I actually took Squawks post to mean North were the least "Privately Owned Club" as that would be closer to the mark.
Mr Gerard is the major sponsor and has given guidance to the club in the past, nothing more, nothing less.
In fact you'd be suprised how major sponsors at other clubs try to have a lot more say in the running of their clubs.
Saying North couldn't achieve success without their major sponsor is like saying Norwood couldn't exist without Coopers or Central couldn't exist without Holden, etc.
Derr, actually once again, if anything North could survive without their major sponsorship a lot easier than most clubs could do without there's.
Robert Gerard has too much integrity to tell the club how to run itself and wouldn't dare so (nor would the club and the people on the board and in admin let him), perhaps if you did a bit more research into the people involved in the club you'd understand that. They would and I do take offence at your poor uneducated assumptions on the matter. In fact I wish he did step in and take over the club in the 90s when some very poor decision were being made especially from someone I had not time for around the merger talk time.
To tell the truth, Ive been horrified by stories Ive heard from players, coaching staff and admin of at least 5 clubs in the SANFL about influences sponsors try to have at their club in various matters and North isn't one of them.
The increase of membership has nothing to do with Mr Gerard, it had everything to do with Barrie Robran taking on the marketing role at the club which is when we had our biggest surge. There was another surge when Jars joined the club (before the winning started).
And yes the club did have to get a law changed, Bohdan Jaworski and Glenn Elliott were the one's lobbying the pollies but having Jane Lomax-Smith, Mr Rau and Rob Kerin on our side helped.
"North supporters come running in like a king tide with a storm surge."
Excellent analogy, I was thinking that myself watching 2000 of them march passionately down Main North Road a few years back in what the club describes as the turning point of the club. Ironically that day when I made a speech at the Rooster Rally I was amazed to see off to my right Mr Gerard listening intently. He just rocked up as a supporter and stood in the crowd. I also thought something similar to the king tide or storm surge when so many rocked up in the mid 90s to another "rally" I helped organise, the Roosters Against Merger. Its a pity a few other clubs supporters dont have the same passion or get up and go, they might not have their club in a position where it is today.
Your last 2 sentences are ridiculously contradictory. You say "what if" and then proceed to ask a "what if" yourself.
I expected a lot more from you Squawk. If you want to find a privately owned club where the members dont have a say perhaps look at clubs that can have board members put their mates on the board without any input from members whilst deferring any sort of vote there may be. I wouldn't have an issue if anything you said was true (which it isnt), I just have an issue that its completely wrong. A lot of bad/wrong guesses there.
Back to the issue at hand......
Prospect Oval for ever and always the traditional names for me, good to see Footysa used the fixture I put together with the traditional names too, we must stand united!
and astute enough to get in to China when he did about 6 years ago 
Does it make business sense? So I'm told 
. Should they be thanked? I couldn't care less but I certainly don't encourage it. 
Should Gerard be thanked? Yes, because he is "Mr Kerching" and The Godfather . Do I like Gerard? Yes. Do I like his kids? Yes. Do I like it when North supporters come running in like a king tide time with a storm surge? Yes! 
