ANNUAL REPORT GEELONG CATS 2020 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 1 GMHBA 1 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2 THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE READY CONTENTS DEAKIN 5–6 Notice of AGM 25–26 AFLW Arrivals/Departures Brad Close and Tom Hawkins celebrate a 7–8 President & CEO goal during the 2020 AFL 27–30 Community round 8 match against Fremantle. 9–10 Chris Scott 31–32 Foundation 11–12 Paul Hood 33–34 Corporate Partners 13–16 AFL Season Wrap Up 17–18 ‘Carji’ Greeves Medal Editor Stacey Oates & Kevin Diggerson 19–20 AFLW Season Wrap Up Art Director Damian Hurst Photo Credits 21–22 AFLW Best & Fairest AFL Photos Contributors PROGRESSIVE, REAL-WORLD LEARNING Brian Cook, Colin Carter, Chris Scott, Paul Hood, 23–24 AFL Arrivals/Departures Sarah Albon, Jess Dangerfield, Eva George Deakin University CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B Provider CRICOS Deakin University 3 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 4 NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thursday 28 January 2021 You can obtain a proxy form by contacting the Club on 1300 462 287 or [email protected]. Notice is given in accordance with clause 9 of the Geelong Football Club Limited’s Constitution (“the Constitution”), that the 44th Annual How to Access the Virtual AGM General Meeting of the Geelong Football Club Limited (ACN 005 150 The Club will use Zoom Video Communications (Zoom) which is a 818) (“the Club”) will be held on Thursday 28 January 2021 at 7pm cloud-based video conferencing service to host the AGM and enable (AEDT) (“the AGM”). the AGM to proceed virtually. Details on how you access the virtual In response to government restrictions and potential health risks AGM, how you can participate in any vote (if required), how you can arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and in accordance with the make comments or ask questions are listed below. Further details temporary modifications to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), the are also available in the online meeting guide available on the Club’s AGM will be held using virtual technology. There will not be a website. physical venue for members to attend. Members can participate In order to access the virtual AGM please head to in the AGM and watch the webcast online using their computer or membership.geelongcats.com.au/annual-general-meeting mobile device by entering the URL in their browser (see steps listed and follow the steps. below under the heading ‘How to Access the Virtual AGM’). 2020 Annual Report If a vote is taken at the AGM, you can participate in the vote by: The business to be dealt with at the AGM shall be: To download a copy of our 2020 Annual GMHBA Stadium and – A voting icon will appear on screen and the meeting resolutions SPONSORS 1. The receipt and consideration of: Report, please visit the Club’s website Geelong surrounds. will be displayed. www.geelongcats.com.au – Minutes of 2019 Annual General Meeting; – To vote, tap one of your voting options. Your response will be – 2020 Financial Report; and highlighted. – 2020 Directors’ Report and Auditor’s Report. – To change your vote, simply press a different option to override. 2. Any other general business as the Chair directs in accordance The number of items you have voted on or are yet to vote on, is with the Constitution. displayed at the top of the screen. Votes may be changed up to the Minutes of 2019 Annual General Meeting time the Chair closes the poll. The Minutes of the 2019 Annual General Meeting will be available Questions Simon Kelleher on the Club’s website www.geelongcats.com.au from 18 December At conclusion of the AGM we will be conducting a Question and Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary 2020. If you would like a hard copy of this document please contact Answer forum with Senior Club Representatives. [email protected]. We would like to give everyone the opportunity to ask a question Financial Report and therefore request you submit your question in advance via agm. The 2020 Financial Report will be available on the Club’s website geelongcats.com.au by Monday 18 January 2021. www.geelongcats.com.au from 18 December 2020. The opportunity will also exist for members to ask some questions If you would like a hardcopy of the document, please contact Simon during the virtual Meeting in respect to the items of business listed, Kelleher, CFO, by email at [email protected]. as well as any general questions in respect to the Club. In order to au. Members who request a hard copy will continue to receive all ask questions or make comments during the virtual Meeting, you will Contact the Club subsequent Financial Reports in this form until the Club is advised need to follow the following steps: Phone. 1300 462 287 otherwise. – To ask a question tap on the question icon, type your question Fax. (03) 5221 8462 We trust you will find the 2020 Financial Report to be clear, in the chat box at the bottom of the screen and select the send Address. PO Box 461, Geelong VIC 3220 informative and easy to access. Should you have any queries, please icon. Confirmation that your message has been received will Website. geelongcats.com.au contact the Company Secretary. appear. Membership & Reserved Appointing a proxy Seat Enquiries In accordance with the Constitution, a member is entitled to appoint Phone. 1300 462 287 a proxy (who need not be a member of the Club). The appointment Fax. (03) 5223 1895 of a proxy shall be in writing and must be lodged at the Office of the Email. [email protected] Club to the attention of the Company Secretary not later than 7pm Website. membership.geelongcats.com.au (AEDT) on Monday 25 January, 2021. 5 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 6 Our staff have worked hard to improve our team and Inevitably, at the end of every season, there is change to grow the women’s game. Our players embraced and we thank those who have served us so well as what it is to be elite athletes and Geelong footballers. players, coaches and staff and who are leaving us and We are all excited about the 2021 AFLW season and moving to new challenges. While it is dangerous to look forward to continued growth. single out individuals that are leaving, there are three that we believe deserve special mention. This year has been one of great challenges and, for some, a lot of pain. We’ve had to take around six Gary Ablett and Harry Taylor are two of the million dollars out of our cost structure this year, and greatest players our club has seen. Both have been these cuts will be extended through 2021. For some, tremendous players, but even more importantly they that has meant they no longer have a job. For most are wonderful people. They’ve been great contributors others, it has meant permanent reductions in their to our club. salaries. Our AFLW captain Melissa Hickey also retired. Also, many of our people have had to work from home Melissa enjoyed a tremendous career in the women’s while trying to deal with home-schooling and with game and she has been an exceptional captain over partners who also have job challenges. our first two AFLW seasons. And then there are the players and staff who left We can again be proud of our work in the community home at 24 hours’ notice for what we had been told this year. We were able to rethink our way of working would be a 32 day trip. But that 32 days morphed into and this enabled us to continue to make a significant nearly 120 days on the road, living out of suitcases. impact. Some were separated from their families for that We thank our number one ticket holder, Rebecca time. We are proud of how our people responded to Maddern, and our Patron - Frank Costa for their these challenges. leadership. And we couldn’t compete without our We also owe a huge thank you to our members, sponsors. We particularly thank Ford, our major sponsors and donors. Your support has saved us from sponsor, GMHBA our stadium sponsor, Momentum a year that threatened to be a catastrophe. Energy, Simonds, Cotton On, Geelong Advertiser, Deakin University and Morris Finance. When the competition was put on ice early in the year, we were looking at a huge financial hole – In closing, and looking ahead, Craig Drummond possibly running up debts of close to $10 million. will be taking over as the President of the Geelong Football Club in early 2021. Craig is a very successful But our members, sponsors and philanthropic donors businessman and most recently has been the CEO at have stuck with us. All of this support has made a Medibank. He has been a member of our board for the huge difference. COLIN CARTER & past decade and has huge passion for our club. We Like all clubs, we have taken hits. The result is that are fortunate to have Craig as our next President. we will finish with a net loss of around $2.6 million The transition will take place, as always at Geelong, – while we had planned at the start of the year for a in a smooth way. You have given great support to us profit of several million. But it is a result much, much BRIAN COOK as your President and CEO - and for this we are very better than the catastrophic outlook that we faced grateful.