THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HARRY (Part 3)

 

 

 

 

This is the third instalment of my chat with Harry Michaels OAM and I wanted to focus on Harry’s passion for football, which only comes second to the love he has for his family.  And after enjoying a couple of coffees with him, I realise it’s a close second!

Harry received his OAM for services to television, soccer (football) and the Greek community and it is very apparent why.  It can be said that he is the architect of the way the game is produced and shown in Australia, and anyone who enjoys watching A-League football on television owes him a debt of gratitude.  He streamlined the game, removed unnecessary cameras that convoluted the action and took away from the spectacle.  His method of editing was also new and fresh and his success can be directly attributed to his love of the game, and the understanding he has of its nuances. That said, he’s frustrated by much of today’s coverage which he feels is too reliant on delayed replays because the directors aren’t properly aware of the game. They’re afraid to ‘cut into the game’! 

By his own admission, he could not produce rugby league or basketball for example, because he is not passionate about them.  It is a matter, as he told me, of “horses for courses” and this is one ‘course’ that he knows intimately.

I really enjoyed my time with Harry, but particularly this subject matter, because his passion for the game is still very much alive and well.

Harry you purchased the rights to cover soccer in this country in 1986.  Why?

I love the game.  I have loved it since I was a young boy, and in Australia, I followed it the moment I arrived.  I watched it grow into a mainstream sport with very strong participation numbers and increasing crowds.  It was ethnically based in terms of the clubs and supporter bases, but I could see a change coming. It was being embraced more broadly and Soccer Australia wanted to push it further into the mainstream, so I saw an opportunity.  Equally, I felt I could do a better job producing football for television.  I had new ideas and techniques I wanted to try, so if I had the rights, I thought I’d be free to do so.

Were you supported by those in power at the time and what was SBS’ reaction?

(laughs) Football is notoriously political.  It has a history of boardroom in-fighting and I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be, but I was confident that no one else could deliver a better product than me.  I had great belief in my knowledge and talent, so I wasn’t afraid, in fact, the board of Soccer Australia was keen to sell to me.  Stefan Kamasz, a great champion of Australian football worked at Soccer Australia at the time, later becoming its CEO, and he was a great supporter of me for which I am forever grateful.

When I told SBS that I had acquired the rights, they too were very supportive, but they had no money, so I said I would wear the costs for the first season and we could sit down and discuss the remaining years of my deal, if they were happy at the end of the season. That first year cost me $800,000 and we produced 42 games as well as the annual awards ceremony at which I was able to get a number of football luminaries like Johnny Warren, a very young Mark Bosnich, John Kosmina, Andy Harper, Mike Cockrill, Dwight Yorke and Les Murray amongst others, to appear without charging me, because they wanted me to succeed and the game to grow.

At the end of that season, I sat down with the Head of Sport Dominic Galati and the CEO of SBS, Brian Jones, who deferred to Dominic’s opinion on sport, and we negotiated a deal.  Brian asked me what the season had cost to produce and I told him “$800,000”.  He said to me; “we’d like to acquire the rights from you and so I’ll give you $900,000 for carrying the first year, and $800,000 a year for the next five years.”  Brian was a shrewd operator and had formerly been the boos at Penguin Books and the ABC, but I was very confident in my ability and the success I had enjoyed in the first year told me I was on a winner.  I told him I wanted $1.2 million per year for the next five, after the $900,000, and he agreed.

Wow! You clearly saw the potential growth for football in this country at a very early stage.
I did.  I knew that with the right production, the right number of cameras and an understanding of the game, you could produce a more cost-effective product with far greater audience appeal.  I introduced the use of a helicopter for internationals, but generally I reduced the number of cameras and distilled a much better quality product in the process.  Everyone was amazed! I have to acknowledge the support I got, particularly from Dominic who was instrumental in me striking a deal with Brian. 

Your prowess as a television producer is legendary.  Was it as easy in the boardroom at Sydney Olympic?

No! Football is very political and there was fireworks every night. They had a village mentality - not all, but most - and I suffered. On one occasion I was tipped off by a journalist that a senior member of my board was running around telling people I was a f*#*wit and they should let me pay, every time money was needed!  Being Chairman of Sydney Olympic, a team I love, taught me that I don’t want to answer to committees or large numbers of stakeholders i.e. “fans” as a business man (laughs).  

What are you most proud of as far as your contribution to Sydney Olympic goes?

I was a very selfless supporter of the club, even before I was Chairman.  I brought financial transparency to the club. After every game I would ensure every dollar in receipts was accounted for. We would count the money, sign off on it and at the post game press conference I would announce what our takings were. This was a shock to the system at a club that hadn’t always been ‘open’.

I bought and donated a car from City Ford to be raffled off by the club.  I also regularly tipped in cash when it was required. I brought great players there and I signed Manager Berti Mariani who achieved success during his tenure.  I enjoyed my time as Chairman but not as much as being a fan.  You must have complete autonomy running a football club, like Jose Mourinho had at Chelsea and now enjoys at Manchester United.  This is why Jose was able to secure the signature of Alexis Sanchez when Manchester City,  Chelsea and Bayern Munich amongst others, wanted him.  He was able to tell him what game plan he had for him, pay the agents’ fees and give him superstar money to play without asking for anyone’s approval. 

Speaking of marquee players, weren’t you responsible for getting them into the Australian competition?

Yes I was.  Ian Holmes and Stefan Kamasc were huge supporters of my idea that it would be beneficial to the game on many levels, if domestic teams could attract stars from overseas.  There was a little bit of resistance from some of the older board members, but we prevailed and it happened.  Later I was instrumental in increasing the number of foreign players to two, per club.

Your passion for the game is obvious, so what do you think the future holds?

I’d like Australia to channel more money into grass roots programs.  We have the former players and coaches to develop systems like they have in the UK and Germany for example.  We can’t rest on our laurels.  We have achieved some good things as a nation, but we mustn’t become complacent. Can we do better? Of course we can, but only if we remove the politics from the sport.  My friend Stefan Kamasz has been outspoken on this point in recent times and I agree with him.

Will you always follow soccer Harry? 

Of course!  It’s in my blood…no, it is part of my DNA!