Melbourne Hawks

Of the potential mergers that were speculated about in the media, the one which perhaps seemed to make the most sense was the potential merger between Melbourne and Hawthorn. On the surface, the merger appeared to make sense for a number of reasons:

• Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Hawthorn had fielded exceptional teams which had won the club a succession of grand final appearances (eight in nine years) and premierships (five in nine years). Hawthorn, under then-coach Ken Judge, had also undertaken a youth recruitment campaign which had netted the club a number of promising players, including future Brownlow Medalist Shane Crawford.
  • In contrast, Melbourne had not won a premiership in more than three decades and suffered from a relatively weak on-field performance.
• Melbourne was in a relatively strong financial position.
  • In contrast, Hawthorn was suffering from mounting debts and financial losses. It had struggled to obtain and maintain corporate sponsorship, at one point in 1992 not having a corporate sponsor in spite of having won the previous Grand Final.
• Hawthorn had a centralised training facility, administration centre, and social club (on land owned by the social club) at its Glenferrie Oval complex. The team's training facilities had recently been upgraded and were amongst the best in the league.
  • In contrast, Melbourne did not have a central base: it trained at the Junction Oval in St Kilda, had its administration facilities in Jolimont, and had a social club in Sandringham.
• Both clubs were perceived to have had a traditionally middle-class supporter base; Melbourne had a historical connection to the Melbourne Cricket Club, while Hawthorn was based in the middle class, inner-eastern suburb of Hawthorn.
• Both clubs, in contrast to the stronger Melbourne-based clubs (like Collingwood, Carlton, or Essendon), and the stronger interstate teams (like Adelaide, or West Coast), had a relatively small membership base.

It is perhaps from a combination of these reasons that negotiations would proceed further between Melbourne and Hawthorn than between other potential merger partners.

The negotiations advanced considerably and settled on a number of key aspects of the proposed team. Speculation about ongoing merger negotiations often appeared in the mainstream media prior to the official announcement, with several key details leaking to the press. Key points related to the club's identity which were agreed upon during negotiations prior to the official announcement included that:

• The new team's name would be "Melbourne" and would use Hawthorn's "Hawks" nickname
• The new team's guernsey would resemble Melbourne's, except feature a gold 'V' and a gold Hawk
• The amalgamated team would use Melbourne's red and blue with Hawthorn's gold
• Hawthorn's Hawk would be the new team's logo
• New club best and fairest award to be known as the Crimmins–Truscott Trophy
• New club song combined Melbourne's theme song and Hawthorn theme song, lyrics were:

  We're the Melbourne Hawks, We're the high flying hawks! 
  We're the mighty Melbourne Hawks! 
  We play each game and we play to win! 
  Watch out! We play it with a grin! 
  Every heart beats true for the gold, red and blue! 
  As we sing this song for you! 
  One for all and all for one, two will make us stronger... 
  Keep your eye on the Mighty Melbourne Hawks! 

Some commentators noted that the merged team would more closely resemble Melbourne than Hawthorn and speculated whether Hawthorn suffered from a weaker bargaining position as a result of its weak financial situation.

Under the package offered by the AFL, the transitional arrangements for the merged club would be as follows:[1]

• A $6M payout from the AFL over three years, with the only condition that paying off creditors be the first priority
• Ten home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground each year from 1997 until 1999, then alternating between nine and ten games until 2007.
• A senior list of 44 players in 1997, reducing to 42 in 1998, before dropping to the standard 38 in 1999.
• Unrestricted access to players from both Hawthorn's and Melbourne's lists when compiling the initial playing list.
• Permission to exceed the league's salary cap (then $2.9M/yr) by $300k in 1997, $200k in 1998 and $100k in 1999.
• Free membership for children in 1997
• A $225k advanced payout to implement and promote the merger, whether it happened or not

Following the launch of Operation Payback, and Gutnick's campaign at Melbourne, a vocal backlash to the merger proposal emerged amongst the supporters at both clubs. Banners with slogans including "No Merger" and "Operation Payback" became a common fixture at both Hawthorn training sessions, Hawthorn matches, and at Glenferrie Road. Other signs appeared, including several which decried the system of 'proxy votes' for members unable to attend the anti-merger meeting (it was speculated by some of those who opposed the merger proposal that proxy votes would help the pro-merger cause). It is important to note, however, that this opposition was not universal: several thousand members (as noted earlier) ended up voting in favor of the merger proposal; including a majority of Melbourne supporters. In some cases, those supporting the merger were equally as passionate as those who opposed it.

