AFL administrators face a crucial few months as they work to a tight deadline on their ambitious Greater Western Sydney expansion project.
The league want the Kevin Sheedy-coached “GWS” team to join the competition in 2012, a year after Gold Coast make their AFL debut, but first the 18th team needs a home stadium.
The AFL Commission will not vote on issuing the GWS licence until the stadium issue is revolved.
AFL administrators would undoubtedly prefer to put a licence proposal to the commission by mid-year.
There is plenty of speculation about where GWS will call home, with Blacktown Olympic Park and the Sydney Showgrounds two frequently-mentioned possibilities, but AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan would not go into specifics
“We can’t talk too much about the stadium, but we’re talking to a number of stakeholders,” he said.
“We’re optimistic, but it’s a difficult one and stadium redevelopment, they’re big projects.
“It’s important, but we’re going okay.
“There are a few different options – there’s a preferred venue, which I can’t talk about.”
McLachlan called the stadium the “next big” issue in the league’s ambitious project to create GWS.
The league is determined to have the 18th team in the competition for 2012, but McLachlan admits there are variables yet to be overcome.
“I’m not trying to create a headline – we’re pretty definitive about that – but if you can’t get everything done (that) you need to able to award the licence you want … if it was an absolute ‘set in stone’, then you would just award the licence,” he said.
“We’re very keen and as much as we can set it in concrete, it’s 2012, but we have to get these things done.
“It’s as certain as we can be without having the certainty over the things we need to get done to award the licence.”
Despite the obvious challenges, the AFL has been making progress with GWS.
Sheedy’s appointment has been a public relations coup.
“He’s a star, isn’t he?,” McLachlan said.
Other well-known AFL figures such as Tom Harley, Paul Kelly and Graeme Allan have also joined the club.
“People’s mindsets have changed in the last three or four months, everyone instinctively understood and embraced the Gold Coast, but they found Greater Western Sydney more of a challenge,” McLachlan said.
“They’ve seen the announcements we’ve had, the momentum it’s delivered and the people of Greater Western Sydney have started embracing the concept.
“What we’re really pleased to see is people (in the GWS area) are looking for sport, they’re looking for something to identify with and they can see the benefits, whether they are social, community, economic or health.”
Key AFL figures for 2009 announced on Wednesday:
* Record revenue of $303.5 million, up from $302.1 million in 2008.
* Record operating surplus, before grants and distributions, of $213.5 million, up from $207 million.
* Record of $135.8 million distributed to the AFL clubs, up from $131.8 million.
* Record membership of AFL clubs of 586,748, up from 574,091.
* Total season attendance of 7,341,310.
* Record participation of 732,803, up from 693,052.
* Record Auskick participation of 169,000.
* Grand final watched by an average national audience of 3.848 million, the most watched TV program of any kind in Australia.
* Stadium funding deals for Adelaide Oval and Gold Coast Stadium.
* Improved deals for MCG and Etihad Stadium tenant clubs.
* Salary package of $1.8 million for chief executive Andrew Demetriou.
* Other 10 members of AFL executive paid total of $5.02 million.
Moonface
Roar Guru
There are not 7 million Australians that attend AFL games - this is a cumulative figure for the whole year - the same punters counted 30 times over during a season. The average figure is a better indication and there would be only about 350K AFL attendees to games on average every week, which is about 1.6% of the Australian population.
jimbo
Guest
There are not 7 million Australians that attend AFL games - this is a cumulative figure for the whole year - the same punters counted 30 times over during a season. The average figure is a better indication and there would be only about 350K AFL attendees to games on average every week, which is about 1.6% of the Australian population.
jimbo
Guest
Like talking to a brick wall . . . we've all given you the many links to the numerous examples of the AFL milking money from governments, just have the courtesy to actually read them.
