How the NRL and AFL can work around a World Cup

You're absolutely right about the stadium legacy issue here mike. However, the AFL isn't likely to be a beneficiary of a world cup. Rugby and League are most likely to get a nice little collection of refurbished or brand new stadia in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. The AFL will get the chance to play in a refurbed Melbourne Cricket Ground. The bankbooks will open up if we win this bid and League and Union, on soccer's back, will benefit quite nicely from new and reburbished rectangular venues.

Bracks is long gone........ ......if they can do it affordable with demountables then perfect. As for Victoria - the simple fact that the FFA opted to fight it out over Docklands - and even as of last week were refusing to give in - - despite having valid options either going to Geelong or expanding a 100% Govt funded dedicated rectangle venue with foundations to suit - to expand it to 50,000 - - so have these valid options and still Frank Lowy is trying to pick fights with the AFL, Lowy is actually wearing thin the patience of others, including Vic Premier John Brumby, and the observation last week was that the AFL was very wel prepared with it's modelling and figures when meeting the Fed Govt - - and since that meeting there's been reported that 'compensation' is now being discussed. Seems to me that it's the FFA that's been intransigent and the AFL has a solid position. now - if the FFA want to try to bluff the people of Victoria that it's the AFL denying Vic games (should it come to that) - - then rest assured it'll reflect poorly upon Frank Lowy and not Andrew Demetriou. But, thankyou for your concern.

Now the NRL are ganging up against poor old Andriou Dimetriou, who is quickly making enemies of everyone outside the AFL Capital of Australia over his stance on the FIFA WC in Australia. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/world-cup-to-kick-goals-for-league/story-e6frext9-1225843491249 Even the Federal government has lost patience with the AFL commissioners and has entered into negotiations with Blacktown, Townsville, Newcastle and Canberra to build brand new demountable 45K stadiums that will reduce to 30K after the WC. They will be purpose built rectangular stadiums and will be shared by A-League and Rugby League clubs. Seems like Andriou will get his wish of no disruption to the AFL season at the cost of jobs and revenue to the AFL states and the chance to see a WC match in their home town. Maybe Bracks will be seeking compensation from the AFL for loss of revenue? :)

They also put it under the football tab, I guess they felt like they had to write something about football considering the grand final and because they only have a couple of football writers (that's being generous) had to fill the rest of the page with something like this. Look on the bright side, most people are sick of hearing bad things about The Wolves (TM) and if they aren't they sure will be by the time they actually kick a ball in anger, and being ignored is far worse. Edit: Softly softly for now is the GWS strategy while they abbounce grounds, sponsers, staff and colors. But later add the sleeves to the jersey “because we are a NSW team and people expect their jerseys to have sleeves”, draft as many NSW kids as you can (and zero Victorians) and then make a few outlandish statements “the Grand final should be played Homebush”……. The Wolves could ride that anti Vic Ball feeling all the way to a huge membership :)

agreed.

I think those folk do matter because of the timing (2 new teams in those markets). I remember Oikee egging AFL on to cause as much trouble as they can. Redb picked up on it then that it was a Trojan horse and that’s because it’s a PR hit when they don’t have to take one. I really think we are outsiders to get it in 2022, especially now that China are talking about 2026. So the AFL draws lines in the sands asks for a fair amount, which will be seen as obscene by those who just like sport and have no interest in the business side or code wars. And then the bid falls over…. Not hard too see that AFL and Football will take a PR hit their while the NRL goes through unscathed, well played Gallop. Anyway it will be interesting how it plays out and perhaps it is the right time for AFL to become the bully “nice guys finish last”. It’s not an attractive image for the neutral but they have a huge membership base and maybe it is better to look after them than fawn over new customers and if their going to take this type of PR hit do it while in Melbourne their the only domestic code with a real presence on FTA. *I doubt that State Cricket will be a problem then as surely by 2022 even the fans would prefer it’s moved from the MCG. .

In the Daily Telegraph today some hack reporter named Andrew Webster (I've never heard of him) writes in World Cup to kick goals for league about this topic, but, with It is an almighty two-fingered salute to Vladimir Demetriou, who has belligerently insisted Etihad Stadium cannot be used. he seems to have crossed the line. Surely he's being racist. I do wonder if the moral guardians of Australian society would let him refer to Demetriou so were Demetriou head of 'soccer' in this country?? I doubt he'd dare. It's just astounding the degree to which some RL reporters are able to go anti AFL. Crap article, crap writing and again just astounding how much time these jokers spend talking about the AFL........

I'm comfortable with the fact that both the NRL and the AFL need to look after their own interests, espcially if there is a major interruption to their seasons, which only go for 6 or 7 months, don't know about the ARU, they appear to be silent in all of this. It would be nice if we had more info - but we've heard nothing for ages, and there reports done by both the FFA and Government that have been held tightly under wraps - there should be far more transparency. It's crazy that I can find out more about the England and US bids than I can about the Australian bid.

