But branding should be built around the heart and soul of the club – its members.

If a club does not actively look after its members and try to increase its member base then, you guessed it, people will no longer come to the games and sponsors will jump off board faster than …. well… something very fast…a speeding bullet perhaps.

Here are a few rip-snorter strategies to keep in mind when planning how to build your club brand:

Determine what your club stands for – how the core values of the club can be demonstrated to your members. For example a club that wants to inspire more families to come to games should schedule Family Days into their sporting calendar (which many sponsors will love to be involved in) and offer discounts on family memberships.

Give your brand personality – communicate the spirit of the club brand directly to potential and current members through your club newsletter, your website, columns in newspapers, social media and even a blog. This also helps keep everyone involved and up-to-date with what is going on at their beloved club.

Be consistent with how you promote your brand – although you will use different forms of media to build your brand to different stakeholders, you should have a consistent image displayed throughout all of your advertising, publishing and merchandising. This could include the club logo, team colours and motto.

2. Which team won the NAB Cup in 2010?

3. Who were runners-up in the 2011 NAB Cup?

4. Who was runner-up at the 2010 Brownlow?

5. Who took over Chris Judd’s role as Captain at West Coast?

6. How many games did West Coast win in 2010?

7. Which former AFL player was nicknamed “Hungry”

8. Name the teams that Rodney Eade  played for?

9. Where is Denis Pagan currently coaching?

10. Who won the Coleman medal in 2010?

 Answers: 

1. Ian Robson 2. Western Bulldogs 3. Essendon 4. Gary Ablett 5. Darren Glass 6. 4  7. Kevin Bartlett 8. Hawthorn and Brisbane 9. Northern Knights 10. Jack Riewoldt

Check it out here Tiger News June 12th 2011

Many people have passions in their life; working on a car, creating a beautiful garden, raising wonderful children, building a beautiful home and reading books from a favourite author are passions that people may have. A lot of folks, however, don’t feel passionate about anything.  And when you don’t feel passion you don’t get excited about much in life, you can be unproductive and you don’t progress because you don’t look forward to anything.

 Pash Me

So how do you become passionate? Here are my tips to get some burning passion in your life. (But not the horny kind)

• Set some grouse goals – You need to create goals that are so exciting that you just can’t wait to achieve them.  Sometimes, when I have an idea for my business, I get so excited that I can’t sleep. I love feeling this way so I am always brainstorming and creating plans.  Your goals should be challenging but something you know you can achieve, and something you will know will feel great achieving.
• Read about others – I love reading about people in my industry to find out what motivated them to reach the level of success they have and also to find out how they did it. Enthusiasm is  contagious, so I love to read about people that are motivating and positive.
• Know your job – When you learn all you can about your chosen craft you will understand what it is going to take for you to     become successful. Being armed with knowledge helps spark your enthusiasm because you can create a step-by-step plan to become the best.

 You don’t necessarily need more talent or ability than anyone else to become successful. (Of course it helps to have some talent and ability!!)  Feeling passionate about what you do can get you much further than the person who may have a degree in your field.

If I had to elect who was going to run my beloved football club and the choice was between someone who had multiple university degrees or someone who had left school young but lives and breathes footy, knows the ins and outs of the club, can motivate the committee and players and who will do whatever he or she can to help the club succeed – well, I know who I would be picking.

Most footy clubs have been around for a long time, so they have a sound structure in place to keep the club running. But a club that is ‘running’ is not necessarily a club that is performing at its best. To operate at optimum level on the field, your club needs a strong support system off the field.

 Here are 4 ways to help your club move to the next level.

 Improve Communications - The best way to ensure that players, sponsors, members and the community share your vision and passion for the club is to open the channels of communication between everyone. Your club website and newsletter are fantastic tools to keep stakeholders informed, up to date and involved.

 Swot Analysis - (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) One of the fastest ways to help your club progress is to identify your strengths to build on and opportunities to pursue. Any threats and weaknesses your club have will have been dealt with by another club at some point. Use the internet, read books and talk to officials from other clubs to help you develop strategies to deal with any obstacles you are facing.

 Professionalism – The past 15 years have seen AFL clubs take it up a notch behind the scenes. As president you must lead by example and work with discipline and a clear focus. You must also ensure that every member of your club understands their role and is equipped with the knowledge, tools and motivation to move forward and take the club to success.

 Outsourcing – With increasing pressure on clubs to operate in a professional manner, it is essential that operational activities are performed at a high standard. It is a smart and cost-effective tactic to get help from professionals who have the skills and knowledge to execute tasks efficiently, so that you and the committee have the time to focus on the core business of the club.

Players, the club committee, sponsors and members should all be given the opportunity to have input and be kept informed of the planning process.

 So, what exactly needs to be planned? Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

Football Operations- Who will coach, play, time-keep, manage and provide support services to the teams?

Club Finances – Determine the financial resources of the club and how you will stay within budget. Set targets for how much money the club needs to generate through business sponsorships, fundraising and memberships.

Marketing Strategies – Identify how the club will attract players, sponsors and members. (Local radio, newsletters, club events, sponsor brochures, community notice boards, media releases and direct mail.)

Volunteer co-ordination – What roles need to be filled at the club by volunteers and who will manage rosters?

 Memberships – What to offer members, how to keep them informed and how to get them involved in the club.

Fundraising – Identify what the club requires funds for, how much needs to be raised and how you plan to reach your target.

Club Growth – Determine where the club is now and where it is heading. Identify opportunities for growth and development.

The framework and structure of your document should be drafted now so that there is time for stakeholders to review and build on it and then you can promote it to the wider community.

• A summary of the proposal

• An overview of the club

• Benefits of sponsoring your club

• Cost of Sponsorship

• What you offer and how you promote sponsors (signage, business directories, events etc.)

• Future club developments

• Committee members and contact details

• Photos of your club (club rooms, the ground, signage around the ground and club

Putting together a proposal and distributing it to potential sponsors is a great way to highlight the opportunities a partnership with your club presents. 

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when putting together a sponsorship proposal: 

• Think about the types of businesses that would make a good match with your club and will help the club’s image within the community. 

• Don’t just talk about the benefits for the club. Potential sponsors will be looking for opportunities to grow and build their business through partnering with your club.  

• Ensure there is enough information for the reader to make a decision but be careful not to waffle. 

• Check that the content flows in a logical order and that there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

 • Make sure your proposal stands out from the rest.

 Plan out your sponsor pitch carefully and remember that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

428 Update – February 2011

Inside this issue:

How to Take Your Club to the Next Level
Getting Passionate (Not the Horny Kind)
Trivia and ‘Who am I?’
Success and Motivation Tips

Right on!

I wasn’t considered a player blessed with the highest degree of natural talent.

I was recruited from West Perth Football Club and I was part of the West Coast Eagles inaugural VFL squad in 1987.

I was an aggressive half back line player.

At the end of 1992 I was traded to North Melbourne, winning a premiership with them in 1996, I retired at the end of season 1997.

I began my coaching career at Collingwood.

After taking over the coaching reigns at North Melbourne in 2003, I stepped down as coach on the 16th June 2009.

Known as the ‘Junkyard Dog’, I am…………..

Dean Laidley