Even more reason why we need a commercially capable CEO. That’s about $3M in sponsorship gone for 2026. Add back this new one they announced today. Vozzo was a football manager and that commercial team have been taught to sit back and wait for us to play finals (commercial culture) 
I’m not sure whether this is an AFL wide issue, or just an Essendon one, though.
If I own big company X and want maximum exposure for dollar, why would I be pursuing a sport like AFL? It’s completely domestic as a competition. Next to no international exposure.
NRL is at least trying to expand in that space. How people access sport has changed, too - you can now just as easily follow the LA Lakers in the NBA or Chelsea in the EPL (watch games, keep up with news, interact with other fans) as an AFL team. So the market isn’t even captured anymore.
Let’s just ask Steve to be the CEO
Depends on the companies objectives. They all differ….
Kia and Orange (Hutchison Telecom) both were new entrants and developing brands in Australia at the time. Both these companies wanted to partner with a big AFL club to create awareness of their brands. They both selected Essendon in part because Essendon was a ‘national’ brand with a national profile. The national footprint of Essendon, a big focus during the Sheedy era was an important selling point for the club. Essendon was strong on the eastern seaboard and had a broad appeal. Essendon could support those businesses growth in this market for those companies.
Of interest to ‘Orange’ in the early 2000’s was Essendon’s foray into the Sydney market with that preseason game against the Swans at North Sydney. Essendon wanted to increase its appeal in Sydney business market and thus was a specific attraction to Orange who at the time were the biggest club sponsorship in AFL history.
This is why it’s important Essendon gets a good CEO and why it’s important the club gets back to being focussed on its national footprint and supporter-base. This national focus unlocks larder business opportunities and products. It is able to offer a national database, a broad social media following etc. this is why it’s important to have a great social media team, commercial team etc to attract more opportunities. IMO the current group out there are second rate and the commercial performance shows.
He was on the shortlist but got beaten by Xavier in 2014!
Sponsoring sporting organisations is also a lead indicator of a potential insolvency. Having worked in financial restructuring for 12 years the number of companies who fell over who sponsored sporting clubs or organisations was extremely prevalent. My view is that it falls into two broad categories, 1. entrepreneurs getting ahead of themselves by sponsoring a club with their fandom and 2. brands of not really financially sustainable businesses that are trying to bluff the public
Sports like the NBL - (Firepower and ABC Learning Centres) - were traditionally hit really hard. While poxy clubs like Port Adelaide (GFG Alliance and My ATM) and Melbourne (Reflections Cleaning and Energy Watch) also got screwed over. ■■■■ Smith was sponsoring the Melbourne Stars and Richmond when it went into administration. Energy Watch gloated about sponsoring the Melbourne footy quaddie - the Demon, the Rebels, the Storm and the Victory.
We are not immune. Tru Value Solar fell over. It’s entire business model was a sham.
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Yep. No surprise given these businesses tend to be trying to create awareness in this market which suggests they’re either new brands, developing brands or companies rebranding. Market leaders in mature categories don’t tend to be sponsoring sporting clubs in Australia. They might sponsor the league but not clubs.
Feels like we can’t attract any sponsors and are scraping the bottom of the barrel.
fark carlton
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Auto grab.
Sounds like the EFC’s new partner responsible for making it harder for us to get out of membership auto renewals.
I cancelled my membership 2 yeas ago and this year they “chose” to renew my membership.
Refunded me after a polite conversation.
“We don’t know how that happened. Sorry”
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Agree with you here - we have really regressed commercially and tbh the proof will be in the pudding on Vozzo’s tenure because I’m far from convinced with Scott and to my reckoning we go around again with no head of development.
I haven’t been as impressed by Vozzo
As perhaps some others and 3 years in he has left.
Hope we nail the next appointment.
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Outside of maybe being part of the removal of a polarising long term club employee, it’s not immediately clear what he specifically has achieved in his tenure.
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I’m shocked
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Who would have thought that president Autograb would follow president Autopen…?
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Where’s Ron Gauci???
still, build the man a statue
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Bombers played in Sydney well before that DMapo.
Played Hawthorn in a game at SCG I attended in the 1990s or maybe even earlier before Sydney Swans existed
Not 1990s.
But otherwise correct. Early '80s? Justin Madden was with us then (so before he sold out and went to FCFC) and trounced Don Scott iirc.
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I actually checked and Bombers played Hawthorn at the Gabba not in Sydney in 1981.
The Sydney game I recall was North Melb vs Hawthorn in 1979
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