The AFL and the stadiums are once again working against each other; the latest fuel to be added to the fire has been the AFL’s threat of moving the biggest match of the year, in the form of the AFL Grand Final, to Sydney.
It seems the AFL is of the view that the MCC undervalue their tenants and are throwing as much weight around as it can muster. The problem being there isn’t much room for the AFL to move as they are already butting heads with the other major Melbourne ground, Etihad Stadium.
The MCC have made an offer to help clubs and the AFL in the form of a 10 year agreement in which the MCC would provide the home tenants with an additional $100k each and the AFL with a dollar per person over 2.1 million each year, extending to two dollars for every patron over 2.5 million for the year. The MCC sought in return an extension of 5 years to its current agreement with the AFL and an increase of one game per year. The AFL rejected this new deal.
The MCC state that the big issue for them is the level of debt they are currently in, $230 million and stated it wasn’t prepared to look beyond the next ten years in terms of additional funding for the league and its clubs because of the “potential unknowns” stating it “couldn’t possibly commit beyond then.
The big issue and one that hasn’t been talked about often is the AFL signed these stadium deals as did its clubs. Contracts are binding for everyone and why the AFL expects the stadiums to go back on what is obviously a very favorable deal for them, is unknown. I dare say the AFL knows they can’t expect that and want to try and win support publically to help them do a deal.
James Rose
stkildarocks@gmail.com
www.contestedfooty.com
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