Has anyone been to the Danny Frawley Centre?

[shanegrambeau]

..and actually paid and used the facilities?

What's it like?

Will it make a buck?

Brisbane made about the same amount of revenue from their leisure centre as their footy operations in '21. St Kilda of course, had no club, and perhaps Queensland had easier restrictions in '21.

The reason I ask (1), is because I am interested in how much income clubs need from crowds and how important attendance is in the bigger picture. Some say test cricket is on its last legs because nobody goes, but is it? If people are watching it on TV. If it is making legends and history that then feeds into the T20 white ball formats that then make a killing from attendance, TV, gambling, then you'd think the low crowds aren't such a big deal on the bottom line, despite the sad look.

https://cainz.org/11482/

[Trev from the Bush]

The gym doesn't open until June soon the centre is not fully complete. I expect, like everywhere in Victoria, there is a huge demand for swim programs but an even bigger demand for swim teacher would be failing to maximise profit. This is largely dependent on how much the operators are willing to pay swim teachers and how much the public are willing to pay for lessons.

From my experience, these type of facilities are normally built and owned by local governments and either managed in-house or by contractors. The Windy Hill facility was virtually gifted to the Bombers by Moonee Valley Council. The reason local governments tend to own these types of facilities is they are not profitable enough, if at all, for the private sector to invest capital in.

I imagine the offset costs to the Club in having access to so many facilities and services in-house, rather than pay fees elsewhere, will result in substantial savings. Tongue in cheek, I suggest many of the Club's 60,000 members may require access to one of the mental health programs should the Rossie Resurrection tank.

Test cricket doesn't draw crowds Shane? Over 180,000 at the MCG for a predictable test against a dowdy South Africa was pretty good over 4 days. Think of this as the equivalent drawing power of a Saints game at Marvel, 4:40 PM on a Sunday against the Giants. Perth no longer deserves a Test; give it to Hobart in lieu of an AFL team.

[shanegrambeau]

double

[shanegrambeau]

So the nearby Waves Leisure Centre in Highett is also a council-supported or run thing? I guess the DF Centre will have a point of difference. It'll be newer for a start.
https://au.linkedin.com/jobs/view/learn ... 3403761076

[B.M]

Big Bash is dying a slow death

Test cricket is still the pinnacle of the sport therefore draws crowds to see significant moments in history!

DFC is a strange concept imo

Was it a way of just getting funding for a pool

[bigred]

I was there a couple of weeks back and the pool was pretty busy.

[bigred]

I was there a couple of weeks back and the pool was pretty busy.

[B.M]

Busy with what?

Who runs it, who works there, what is it?

Why is it at our training base??

[Yorkeys]

Busy with what?

Who runs it, who works there, what is it?

Why is it at our training base??

-Swimming
- Eric the Eel
-It's more a recreational thing
- It's a large hole filled with treated water
- swimming forms part of modern elite fitness programs for footballers and it's relaxing.

[B.M]

So it’s a swimming centre

That makes sense

I thought it was promoted as a wellness centre

Whatever the fk that is?!

[shanegrambeau]

So it’s a swimming centre

That makes sense

I thought it was promoted as a wellness centre

Whatever the fk that is?!

Fair enough question

I wanted to know too.

I think it is good if St Kilda makes a buck from promoting wellness (physical and mental health) at the club and for the club..and even better, the local council and state government chip in.

It’s a sneaky but sound way of pooling more MONEY into the Saints whilst doing the community a service too.

I think Saints members should get discounts but then you have to take the local pollies wishes into account in order to get that council buck’

Then of course, over the other side of the ground, have the pokies so that when grandpa blows his pension, has a nervous breakdown, he can pay for mental services and receive meds which he can buy at the local St Kilda-friendly pharmacist down the road

Sorry, can’t help the sillinesses, but i am serious and curious about the DFCentre, especially with Waves less than a mile away and also on the council buck.

I agree that there probably cannot be enough pools and instructors. Even though there are loads in the area.

With Brisbane getting crazy amounts of income from their leisure centre, to borrow a Roo phrase, it would be ‘derelict of duty’ (in duty?) to not have a serious look at this leisure centre thing as a sustainable long term source of income whilst promoting St Kilda . Lots of opportunities for synergy too. That area is sports nuts paradise.


Edit. I acknowledge that in the past, leaisure centes have been notoriously fragile enterprises - COVID alone would have wiped many out, but governments support them now. There lies the key

https://www.local.gov.uk/parliament/bri ... re-centres
.

[mr six o'clock]

So it’s a swimming centre

That makes sense

I thought it was promoted as a wellness centre

Whatever the fk that is?!

Fair enough question

I wanted to know too.

