Hannans Boulevard traders call for support during lull after IGA's departure ahead of Spudshed's arrival
Hannans Boulevard traders are begging the community not to forget them as the centre awaits the arrival of SpudShed's new store.
With IGA Hannans officially moved out of the space ahead of Spudshed's arrival — expected in August — businesses say they are already experiencing a drop in sales.
Evelyn Dennis, owner of Pasta2Go's sister business So Much More, said the Boulevard-based eatery had already suffered a 50 per cent decrease in sales in the past week.
Determined to try to maintain consistent opening hours during the lull, she said the business simply would not survive if sales dropped any lower.
'We actually didn't think IGA leaving would interrupt us too much because we have that wonderful play centre for all our kids but it has, we are very quiet,' she said.
'The first week it didn't really change for us but I think that's because people were still coming up because they didn't realise IGA was closed.
'But this week we have already dropped 50 per cent down. It's really worrying and we are trying to soldier on and do the best we can
. . . but we keep hearing from the community that they thought the whole centre was closed.
'We are all very open here, so please don't forget us and please help us get through this period — all of us.
'We have already had some of our amazing loyal customers say they have popped in specifically to support us which is so kind, and we are so thankful for everyone's support during this time.'
Little Poppy Lane, TH Lounge, Wizard Pharmacy, and Australia Post are still trading in the centre.
As a huge Spudshed supporter — regularly doing trips to Perth for produce to use in both local businesses — Mrs Dennis said she was excited for Spudshed to be taking over the site.
'It's going to be amazing for business and for families, too,' she said.
'He's such a lovely man (Spudshed owner Tony Galati) and he is going to bring so much goodness to this town.
'He's got wonderful plans for up here and it's just going to be so fantastic.
'We know it is going to be madness once he does open up but until then we just really need the community's support.'
Mr Galati, his son Frankie and management visited Kalgoorlie-Boulder last month to plan for the new store which is expected to open by August.
Mr Galati told the Kalgoorlie Miner during that visit that he hoped to attract more shoppers and retailers to the complex.
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Miller, North's chief executive at the time, went to the club's board with the proposal because the Roos had continued to struggle financially despite being an on-field powerhouse, led by Wayne Carey and coach Denis Pagan. 'Even though we were a very good side, it was an era where equalisation kind of wasn't around, and we still had a lot of financial problems,' Miller said. 'We decided as a board, 'We can do this', and we met with the Fitzroy board, and did all the things you expect behind the scenes … and then, of course, we kept winning, we were on top of the ladder, and the AFL realised, 'Hang on a minute, we're getting pushback here from what we've offered – will you take less?' 'I said, 'No, we're not taking less, we've got it in writing'.' De Rauch, too, worked on the would-be merger with the AFL's then legal adviser and future Collingwood president Jeff Browne. The new club would have been called North Fitzroy Kangaroos, but opposition teams feared they would become a 'super club'. Loading The Roos refused to budge from their stance of not accepting less when clubs met again that year at Punt Road – but by then, the league was negotiating for Fitzroy to instead merge with Brisbane Bears. In de Rauch's words, North Melbourne's rivals 'sabotaged' the concept. The other 14 clubs voted emphatically against the North-Fitzroy merger. 'Brisbane and Sydney were the two teams the AFL needed to work for the expansion of the competition, and I had no issue with that,' Miller said. 'But you can't offer something, then renege on it and blame us, so we were not going to change. The AFL gave the merger to Brisbane, and we won the premiership that year. 'We beat Geelong the next day by 60 points, and then we beat the two AFL sides – Brisbane and Sydney – in the preliminary final and grand final. We had to start looking for alternatives [to solve our financial issues], which was selling games interstate.' The Kangaroos won another premiership, which remains their most recent (at least in the men's competition), in 1999. The celebrity Shinboners There is no higher-profile North Melbourne supporter than former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting, who was the club's No.1 ticketholder at the height of his legendary career. Loading Ponting was often on international tours throughout football seasons, and watching games was not as accessible then as it is now – but that did not stop him. He would organise to receive match videos before graduating, as technology improved, to friends ringing him then placing their phone against a radio to hear the commentary. That is how Ponting followed the Roos' 1999 grand final triumph. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Ponting has been overseas with coaching and other commitments for most of every football season, but he watches every game on the AFL website. Ponting went into business with North Melbourne premiership stars Glenn Archer and Anthony Stevens, while Ponting Wines became the Kangaroos' official wine partner last year. 'During my playing years, I was very lucky to be in and around our great sides of the '90s. Many of the players became close friends, and we have stayed in regular contact,' Ponting told this masthead. 'I was like a kid in a lolly shop back then.' Ponting has spoken to several iterations of North Melbourne playing groups, and worked with the club on charitable initiatives via the Ponting Foundation, including a Twenty20 game between the Kangaroos and Hawthorn in Launceston in 2017. They raised more than $300,000 for childhood cancer support in Tasmania that day, which is also remembered for a Peter Siddle bouncer that hit Alastair Clarkson on the helmet. Cricket ties run deep at North. Siddle is another passionate supporter, along with the Marsh brothers – Mitch and Shaun – who caught up with the players and coaches during their current trip to Western Australia. The Kangaroos twice asked Ponting to join the club's board, but he reluctantly said no because of his overseas commitments. They also offered him a semi-executive football department role after he retired as a player and relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, but the timing was not right, a 'flattered' Ponting said. North Melbourne's other celebrity supporters include actors Sigrid Thornton and Lisa McCune, singer Tim Rogers, leading horse trainer Lee Freedman, comedians Greg Fleet and Trevor Marmalade, Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen, tennis player Wayne Arthurs and basketballer Chris Goulding. Loading The club's ex-media boss, Heath O'Loughlin, attempted in 2009 to confirm rumours that supermodel Elle Macpherson was a North Melbourne supporter. 'I managed to hunt down Elle's email address through a friend at a talent agency who knew her brother,' O'Loughlin said, laughing. 'I almost fainted when she wrote back. It was something like, 'Oh, bless – thank you for checking. Unfortunately, I am not [a Kangaroos fan]. It's something that's always followed me around, but thank you for checking'.'
