Throughout this year, we have all been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During this period we have been focussing on ensuring the club emerges in a sound and strong position.

Many businesses operating through this time have been severely impacted. Many of our key revenue streams have been diminished and this will flow into 2021. 

The entire industry has faced unprecedented pressure and has risen to the challenge.

Many in our club have worked harder than ever while doing so on reduced wages. It has been inspiring to see the passion and love for the club that our staff display. In addition to reduction in wages, we have put on hold most of our capital expenditure and reduced our day to day costs significantly. 

The support from our members and sponsors has been outstanding, but we still expect to end the year with a shortfall of $3.5 million. There is also be a need to reduce costs by $6 million in 2021.

During this time we have re-evaluated our business plan and business model, including the staff structure within the club.  

As we look forward, we have taken the painful decision that some staff will be redundant in our business as we reshape our plans going forward.  

This is incredibly painful for those individuals impacted directly, and for everyone associated with the club. 

We have spent the past three months working through every way in which we could protect people’s jobs. We believe we have kept the number of redundancies to the smallest number possible. 

Clubs are ultimately about people. People are at the heart of the Geelong Football Club. To see good people leave our club is heart breaking. We all wish it wasn’t the case but we have to face the new reality caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Our staff that remain are focussed on taking the club forward towards our new goals. We do not know what the future holds, but everyone at the club will be focussed on achieving more success on and off the field.