A Chin-wag with Basil Macula

SS : What is your official role with St Mary's Football Club?
BM: Treasurer.

SS : How long have you been on the Board?
BM: I ' ve been on the board for 12 years, but I ' ve had the position of Treasurer for five years.

SS : I presume this would take up a fair bit of your time, does that bother you? And what drives you to keep going?
BM: Yes it does a little. I have two young girls aged eight and five and my wife is constantly telling me I spend too much time down at the club. The mateship around the club and seeing the younger guys develop are the two main reasons that keep me excited about what I do. Also, the satisfaction of knowing that I'm contributing in some way to getting St Mary's back on track. Furthermore, the hope that just one more year will bring
success both on and off the field certainly keeps me motivated

SS : How do you rate St Mary's current financial position?
BM: OK. It is comfortable without setting the world on fire! We were able to spend more of the salary cap this year as a result of our improved financial position.

SS : How does this compare with the past five or six years?
BM: It is about 150 per cent better than in previous years. Five years ago we were in serious trouble in that we were struggling to even pay our bills. Whereas now we have no outstanding accounts and our level of debt is a lot better.

SS : What is this a result of?
BM: The tireless work of the board and their continued efforts to raise money for the club. Equally important is the players support. I have often said this in the past, that players not asking for too much money and staying loyal to the club has gone a long way to getting the St Mary’s where it is today.

SS : Do you think people realise the impact the next couple of years will have on the ultimate survival of St Mary's Football and Netball Club?
BM: No! People think that we are out of the woods because we're not complaining and
haven't made it public knowledge that we are struggling. In previous years everyone
realised that it was almost crisis time for the footy club. If we don't continue to be successful on the field in the next couple of years then it makes it very hard for us to
maintain a good financial position.

SS : From a board perspective, what do you think needs to be done in order to assure a
successful continuance of the St Mary's Football and Netball Club?
BM: Membership needs to be increased, as well as the support given by each of the members. The number of helpers around the club needs to be increased to help share
the workload as well as generating new ideas. We also need some fresh and active blood on the Board, combined with the continued support of the players.

SS : A question that has occupied my mind, as well as many other people concerned with St Marys' best interests is: With the new developments of Kardinia Park affecting the surrounding parking capacity of our oval, has the club been compensated?
BM: The council has enabled us to have an extra K & M Paints sign at the northern end of the ground which adds an extra $5000 dollars to our club. Supposedly the council will be upgrading some of our facilities over the summer months, which will include a veranda and windows extended onto the social club, with extra seating added. Our change rooms are also expected to be refurbished.

SS : Finishing seventh for the past three years has obviously raised some concerns
with where the club is heading in the coming years. A different approach clearly had to be taken. Whose decision was it to spend more money on the salary cap for this season?
BM: It was a combined decision. Coach David MacDonald approached the Board and said we can't continue on like this if we expect to be competitive in this league. The Board also recognised that the timing was right for us to spend more money on our players after not spending anywhere near the salary cap for some time. It was recognised that the debt was low enough that we could start spending some of that money on player payments.

SS: With the continual development of the younger core of senior players at the club, is there any chance of increased player payments for struggling Uni students?
BM: We are giving it serious thought!