John Lattanzio was only nine years old when St Kilda won their one and only premiership in 1966 – but a chance encounter with ruckman Brian Mynott a year later was what had a lasting impact.
A mutual friendship led to Mynott writing a young Lattanzio a letter, kicking the footy with him in Phillip Island, speaking to him after games, and even gifting him his club-created premiership medallion. It was the first in a series of fond interactions with the Saints across many decades.
Saints fan John Lattanzio has bequeathed a third of his estate to the club.Credit: Joe Armao
Lattanzio, a Monash University professor who works in the School of Physics and Astronomy, was so appreciative that he has pledged to leave a third of his estate to St Kilda.
Bequest programs have become commonplace across the competition in the past 15 years as clubs seek new revenue streams to survive and thrive in a challenging fiscal environment.
The Hawks offer members a free will kit.Credit: Hawthorn Football Club
“I don’t have any dependents, so that’s part of why I made this decision,” Lattanzio told this masthead. “I don’t think that they’re a better choice than a charity. I sometimes think maybe I shouldn’t give so much to a club that’s main aim is to win a premiership.
“But then again, they’ve been good to me when they didn’t have to be, and I think all these clubs have a social function that is significant – and I give money to charities every month, anyway.”
The Saints did not have a bequest program when Lattanzio made his offer, but all 18 teams now promote bequeathing, and some even have bequest officers. The Brisbane Lions, Fremantle, Gold Coast, GWS and Western Bulldogs are outliers without a specific name for their program, who instead count these types of donations within their foundation.
Hawthorn, who relaunched their bequest society Always Hawthorn in 2014, are the only club that mentions and provides updates of this funding in their annual reports.
The Hawks reported having 87 bequestors two years ago – up from 32 a decade ago – before revealing last year that they had added three more, but did not give an updated overall tally. The club acknowledged “a generous donation from one of our loyal Victorian bequestors who sadly passed away this year” in its 2021 report.
Those donations go towards Hawthorn’s public ancillary fund, which was publicly valued at $12,215,433 in October 2023 and is being used, in part, to help fund their future base, the Kennedy Community Centre in Dingley.
The Hawks listed donations and special fundraising at $1,072,702 last year, and $1,707,325 the previous year.
They issued an email to select club members on January 31 with the subject line, “Secure the future with a complimentary will”, explaining it was “free and simple”, online, included limitless updates and would take only 10 minutes to complete.
Information about Always Hawthorn Bequest Club was at the bottom of the email.
“After providing for loved ones, you also have the option to include a gift to the Hawthorn Football Club, and any other causes that are close to your heart,” the email reads.
“Whilst there is no obligation to leave a gift to the club, a growing number of our members understand that leaving a gift in their will is one of the most powerful ways they can support the club to thrive in future generations, without it costing a cent during their lifetime.”
The free will kit came about from the Hawks’ partnership with Gathered Here, which brands itself as Australia’s top “end-of-life services website”.
Geelong also provide members with a free will kit.Credit: Gathered Here
Geelong, whose bequest club is known as Geelong Cats Forever, and St Kilda (Saints Bequest Society) are among the other clubs that have an association with the company, and offer their members the same free will kit.
Like Hawthorn, the Cats suggest that “by gifting as little as one per cent of your estate to the Geelong Football Club, you can ensure that your legacy and impact lasts forever”.
Geelong made $3,553,861 last year from “philanthropic donations”, and more than $1 million in 2023, but it is unclear how much of that is from bequestors.
The Hawks said: “A number of our members and their families are often in contact with the club wanting to make a financial contribution via a bequest.
“Any request that is made to make a bequest to the club is treated with respect, care and follows a clear process within the club.”
No club categorically lists bequests in their financial statement. They instead fold them into donations, fundraising or “other revenue” on most occasions to maintain privacy.
Essendon CEO Craig Vozzo signs personalised and framed certificates for Bombers Forever bequestors.Credit: Justin McManus
Most AFL teams offer bequestors perks for donating.
Essendon, for example, hold three exclusive functions each year for Bombers Forever members, including appearances from current and past players, and present each donor with a personalised and framed certificate signed by coach Brad Scott and chief executive Craig Vozzo.
Adelaide valued their bequest program at $1.5 million in 2014, when they had more than 50 people pledging money to the club in their wills.
The Crows stated that commitments ranged from “a few thousand dollars to nominated percentages of estates”. This masthead contacted Adelaide for updated figures, but they preferred to keep those details private.
Melbourne list 122 Ron Barassi Bequest Society members on their club website, including the man himself, 24 of whom requested anonymity and three who are deceased. The Demons launched their society in September 2012.
Richmond’s bequest program is named after the late Neville Crowe, a former Tigers captain and triple best-and-fairest winner who became an influential club president.
That money is invested into an endowment fund to “secure the long-term future” of Richmond, who say it will “only be accessed and used to support the club’s development needs”.
Your AFL club’s bequest society
Adelaide: Crows Forever; Brisbane: Brisbane Lions Foundation; Carlton: Blues Forever; Collingwood: Side-by-Side Forever; Essendon: Bombers Forever; Fremantle: Fremantle Foundation; Geelong: Geelong Cats Forever; Gold Coast: Gold Coast Suns Foundation; GWS: Giants Foundation; Hawthorn: Always Hawthorn Bequest Club; Melbourne: Ron Barassi Bequest Society; North Melbourne: The Allen Aylett Bequest Society; Port Adelaide: Port Adelaide Forever Bequest Society; Richmond: Neville Crowe’s Legacy; St Kilda: Saints Bequest Society; Sydney Swans: Infinity Club; West Coast: Geoff Christian Society; Western Bulldogs: Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.
As part of the Tigers’ information about bequeathing, Neville Crowe’s Legacy member Maggie Smith explained her pledge: “I felt by becoming part of the club’s bequest that I’d be doing something for the memory of [my husband] John and myself. John absolutely adored the Tigers.”
How the donations are used differs by club, but Collingwood and the Bulldogs are two that devote this funding to supporting their community programs.
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