On the eve of the season, Australian Football League side St. Kilda is "still hunting for a sponsor to adorn the collar of senior coach Alan Richardson -- a slither of material said to be worth" more than A$350,000 ($263,725) to the "average club," according to Sam McClure of THE AGE. While the Saints are "confident they will soon secure a sponsor for another lucrative piece of real estate -- the players' shorts -- after two seasons without one, the coach's sponsorship remains a significant challenge for the club's off-field team." The sponsorship of the coach is "regarded as the second-biggest partnership behind the deal that gives a company the right to have its name emblazoned across the players' jumpers." With coaches "in the spotlight more than ever, with attention on the box and post-match media conferences, corporate partnerships for coaches are highly sought after." Richardson will replace Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley as a weekly regular on Fox Footy's AFL 360, "meaning his profile is expected to rise" in '17. St. Kilda "still hopes to gain a sponsor to appear on Richardson's collar before the season starts" (THE AGE, 3/8).