Michael C
Roar Guru
North Melbourne does not own it's venue - and yet have invested heavily in it - and hopefully as major tennant have permission to hammer the odd 'tack' into the plasterboard, in seriousness though - detailed in the premiers release recently is the financial breakdown : The Victorian Government invested $5.7 million in the redevelopment, while the AFL provided $1.5 million and the City of Melbourne $2 million. Fencing Victoria contributed $250,000, North Melbourne Football Club $2.88 million and the Federal Government contributed $2 million. which ironically was about 2 months after it had actually opened that the premier 'officially' opened it.....ah well. Note though that Fencing Victoria DID contribute more money to this venue than the combined RugbyU, RugbyL and Soccer interests put into the new Swan St venue...... that and the AFL and NMFC combined put in $4.38 million which is about 1/3 of the total cost and they only get to lease it. NOt a bad arrangement for the City of Melbourne - - $2 mill in for a $15 mill asset......and no doubt the FFA would be eyeing it off as a training base too!!!.....I assume the minor partner $2 mill by the Fed Govt qualifies them to pull rank over the $4.88 mill of AFL interests and to claim the venue on behalf of the FFA????? ;-)
Rod
Roar Guru
Bingo JK
Rod
Roar Guru
UK by internet atm, the NRL has a 3 year deal with AmericaOne to televise matches each week on a Saturday night and the SL on a Thursday night.
Michael C
Roar Guru
actually - typo oh RATS 'rates' of course doesn't make any sense......and balloon has 2 'l's and gawd is it beer o'clock yet.........
Michael C
Roar Guru
oh rates - - - don't go bursting our baloon of belief of a conspiratorial anti-agenda!!!! sheesh!! what's that leave us with....... ;-) have a good weekend everyone.
Republican
Guest
Rob I have had my wrists slapped for crossing the line on a number of threads. I perceived the Soccer thread more precious than most but generally don't contribute too often to Soccer diatribe. Zac is doing his job in trying to be consistent. I have certainly felt scapegoated at times in this respect, so perhaps all we can do is expose these inconsistencies as they come to our attention, since the moderators task can sometimes be simply too big in creating a fool proof filter to this end. Cheers
Zac Zavos
Editor
Rob - you do see this warning on other threads; and we moderate commenters across all codes (all of whom, funnily enough, seem to feel we have an agenda against their code). The Roar is a place for respectful, informed sports debate. Anything outside of this isn't appropriate.
Republican
Guest
AFL players earn on average, $221K / year. This is compounded by the CEO and exec salaries already disclosed, so it's not difficult to understand why clubs are unable to honor obligations i.e. playing games in Canberra, holding that city to ransom instead, taking there purely commercially motivated business offshore to MARS (NZ). Cheers
JK
Guest
Have you seen the stuff on the Russian rugby league thread, that should keep you busy.
Rob
Guest
So Zac, why do we not see this type of warning on other threads when the AFL Boys go feral on other codes? You allow them to initiate entire topics which are just thinly disguised attacks.
Michael C
Roar Guru
perhaps the AFL GF audience is greater because of it's average sustained over a longer time frame - i.e. a 3-4 hour telecast from about 2pm to 6pm if we include the pre-game and post-game...... .......I note the NRL broadcasters welcomed the viewers in the US and UK on Friday night.......only thing being they were viewing it via the internet if they'd bothered. A-League grand final - the other day I saw the figures put that it had a potential audience of 78 million........the AFL GF get's broadcast pretty widely too and has a nice little 'potential audience' figure. Potential is a 4 letter word.....
Michael C
Roar Guru
apparently 'such as......nothing', the last time Jimbo went on about this he included links to co-funded projects the provided water recycling at PUnt Road and knocking down the walls at Moorabbin to open up the field again as a public reserve (with St Kilda vacating the place)......as examples of Govt bankrolling the AFL,.......
Michael C
Roar Guru
It's common enough terminology that technically I guess we all take to task now and then, like when the A-League celebrate their 1 millionth fan coming through the turnstiles.........well, it's the 1 millionth attendee and we aren't talking 'unique hits' here. So, correct - it's the total attendance over the year, 7 million. Main thing is, Demetriou's not on his lonesome in using that phrasing. They all do. Like you, I tend to disagree with it being put that way.
JK
Guest
Jeez, what did I get voted down for, I'm an AFL supporter for F@# sake.
Zac Zavos
Editor
A warning to some of the posters here that it is not acceptable to denigrate a code on The Roar. Firebrand Sally you have been warned to leave code v code debates alone. Please all report comments at the first sign of a boring code battle; and vote down poor ones. Thanks, Zac
Firebrand Sally
Guest
Via Google, 2009 AFL season attendances approximately 7 million http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/attendances
Firebrand Sally
Guest
Perhaps. But by putting a number on it, Demetriou has now confirmed that more than 75% of Australians are NOT fans of AFL. Oh dear.