I think it is good if St Kilda makes a buck from promoting wellness (physical and mental health) at the club and for the club..and even better, the local council and state government chip in.

It’s a sneaky but sound way of pooling more MONEY into the Saints whilst doing the community a service too.

I think Saints members should get discounts but then you have to take the local pollies wishes into account in order to get that council buck’

Then of course, over the other side of the ground, have the pokies so that when grandpa blows his pension, has a nervous breakdown, he can pay for mental services and receive meds which he can buy at the local St Kilda-friendly pharmacist down the road

Sorry, can’t help the sillinesses, but i am serious and curious about the DFCentre, especially with Waves less than a mile away and also on the council buck.

I agree that there probably cannot be enough pools and instructors. Even though there are loads in the area.

With Brisbane getting crazy amounts of income from their leisure centre, to borrow a Roo phrase, it would be ‘derelict of duty’ (in duty?) to not have a serious look at this leisure centre thing as a sustainable long term source of income whilst promoting St Kilda . Lots of opportunities for synergy too. That area is sports nuts paradise.


Edit. I acknowledge that in the past, leaisure centes have been notoriously fragile enterprises - COVID alone would have wiped many out, but governments support them now. There lies the key

https://www.local.gov.uk/parliament/bri ... re-centres
.

The DFC is run by Belgravia leisure , so the club and the council would only get a small percentage.
However, the club does get full use of the facilities which is closed to the public at specified times .
E.g. you can pay 8 bucks and use the pool anytime on a Monday apart from 11am till 1pm when the club are using it . These times and days would change of course during the year and during the football season depending on what day the team play .
The wellness part of the facility costs you 18 bucks to access , it has a smaller rehab and exercise pool , ice baths etc.etc.... and it offers various health and recovery programs and it works in conjunction with the nearby hospital where recovering patients etc.. can benefit from rehab programs.
The next stage of the development is almost done and a gym will be open .
So unlike the local pool which cater more to having fun , the DFC caters more to improving people's health.

[Trev from the Bush]

So the nearby Waves Leisure Centre in Highett is also a council-supported or run thing? I guess the DF Centre will have a point of difference. It'll be newer for a start.
https://au.linkedin.com/jobs/view/learn ... 3403761076

Owned by the City of Kingston and a damn (dam? ) sized bigger than the DFC. Waves is big enough to cater for recreational user, DFC is much smaller.

[Trev from the Bush]

So it’s a swimming centre

That makes sense

I thought it was promoted as a wellness centre

Whatever the fk that is?!

Fair enough question

I wanted to know too.

I think it is good if St Kilda makes a buck from promoting wellness (physical and mental health) at the club and for the club..and even better, the local council and state government chip in.

It’s a sneaky but sound way of pooling more MONEY into the Saints whilst doing the community a service too.

I think Saints members should get discounts but then you have to take the local pollies wishes into account in order to get that council buck’

Then of course, over the other side of the ground, have the pokies so that when grandpa blows his pension, has a nervous breakdown, he can pay for mental services and receive meds which he can buy at the local St Kilda-friendly pharmacist down the road

Sorry, can’t help the sillinesses, but i am serious and curious about the DFCentre, especially with Waves less than a mile away and also on the council buck.

I agree that there probably cannot be enough pools and instructors. Even though there are loads in the area.

With Brisbane getting crazy amounts of income from their leisure centre, to borrow a Roo phrase, it would be ‘derelict of duty’ (in duty?) to not have a serious look at this leisure centre thing as a sustainable long term source of income whilst promoting St Kilda . Lots of opportunities for synergy too. That area is sports nuts paradise.


Edit. I acknowledge that in the past, leaisure centes have been notoriously fragile enterprises - COVID alone would have wiped many out, but governments support them now. There lies the key

https://www.local.gov.uk/parliament/bri ... re-centres
.

The DFC is run by Belgravia leisure , so the club and the council would only get a small percentage.
However, the club does get full use of the facilities which is closed to the public at specified times .
E.g. you can pay 8 bucks and use the pool anytime on a Monday apart from 11am till 1pm when the club are using it . These times and days would change of course during the year and during the football season depending on what day the team play .
The wellness part of the facility costs you 18 bucks to access , it has a smaller rehab and exercise pool , ice baths etc.etc.... and it offers various health and recovery programs and it works in conjunction with the nearby hospital where recovering patients etc.. can benefit from rehab programs.
The next stage of the development is almost done and a gym will be open .
So unlike the local pool which cater more to having fun , the DFC caters more to improving people's health.

Belgravia Leisure is owned by former Hawks president Geoff Lord. I have had professional dealings with the company going back more than two decades and the company, among a variety of leisure centres, manages over 50 aquatic centres across Australasia. The most recent centre to come under Belgravia's mananagemen is the Danny Frawley Centre, which I see as a wise move.

