State sponsors Cats to sell the bush

Jane Emerick
State Government yesterday announced taxpayers would sponsor four Geelong Football Club players as spokesmen for regional Victoria.
The $75,000 deal made captain Tom Harley, Gary Ablett, Paul Chapman and Steven King ambassadors for a Make it Happen in Provincial Victoria campaign.
“In return for $75,000 we get some really highprofile footballers promoting regional Victoria as a great place to live, work and invest,” a Government spokesperson said.
“There are no other AFL teams in regional Victoria, so this is the only regional team promoting regional Victoria.”
Regional and Rural Development Minister John Brumby announced the deal, saying Geelong Football Club would provide “enormous exposure” for provincial Victoria on a national scale.
Brumby said the arrangement would also involve signage at Skilled Stadium, a matchday sponsorship of the round16 encounter between Geelong and Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome and “other business and networking opportunities”.
The Government sponsorship would also highlight “many significant business opportunities” outside Melbourne, he said.
Geelong Football Club is entering its eight consecutive year as a profitable enterprise, with early predictions this year’s profit would be about $500,000.
Several other Victorian Clubs are struggling financially, such as the Kangaroos and Western Bulldogs which are selling home games to interstate venues to make ends meet.