Hawthorn's future four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson played for Melbourne that night, as did three of his assistant coaches David Neitz, Todd Viney and Adem Yze.

In the months following the 1996 merger vote, prominent businessman Joseph Gutnick became president of the Melbourne Football Club. He put $3 million of his own money into the club, which performed inconsistently onfield over the following few years, reaching and then missing the finals in alternating years between 1998 and 2004. Despite making the finals in 2002, Gutnick was voted out by the members. The club has since generally struggled financially, and has struggled to make finals on a consistent basis. However, in 2018 they played in the finals series for the first time since 2006.

In 2003, Melbourne plunged into a new crisis, winning only five games for the year and posting a $1 million loss. President Gabriel Szondy resigned and it seemed that Daniher's tenure as coach was under threat. But, continuing the recent trend, in 2004, Melbourne climbed the ladder again, to finish seventh. They made finals again in 2005 and 2006 but 2007 was a poor one for Melbourne; Daniher resigned and Melbourne avoided the wooden spoon and finished 14th.

Off the field, the club remained in serious turmoil. In the first sign of troubles in February 2008, CEO Steve Harris resigned. Paul Gardner addressed the media in response to comments from the club's auditors spelling disaster for the club. Gardner reiterated that the club had posted a $97,000 profit at the end of 2007. Despite celebrating the club's birthday with an official mid-season function, shortly afterward chairman Paul Gardner resigned, handing the presidency to former club champion Jim Stynes, who inherited a $4.5 million debt.

Stynes wasted no time attempting to change the club's direction and eliminate debt, introducing a drive called "Debt Demolition", beginning with a call for members to sign up. A 5 August fundraiser raised $1.3 million. The club raised well over $3 million. Despite the reduced debt, in November new club CEO Cameron Schwab declared that it required urgent AFL assistance to continue, requesting additional funding to its special annual distribution. The AFL committed $1 million to the club in 2009, with the MCC matching the AFL contribution. By the midpoint of the 2009 season, things had improved off field for Melbourne. They had secured a record number of members, remerged with the MCC, and knocked off more debt. On field was different; the team selection committee starting picking teams not capable of winning games. see Melbourne Football Club tanking scandal.

Midway through the 2010 season, Melbourne chairman Jim Stynes announced that Melbourne had paid off all debts,[10] which, with a record club membership, secured Melbourne's short-term future as a stand-alone club.

In stark contrast, Hawthorn has managed to grow in strength on and off the field since the merger. Membership jumped from 12,484 to 27,000 in 1997 and has continued to increase every year. One of the proposed advantages of merging was playing on the MCG, and Hawthorn moved its home games there in 2000 after the AFL closed Waverley Park.

The Hawks moved from their home base at Glenferrie. They relocated to the old Waverley Park, which was being carved into lucrative real estate by Mirvac. Under the terms of the deal, the oval and immediate surrounds were to remain for sporting purposes. Mirvac needed a club to occupy the oval. Hawthorn paid $1 and, in return, received the freehold on the entire oval and a portion of what is now the administrative buildings.[11]

The club began playing a few home games each year in Launceston in 2001, predominantly against the non-Victorian clubs, which earns it a hefty sponsorship from the Tasmanian government. In 2015, Hawthorn signed a five-year, $19 million deal with the Tasmanian State Government to continue to play four home and away games and a pre-season game in Launceston until the end of 2021.[12] The club now boasts one of the highest memberships among Victorian clubs, and was a dominant club on-field in the early 21st century with four premierships between 2008 and 2015.