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Morris: The US billionaire who tried to buy GWS
Tom Morris • March 25th, 2026 9:38 am
A quick word… Story time is not meant to be hard hitting. It’s designed to be quirky and a little different…
This week’s story is titled: The Day a billionaire from the US, rang reception at GWS and asked to buy the club.
It was the spring of 2017. Richmond had just beaten Adelaide in the Grand Final.
Watching on that day was a man, let’s call him Bob Smith.
So enamoured was Bob with the sport, he was moved to make a phone call 48 hours later that would change the course of GWS history.
A bit like Tom Hanks – see story time from March 12 – Bob had become obsessed with football while watching it on ESPN in the 90s.
And after seeing it life, he wanted a slice of the pie. He was the definition of the American dream – that anyone can achieve anything if they put their mind to it. He loved an underdog story and after asking around on Grand Final Day, was told GWS (as one of the AFL’s smallest clubs) was the ultimate underdog.
So on this particular Monday, Bob rang the club. A young receptionist answered.
“Hello GWS reception,” said the young lady.
“Hello, my name is Bob Smith… Who do I speak to about purchasing the GWS Giants?”
Needless to say, the receptionist was stunned. She took down Bob’s details and promised someone would be in touch.
Now at the same time, Dave Matthews – the long-time GWS CEO – was on the beach. Not only this, but he was on a family holiday alongside none other than AFL supremo Gillon McLachlan.
Standing there in his board shorts in the Queensland sun, Dave’s phone rang. It was the receptionist.
“Hi Dave, there is an American who called who wants to buy the club,” she said.
Dave said “hang on a moment” and he leant over to Gil, who was also in his board shorts.
“Gil, someone from the US wants to buy GWS, what do I say about how much it is worth?”
Gil took a moment to think.
“Tell him if he has got plenty then it’s worth plenty.”
Anyway, Dave then called Bob Smith to ask him about his interest in the sport.
Dave told him that the current structure doesn’t allow for private ownership.
So what did Bob Smith do?
He offered to buy the stadium.
Unfortunately, Dave said, the stadium was owned by the state government.
But Bob Smith and two or three of his wealthy friends were desperate to help. He asked Dave what they could do.
Dave told him that at that time they were actually struggling to pay the entire salary cap, so Bob said no worries… And transferred a seven figure sum across.
But he wasn’t done yet! Bob Smith then agreed to buy the naming rights of the stadium… It’s why it was called GIANTS Stadium for several years.
And the relationship endures today. Marc Seidner is on the club’s board. He works for PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Company) which is based in Newport Beach, California. He was born in Sydney but moved with his parents - who were ski instructors at Thredbo - to the US when he was five.
And that is how one phone call in late September 2017, ended up in these US investors putting in millions of dollars to the club.
And should private ownership ever become a thing one day, there’s little doubt Bob Smith, Marc Seidner and their friends will be all in on GWS.
