The Melbourne Heart Syndicate has continued its off-field recruitment campaign, appointing Brad Rowse as its General Manager of Commercial Operations.
Football is often described as ‘the world game-, a sport capable of transcending national boundaries as a universal language, providing a sphere of unparalleled opportunities and growth potential around the world.
For the Melbourne Heart Syndicate-s newly appointed General Manager of Commercial Operations, Brad Rowse, football-s allure and the plethora of openings it presented proved too difficult to resist, prompting him to make a switch to the sport after six years working in the AFL.
A former marketing and commercial boss at the Geelong and Melbourne AFL clubs, Rowse-s transition to the Heart Syndicate sees him take on a new challenge in his professional career; one that he believes will propel him into a fresh direction.
“The challenge of going somewhere different, in another code, really caught my attention, but the chance to be part of something that is growing was a massive drawcard,” he says.
“I see huge growth in the code of football, and I feel it is at a really exciting cusp at the moment. Obviously the A-League has been in place five years and has done a fantastic job, but I think football is ready to launch.
“It has some great levers to help that in the pending World Cup tournament in South Africa, but also Football Federation Australia-s 2018/22 World Cup bid. I feel we have a really strong chance of securing hosting rights and believe it will send the code through the roof in Australia.”
While with Geelong, Rowse was involved in a comprehensive restructure of the club-s corporate philosophy, helping to shape the team into a giant of its competition.
Previously mired in debt, the Cats were transformed into a beacon of success, and Rowse hopes to draw upon that experience to assist in building the Heart Syndicate into one of the nation-s leading football clubs.
“During my five-year period at Geelong, I was part of the rebuild phase led by Brian Cook,” he says.
“We operated on a mantra that we had to become a ‘great- club by 2010, and there were a number of key milestones that needed to be met to reach our goal, including winning a Premiership.
“The experience helped me form sound commercial decisions and be more selective in the type of agreements we reach with our prospective corporate partners. It also highlighted the importance of working to help the community, which will be integral to the Heart Syndicate as we move forward.”
With the team set to make its A-League debut mid-way through next year, Rowse is acutely aware of the task he faces in helping to build a football club from its foundation, but says it is a charge he will relish.
“There is a huge amount of work to be completed with a start-up operation, but led by our Chief Executive Officer Scott Munn, I believe we are firmly placed to become a successful addition to the sporting landscape,” he says.
“We will be required to roll up our sleeves, but the chance to be part of something international, encompassing the entire globe is truly exciting.”