Rather than say "the club and council would only get a small percentage (of income)" I would say the club is minimising its financial risks an trying to maximizing the centre's usage. A good thing, I know first hand how these centres can swallow money if not expertly managed.

[samuraisaint]

I have been for a swim in there.
Really good.
Not a huge pool but a very good pool. Very modern and well planned.

I have also had my sons in the new training centre when they went to Moorabbin for a footy clinic a few seasons ago. Great. I was impressed with the whole setup.

[saynta]

NO, I have my own pool but wouldn't mind seeing the seat with my name on it.

[shanegrambeau]

So it’s a swimming centre

..

...am serious and curious about the DFCentre, especially with Waves less than a mile away and also on the council buck.

...

With Brisbane getting crazy amounts of income from their leisure centre, to borrow a Roo phrase, it would be ‘derelict of duty’ (in duty?) to not have a serious look ....

...
.

The DFC is run by Belgravia leisure , so the club and the council would only get a small percentage.
....
So unlike the local pool which cater more to having fun , the DFC caters more to improving people's health.

Belgravia Leisure is owned by former Hawks president Geoff Lord.
..

Rather than say "the club and council would only get a small percentage (of income)" I would say the club is minimising its financial risks an trying to maximizing the centre's usage. A good thing, I know first hand how these centres can swallow money if not expertly managed.

So then, we are getting somewhere. Correct me if I am wrong.

1) Waves Leisure centre (a mile away) has huge pools etc., is council (run/funded/contracted/outsourced/whatever..it's their bag) and.
2) Waves caters to families, kids, recreation, fun, etc.
3) DFC is owned by (??we don't know??) , funded by (??we don't know??) , managed by Belgravia Leisure who was owned by a former Hawk President and.
4) DFC caters to re-hab and sports stuff. Bit like some of those places up near there in Richmond by the Yarra..loads of sports rehab, fields, pools etc.
5) We don't know how much coin St Kilda is likely to make out DFC but it is fair enough to say it won't be anything like what Brisbane makes from theirs. (Maybe they own theirs?)
6) (Edit)..and fair to say the Saints will be better off for having it there for the physical rather than the monetary side of things?

[mr six o'clock]

To answer question 3
I believe the club owns the facility paid for by grants that Finnis was able to procure from the Morrison and Andrews governments , more than 15 million. Not sure how much the local council contributed .
That is why health programs are run in conjunction with the nearby hospital.
So whilst the club owns it , the city of Kingston owns the land on which it stands .
The lease of the land still has decades to run .
If members who live within a 10k radius of the place were to take advantage of all it has to offer , then I suppose it could make good money for the club .

[samuraisaint]

NO, I have my own pool but wouldn't mind seeing the seat with my name on it.

Do you mean one of the seats in the grandstand there?

[saynta]

NO, I have my own pool but wouldn't mind seeing the seat with my name on it.

Do you mean one of the seats in the grandstand there?

yep.

[shanegrambeau]

To answer question 3
I believe the club owns the facility paid for by grants that Finnis was able to procure from the Morrison and Andrews governments , more than 15 million. Not sure how much the local council contributed .
That is why health programs are run in conjunction with the nearby hospital.
So whilst the club owns it , the city of Kingston owns the land on which it stands .
The lease of the land still has decades to run .
If members who live within a 10k radius of the place were to take advantage of all it has to offer , then I suppose it could make good money for the club .

Right

I think or hope that clubs like St KIlda should be making coin and helping the lives of its fans in synergy.

Most people get their identity and sense of belonging online nowadays. They use Social Media to communicate and stay connected and to be part of something. Fair enough. The churches and social stuff like the old dance hall group might be something of the past. I certainly hope not. I hope people don't feel isolated. Back when I lived in Melbourne, I remember how I took for granted so many wonderful things. Like signing up for a CAE course or something and just getting to meet these wonderful people. (Rose coloured glasses?) Anyway, my point is, none of the Social Media stuff is gonna help people get off their fat arses (or skinny ones) and get into good shape. Or get their financial s*** together. Or their mental stuff. Maybe DFC could offer special membership packages that include games and tickets to DFC swimming school or gym or whatever, or counseling, or social events. I see it as a win-win. No doubt a bunch of compromises come into play and who knows, maybe the lawyer or accountant figures it 'aint such a good tax strategy or something. Who knows. It maybe outsourced to a company that does the same for three other clubs. Not ideal, as they will standardize and streamline it according to economies of scale. All they'll care about is showcasing their thing so they can 'scale up' and start doing the same for Melbourne Thunder or Melbourne City FC, or the Western Bulldogs. I want it to be organic and developed by St Kilda fans for St Kilda and St Kilda fans, not out sourced to a chain mob. But I realize it is a pipedream and there will be any number of operators who would put the fear of God into such a venture, so they could get their greasy hands on it.

