Despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-related lockdowns and hub requirements for a second consecutive financial year across both the AFL and AFLW seasons, the GIANTS recorded a statutory surplus of $68,826 in 2021.
Notwithstanding the challenges of a second COVID-impacted year, the GIANTS reached the finals of the AFL competition, successfully navigated hub environments as part of both the AFL and AFLW seasons, continued their comprehensive community outreach programming across Western Sydney and the ACT and achieved a positive financial result.
GIANTS Chief Executive Officer, David Matthews, said it was pleasing to be able to bounce back significantly from the competition-wide financial hardships of 2020.
“It’s significant for the club to be able to post a statutory surplus given the continued COVID-impacts upon both the AFL and AFLW seasons in 2021,” Mr Matthews said.
“Despite the AFLW program spending over a month in various hubs and the AFL program relocated away from home for 72 days, we saw increases in both our partnership and membership revenue which is a fantastic achievement
“Partnership revenue recovered well from the previous season with a 25 per cent increase on 2020. We are grateful for the continued support of our corporate and commercial partners, including Toyo Tires, Harvey Norman and the ACT Government.
“In our 10th season in the AFL competition, our loyal members continued to show their strong support with an 18 per cent increase on 2020 revenue and a membership tally in excess of 30,000 for the third year in a row, which is a significant result for such a young club.
“While our AFL team was forced to leave Sydney in June due to lockdowns, we continued our comprehensive community outreach programming across Western Sydney and the ACT.
“The club’s GIANT Hand program raised over $160,000 to support Western Sydney communities by providing vulnerable families with more than 15,000 meals produced on-site at the club's facility in Sydney Olympic Park.
“We thank the AFL for their continued support to ensure the AFL and AFLW seasons continued in 2021 and we thank our incredible members for being the lifeblood of the GIANTS despite the wider community facing a range of economic challenges in 2021.
“The resilience of our club from players and staff, to partners and members, has shone through over a tough period and we’re full of positivity as we head into the second decade of our club.
“We now look forward to a successful second half of the current AFLW season before a blockbuster event to open the AFL season when we host Sydney Derby XXIII at Accor Stadium.”
