Australian Football League side Hawthorn Hawks is "poised" to post its 11th straight seven-figure surplus "despite a year of dramas on and off the field," according to Greg Denham of THE AUSTRALIAN. Another A$1M ($760,000)-plus annual result will be achieved "despite winning just 10 games and finishing out of the finals for the first time in eight years" and an administration run without a CEO for most of the year. Hawks President Jeff Kennett "would not give exact details of his club’s latest financial position, which is set to be revealed early in December, but hinted the streak would continue." Kennett: "That will be announced at the annual meeting next month, but I can say it will continue a long period of sustained success." Under the latest AFL equalization measures introduced for this year, Hawthorn, Collingwood and West Coast are the only clubs that "do not get additional revenue from the AFL." Over the past nine years, the Hawks, which this year received the minimum annual AFL financial distribution to clubs, have made combined profits of almost A$26M ($20M), with four results in excess of $3M. Last year, Hawthorn recorded a net surplus of A$2.57M. Another positive result this year "will be because of another record membership figure, 75,663" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/16).
