contributes to that harm.
While the Board recognises the social issues associated with any form of gambling and acknowledges that discussions are ongoing regarding the long-term implications of holding a gaming licence, the Board also believes that the proposed amendment to the Clubâs Constitution is not in the best interests of the Club.
The Board opposes the resolution for the following reasons:
- The Constitution is a binding agreement between the Club and its members. It sets the framework for how our Club is governed and should be a unifying document. The Constitution should be protected, and the Board rejects the notion that it should be altered to advance personal views or make political or policy statements.
- The Board believes that the proposal would put the Club at a competitive disadvantage, as we rely on revenue from our hospitality venues to support and invest in our AFL and AFLW programs, Windy Hill, and community programs. To illustrate this point, the Club invests upwards of $1 million dollars annually to maintain and curate the Windy Hill site to be used as a community asset for the AFLW, VFL, VFLW, EDFL and Essendon Cricket Club seasons, as well as use by the Essendon Bowls Club. The Clubâs hospitality venues directly fund this investment.
- Furthermore, over the past 10 years, local sporting clubs and community organisations in the Essendon and Melton regions have received in excess of $2 million in funding grants from the Essendon Football Club. These grants are directly linked to our hospitality venues. In 2024 alone, 23 organisations received funding from the Club to support grassroots sports and community activities. The removal of our gaming licence would result in this funding disappearing.
- The Club has already stated its commitment to exploring alternative revenue streams that will allow us choice to exit gaming in a thoughtful and strategic way.
- The statement put forward by âNoPEâ says it wants the Club to be held âaccountableâ, but the Club is already strictly accountable to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission and other Government agencies for the operation of its hospitality venues, which are operated to the highest standards. Problem gambling is a complex social issue and, given the Clubâs practices as a responsible operator, the Board does not accept the simplistic statement that the Club contributes to social harm from gambling.
- The Club being forced to exit gaming in an unplanned manner would affect the Clubâs ability to invest in areas that are important to our members, such as our football department and community programs. Additionally, revenue from our hospitality venues enables the Club to be less financially dependent on AFL funding, and thereby, more independent in its operations.
For these reasons, the Board believes that the Clubâs Constitution should not be altered and recommends that members should vote against the resolution in the ballot."
Read: We donât want to give up taking money off of people forcing us to do better at something else