Still..this table irks me. Look at off field for the usual suspects .. Bulldogs, KAngaroos and Saints, (ohg and I found out that Brisbane is indeed one of those chains..BodyFusion or something.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-14/ ... /100987862

[Trev from the Bush]

To answer question 3
I believe the club owns the facility paid for by grants that Finnis was able to procure from the Morrison and Andrews governments , more than 15 million. Not sure how much the local council contributed .
That is why health programs are run in conjunction with the nearby hospital.
So whilst the club owns it , the city of Kingston owns the land on which it stands .
The lease of the land still has decades to run .
If members who live within a 10k radius of the place were to take advantage of all it has to offer , then I suppose it could make good money for the club .

I am pretty certain the Club owns the DFC. Wrightly, they have contracted professional managers, with broad experience in developing and managing programs and returning a buck. This leaves the Club with time and resources to focus on its core business - football.

Waves is a huge set up with a wave pool that holds a couple of hundred people who pat good money just to use it. Having free access to Melbourne's best beaches less than 5 km away just doesn't cut it, apparently.

[shanegrambeau]

...
... they have contracted professional managers, with broad experience in developing and managing programs and returning a buck. This leaves the Club with time and resources to focus on its core business - football.

....

I bet they have,

Broad experience?
Programs?
Bucks?

I bet.

St Kilda promotes the thing as uniquely St Kilda for St Kilda, similar to my wish thing. So no one has 'broad experience' in that.

Not knocking it. It is just a reality that things get contracted out. And it's a reality that mates hire mates. We know that the mob that does it has but one priority (underneath the rhetoric and spin) and that is the growth of their company. But in order to get more contracts, with more clubs, and more favours and friends, they have to operate in good faith, that is, if they want a future in the industry. And they do. Someone does. And that is the best we can hope for.

[Trev from the Bush]

...
... they have contracted professional managers, with broad experience in developing and managing programs and returning a buck. This leaves the Club with time and resources to focus on its core business - football.

....

I bet they have,

Broad experience?
Programs?
Bucks?

I bet.

St Kilda promotes the thing as uniquely St Kilda for St Kilda, similar to my wish thing. So no one has 'broad experience' in that.

Not knocking it. It is just a reality that things get contracted out. And it's a reality that mates hire mates. We know that the mob that does it has but one priority (underneath the rhetoric and spin) and that is the growth of their company. But in order to get more contracts, with more clubs, and more favours and friends, they have to operate in good faith, that is, if they want a future in the industry. And they do. Someone does. And that is the best we can hope for.

Oh, ffs Shane. Look up the Belgravia website, read it and try to absorb the information. Then, if you're still not happy, write to the Club suggesting they bowl the whole thing over and build a multi-storey car park. If it were truly "uniquely St Kilda" the club would go broke. That is the proven area of expertise so just be thankful wiser heads prevailed and contracted the joint to people who know what they are doing.

Your ridiculous comment about "mates hiring mates" ignores commercial reality.

[shanegrambeau]

...
... they have contracted professional managers, with broad experience in developing and managing programs and returning a buck. This leaves the Club with time and resources to focus on its core business - football.

....

I bet they have,

Broad experience?
Programs?
Bucks?

I bet.

St Kilda promotes the thing as uniquely St Kilda for St Kilda, similar to my wish thing. So no one has 'broad experience' in that.

Not knocking it. It is just a reality that things get contracted out. And it's a reality that mates hire mates. We know that the mob that does it has but one priority (underneath the rhetoric and spin) and that is the growth of their company. But in order to get more contracts, with more clubs, and more favours and friends, they have to operate in good faith, that is, if they want a future in the industry. And they do. Someone does. And that is the best we can hope for.

Oh, ffs Shane. Look up the Belgravia website, read it and try to absorb the information. Then, if you're still not happy, write to the Club suggesting they bowl the whole thing over and build a multi-storey car park. If it were truly "uniquely St Kilda" the club would go broke. That is the proven area of expertise so just be thankful wiser heads prevailed and contracted the joint to people who know what they are doing.

Your ridiculous comment about "mates hiring mates" ignores commercial reality.

I think I am being realistic.
As I said, it is the best we can hope for.
I just said my vision and it was positive. Nothing about car parks. St Kilda has said nothing has been done like this before.

So all the 'proven track record' and 'broad experience' sounds a little bit like a commercial plug tBH.

No need to get personal or in a tissy.