From the Archives 1986 Alan Bonds failed football revolution

By Ron Carter September 9, 2021 â€" 10.38am

First published in The Age, September 11, 1986.

Tigers’ $12m bid for Brisbane

Bond’s plan unlikely to get past other clubs

Richmond’s president-elect Alan Bond.Credit:Neale Duckworth

Richmond Football Club’s incoming president, Alan Bond, last night said the Tigers would spend $12 million to play 11 games in Brisbane and 11 in Victoria from next year.

Bond said: “To do the job properly we will need $12 million. The VFL Commission knows that when we say we’ll put $12 million into the game it’s there. There isn’t any doubt about what we say we’ll do.”

Bond said Richmond would raise the $12 million with a public company listed on the Stock Exchange by the start of next season.

He said Richmond was not on its knees financially. “I don’t get involved with things when they are on their knees. We are sound financially but haven’t got lots of money,” he said.

A special meeting of the VFL Commission has been called for tonight to discuss the plan with the Richmond board. But Bond and Richmond’s proposal for the Tigers to fly in and out of Brisbane for 11 games next year, with the remainder played in Melbourne, mostly at the MCG, has little hope of being supported by the other VFL clubs.

Without the backing of at least eight other clubs Richmond will remain in Melbourne where it has been for the past 102 years.

The Queensland Australian Football League also is strongly against Richmond’s proposal to make Brisbane its home for only 11 days a year.

Queensland League manager Ken Murphy last night accused the Tigers of a “carpetbag approach” and “trying to milk money and players from Queensland”.

“They are trying to exploit the fruits of Queensland,” Murphy said.

Fitzroy president Leon Wiegard said the Richmond proposal would “have a difficult passage through the VFL Commission and a more difficult one through the VFL board”.

Wiegard said that while he had not seen details of the Tigers’ proposal, it seemed similar to the one Fitzroy presented when it looked certain to go to Brisbane.

“That was knocked back because it meant fewer home games for the other clubs,” Wiegard said. “I don’t wish Richmond any harm. I just don’t think it will get through.”

Fitzroy president Leon Wiegard.Credit:Ray Kennedy

Wiegard said he did not think Richmond’s surprise move took any pressure off Fitzroy, which is hoping private ownership in Melbourne will prevent it from being forced to go to Brisbane.

Bond, who flew from Sydney with members of the Richmond board last night in a private jet and then continued on to Perth, said: “Let Fitzroy get themselves strong again here before they want to go moving anywhere else.”

He said the other proposals to put a VFL club in Brisbane would not be successful. “We think they are based on unsound realistic principles as to the game of football itself. It needs the backing of a strong club with the up and coming players coming through and Queensland by itself would not support that and it would be a very weak structure.

“I believe our supporters would get a fantastic opportunity because they could see 11 games live here in Melbourne and 11 full games live on television from Brisbane.

“The whole thing is to project Richmond as the team which goes into the 1990s being the strongest team in the competition,” Bond said.

He said Richmond wanted the best of both worlds by playing 11 games in Brisbane and 11 in Victoria, but added: “We are concerned with football, not just a promoter making some money out of it. We want to see our money going into the game itself.”

Bond denied that Richmond would be a “Clayton’s club” for Brisbane.

“The strength of having the support of a fantastic club like Richmond would outweigh any club which is going to be set up from scratch or a weak club. Richmond would be financial, we are buying new players, we are going into next year’s competition as a strong club.

“If you are going to have a strong competition you don’t want a weak situation coming from Brisbane.

“Everything has a trade-off. Nothing is an ideal world.

“I think this is the best realistic assessment of how to get football to the great masses of the population.

“It is impractical for Brisbane to contemplate having a club wholly out of there. There just are not the footballers there to give serious competition. To start one up is not realistic.”

Bond said the Tigers had been looking at the Brisbane option seriously for three months and casually for the past year.

Alan Bond at a press conference to discuss the club’s future. Credit:Cathryn Tremain

He said: “It’s a matter of us letting the VFL Commissioners and supporters know that, in the interest of football itself, the game would be better off under this arrangement. We have the financial strength to compete and we will lead the way next year.”

To do the job properly he said Richmond would need $12 million.

Bond said Richmond members would have the first opportunity to buy shares and be given options to subscribe at a later date.

“We’ll keep all of our supporters and members right with us all the way.”

The $12 million would be used to develop Richmond’s Punt Road ground here in Melbourne by improving supporters’ and training facilities.

“We want the best training facilities here in Victoria and the best in Brisbane as well. Obviously it is a very expensive exercise to relocate part of your game in another state.”

The VFL licence would be held by Richmond FC and the company to be listed on the Stock Exchange.

Bond said that any one shareholder would be limited to 10 per cent “The Bond Corporation or myself would not take more than 10 per cent.”

Bond said there was no direct business benefit in his involvement with Richmond and the proposed games in Brisbane.

“It’s not something we are looking at as a major sponsorship situation,” he said.

“When I came into Richmond there was a suggestion I did so to sell beer; that’s not the case at all. I came in because I’m interested in the game. I’d love to see a club that can be a great club again.” Richmond has been a great club, it will be a great club again.”

Whatever happens he will become president of Richmond next year.

Bond said he had already had discussions with Alister Norwood, head of a syndicate which is trying to win the licence to have a VFL club in Brisbane.

“We put an olive branch out and we think we can accommodate their requirements within our framework, but no commitments have been made by either side.”

He added: “The VFL wants a club in Brisbane and it has to be one of the strong clubs, quite frankly. We wish to make this move, we are financially strong enough to make, the move. There’s no point in giving a weak club to another state. Brisbane deserves a strong club.

“If we can show some leadership, which we are trying to do right now, our supporters will see a future, our players will see a future and we’ll get more supporters, not fewer supporters, and that has to be good for football.

“I encourage the VFL Commission to take us very seriously. This is a good compromise to what they are trying to do. It is no good setting up a new club out there in the wilderness and expect it to compete effectively.

Former player and coach Francis Bourke will return to Richmond next year, but Bond would not say in what capacity. However, he is expected to be a specialist coach.

Fitzroy’s future will be decided in the next three weeks. The commission will make its recommendation on Hecron’s bid to buy the Lions to club directors next Thursday and they are expected to vote within two weeks.

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