Australian Football League club Essendon anticipates a '15 loss "that might reach a million dollars, despite an overall healthy financial position and positive cash flow," according to Gleeson & Niall of THE AGE. The club confirmed that former Australian Federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner is "slated to take over" as chair from Paul Little. The Bombers plan to "return to the top four" on the field, in membership, revenue and "fan engagement." Outlining some of the "unique financial challenges the club had faced recently," Vice-Chair Paul Brasher estimated that the club would record a loss this year of close to A$1M ($710,000). He said the club had been hit in the past 12 months with more Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority legal costs, A$200,000 ($141,500) in payments to "top up players" for the preseason games due to "voluntary suspensions of players for the ASADA case." Payments for the AFL's equalization levy cost A$270,000 ($191,000) as well as a "significant drop in gate receipts" from poor on-field performance. Brasher said the club had a debt of about A$4M ($2.8M) but he expected that to be cleared by the end of '18 (THE AGE, 10/29).
