HAWTHORN president Jeff Kennett used the announcement yesterday of a record $3.6 million profit to demand again an end to financial support for the poorer clubs in the AFL or, as he put it, the "subsidising of failure".

With three clubs — the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and the Kangaroos — receiving financial assistance of $1 million or more a season until 2009 and the Roos considering an AFL offer to relocate to the Gold Coast, Kennett said the game should not be expected to dole out money indefinitely.

"I don't mind it when the AFL decides to help clubs with their physical structures etcetera, but I do have a problem getting my head around the AFL continuing to sponsor a club if the club can't pay its own way," Kennett said.

"I think that contract is in place until 2009 and I think that is correct. They are in difficulty and they need support. But if, by that time, they haven't got their balance sheets in a more healthy state, I don't think you can keep asking other people to subsidise you because I think it takes away any sense of urgency; you don't try."

Kennett said it was the desire to be independent and secure that had propelled the Hawks to the biggest Victorian club profit in history. Carlton is expected to announce a profit of $3 million and Collingwood declared a $2 million profit yesterday, which is what Essendon is also expected to announce.

"As … we look forward for another 20 years, if you're going to be part of the AFL, you've got to have a very strong commercial base," Kennett said. "You can't expect to receive ongoing subsidies from the AFL to keep you alive."

The result — a combination of around $570,000 profit on the sale of the club's former social club at Glenferrie Oval, a television rights increase of $1 million and a football-led surge in all categories of revenue — has pushed Hawthorn's net asset base beyond $10 million, allowing the club to spend $1.9 million more in the football department in 2008, an increase of $600,000.

The club's Tasmanian membership increased by almost 60% to more than 3000 and Kennett wanted that up to 10,000 by 2011 at the end of Tasmanian Government's sponsorship deal.

Record profit for Collingwood

Collingwood announced a record operating profit of just over $2 million, which made 2007 the seventh successive year the Magpies had recorded figures in excess of $1 million.

Both Collinwood and Hawthorn recorded strong on-field as well as financial performances this year.

The Hawks won through to the finals for the first time since 2001 and reached the semi-final stage, while the Magpies reached the final four, beaten by eventual premiers Geelong in the first preliminary final.