We thank the loyal Prahrantonians members who have each contributed $400 to the club for 2011.
Alf Blamey
Basil Cleary
Leo Cronin
Tim Habel
Tony Hannebery
Russell Lucas
Cliff Peel
Kevin Matherson
Jack Morgans
Paul Taylor
Will Walford
Robert Wetherall
SPORTSBET.com.au, Prahran Assumption Football Club’s major corporate partner for 2011, is one of Australia’s great business success stories.
When Assumption College old boy Matthew Tripp paid $250,000 for Darwin-based bookmaker company Sportsbet.com.au in 2002, the company was on the edge of bankruptcy and had just eight staff.
In 2009 Tripp and his partners sold 39 per cent of Sportsbet.com.au to Irish bookmaker Paddy Power for $132m. Paddy Power purchased the remaining 61 per cent of Sportsbet earlier this year in a deal valuing the company at $338m with Tripp, 36, remaining the chief executive officer.
"We had one IT guy and a couple of phone operators and that was Sportsbet," Tripp says of the business he took over.
Since then, the company has grown to employ more than 250 staff, some 40 of whom are based in the Northern Territory, where bets must be struck under the terms of the company's gaming licence.
Last financial year Sportsbet.com.au turnover reached a staggering $2.95 billion in bets.
Sportsbet.com.au has ridden a wave of massive growth in phone-based and online wagering that has to a large extent replaced traditional racetrack-based bookies.
The PAFC is delighted to welcome Sportsbet which continues to flourish in the highly competitive sports betting industry under Tripp’s management.
Sportsbet replaces Reflections Group as our major corporate partner. We again thank Stephen Crewes for his many years association with the club.
We also welcome our Royal Blue partners for 2011 – Spectrum On Chapel, Bendigo Bank East Malvern Community Branch Bank, Boags Draught, Genesis Prahran, Garnaut Private Wealth, St Kilda Village Smash Repairs, Blue Cross Nursing Homes, Bush Inn Hotel, LED Technologies, Bremner Glass, Shann Accessories, Betstar, Retravision Prahran and Sky Blue partners and player award sponsors Gallery 324 and Strike Bowling Prahran.
