one, two will make us stronger... Keep your eye on the Mighty Melbourne Hawks! Some commentators noted that the merged team would more closely resemble Melbourne than Hawthorn and speculated whether Hawthorn suffered from a weaker bargaining position as a result of its weak financial situation. Under the package offered by the AFL, the transitional arrangements for the merged club would be as follows: A $6M payout from the AFL over three years, with the only condition that paying off creditors be the first priority Ten home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground each year from 1997 until 1999, then alternating between nine and ten games until 2007. A senior list of 44 players in 1997, reducing to 42 in 1998, before dropping to the standard 38 in 1999. Unrestricted access to players from both Hawthorn's and Melbourne's lists when compiling the initial playing list. Permission to exceed the league's salary cap (then $2.9M/yr) by $300k in 1997, $200k in 1998 and $100k in 1999. Free membership for children in 1997 A $225k advanced payout to implement and promote the merger, whether it happened or not Don Scott and "Operation Payback" In the wake of the official merger announcement, Don Scott (a former Hawthorn footballer) launched the "Operation Payback" campaign. Aided by the business acumen of former Pacific Dunlop executive Ian Dicker the campaign, which would be backed by other former Hawthorn footballers including Dermott Brereton and Brian Falconer, was multifaceted and included a number of aims: To launch a motion officially opposing the merger proposal, and to present the anti-merger case, at the extraordinary general meeting where Hawthorn members would vote on the merger proposal To run a fundraising campaign to alleviate Hawthorn's immediate debt problems To secure business support (including potential sponsors and bank overdrafts) for the survival of Hawthorn To secure the support of prominent past and present footballers for the anti-merger campaign at Hawthorn Joe Gutnick In the weeks following Scott's launch of the Operation Payback campaign, a similar anti-merger campaign was launched for the Melbourne Football Club by former premiership player Brian Dixon, who was aided by millionaire businessman Joseph Gutnick. Gutnick, a Melbourne supporter who had accumulated his wealth (and earned the nickname "Diamond" Joe Gutnick) through investments in Western Australian mining, pledged to donate A$1 million to Melbourne if the merger vote was defeated. Popular backlash to the merger proposal Following the launch