Patafta today

"We were vocal last year about the straits the club was in, but in the time since we have cleared a significant amount of the club’s debt, including the payment of all previously pending legal settlements.

As a result the club’s financial performance in FY2023/24 is better than eight of the last nine years,"

Brisbane Roar is embroiled in a legal stoush with one of its major sponsors, taking the company to court over claims promotional payments of more than $130,000 are overdue.

However, the sponsor Outkast claims it terminated their agreement because of Roar’s alleged contractual breaches, which included that the club had signed on a rival sponsor.

Documents filed in the Supreme Court by the club in February claim there are multiple unpaid invoices by Outkast – a commercial design and construction firm – spanning several months.

Michael Pulford (founder of Gold Coast recruitment firm Trend Personnel) claims he facilitated the 2023 appointment of both CEO Kaz Patafta and COO Zac Anderson –

but the Brisbane Roar has refused to pay his invoice.In documents lodged in the magistrates court case, BRFC concedes the appointment of the executives came about after Mr Pulford’s approaches to Mr Patafta and Mr Anderson, but denies it’s liable to pay the recruitment fee as they didn’t directly appoint Trend Personnel.
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Mr Pulford said his fee consisted of a set percentage of the annual salary of the new recruits and that he had given the club a discounted invoice, based on discussions that Mr Patafta would be paid $180,000 and Mr Anderson $150,000.

The club failed to pay the invoice and Mr Pulford claims he later discovered higher pay packets – of $266,000 and $188,000 respectively – had been negotiated, so sent a new invoice, based on the higher salaries and without the discounted rate.

Trend Personnel is seeking $80,000 in damages in the magistrates court case.