AndyRoo - and that's a key point - - not seen as a giant business by most, that's where the pro-soccer folk have gone on about the WC and you don't realise how big this is, and it just seems that they themselves don't realise how big the AFL is, and that's every year, not just a once off with a massive spend and dubious returns....... .....the debate needs to become a little more open and a little more based on fact rather than hyperbole.

apart from anything else - at the moment - whilst we still do not know whether the AFL and NRL will be host city excluded or not - then surely, BOTH the AFL and NRL must be putting forward best case and worse case scenario's, now, obviously, the AFL has the greatest revenue of any code in the country tied up in attendance and club memberships based on (in most cases) a premise of attendance, therefore the AFL has easily got the greatest justification. If Sydney and Brisbane non AFL folk don't get it - - - so be it. There's a lot of things those folk don't understand. Just how it is played out in the media is the key - - - and that is where the AFL has to do a better job. There's clearly not an open enough debate on this broader topic. btw - the AFL HAS played nice so far....... .....it's the FFA that hasn't.

Would you like that link, you seem to have some doubts? I don't see why you keep bringing this up. I'm not blind to how big the AFL is. I don't think your understandingt my perspective, their not seen as some giant business by most. When these figures about compo come out that's likely to change. they will cross the line from sport to business in public perception. Sure all sports are pretty much run like businesses now but their still treated like special cases. They wil be expected to pay for everything from then on (for example every new oval). I might be wrong but I think that's the potential PR risk.

I can give a date when the Tall Poppy thing started. Try 2007 when the AFL's TV rights deal started by far the biggest in the land. I think also the announcement of the second QLD and NSW teams. Note its mainly Sydney where this a problem. Masters and Co teed off and of course News Ltd declared outright war against the AFL. It wouldnt matter if AFL said nothing the tall poppy must be torn down. ;-) The AFL has double the crowds of it's next rival and much of that is due to the MCG. Would you like that link, you seem to have some doubts?

It doesn’t set the AFL as a tall poppy it already is From your Melbourne perspective. In Brisbane and Sydney apart from the Daily Telegraphs recent hack job it's always been painted as the nice guy underdog . Those states will soon host 22% of AFL teams. I know the AFL is worse off, though you understimate the pain that the NRLwill go through especially as it's really on the upswing at the moment (Newcastle, Suncorp, Canberra, Townsville, Homebush and the SFC are all importnat venues). They have a case for compo, I put the figure in their, I just think if they put the biggest figure they can out their it's only going to look bad in the end (when we don't get the world cup). Play nice and then when the bid falls over their isn't a backlash and a few of those upgrades will go through with government support (Rudd will want to smooth over people about the wasting of 100m bidding if it goes to the US). I don't think we are going to agree because you inderstand why the AFL needs those $$$ but to the man in the street it will look greedy. You can try and "educate" every one to the AFL's point of view and it might work in Melbourne where there is much more AFL press but Richard Hinds type writer will go into melt down.

It doesn't set the AFL as a tall poppy it already is. Roy Masters LOL. Gerard Whately set him straight, the AFL may not get a Sydney stadium legacy, but it sure will with Geelong and Subiaco. Funny how Roy did not comment or write about that. :-) The AFL has the biggest crowds and therefore will suffer due to the loss of the MCG - this is fact. No other codes except maybe RL SOO will suffer a major number of crowd reductions. Pretty simple. If you have any doubt about the biggest sporting crowds in Australia I'm sure I can find a link. That is why the AFL above all other codes would have a case for compensation. Bring on the footy - 3 more sleeps. Talk about enduring the most boring weekend of sport known to man. the NAB Cup tantalised and then left us with a no footy weekend.

I take it you didn't see offsiders MC (it's on the ABC site as well http://www.abc.net.au/sport/offsiders/). Roy was on and while he was joking I think their is an underlying truth that when the AFL ask for their compensation (on their own estimated 70 games that will be affected) it's not going to go down as a great PR move. Asking for say $250m and talking up how big you are is great PR in certain areas (say America and Victoria) but does set you up as the tall poppy in other places.

Reading Roy Masters today How the west would win - Cup means new stadium interesting his phrasing after describing as 'intransigence' the AFL's stance over it's 25 year lease at Docklands and their requirement to retain the venue through June-July - - - Masters then talks of the NRL as The NRL has been more co-operative than the AFL in accommodating the FFA's wishes,, and you kinda think that well, of course,......as the NRL doesn't have the same long term agreements around which to draw a line in the sand. The NRL doesn't have anything like the same bargaining position. The NRL also doesn't have anything like the need for LARGE venues - - - however, the NRL IS VERY HAPPY for the AFL to retain Docklands and play an SoO match there. Onya Roy - - - keep trying to paint the AFL as poorly as possible - - because - for Masters to describe the AFL as intransigent (i.e. failing to compromise, failing to be flexible) when thus far the ONLY flex and compromise has been from the AFL side and it's only now that the FFA has grudgingly admitted there might be a valid case for compensation and recognised that they might have to stop aiming to rip Docklands away from the AFL - - it seems that the intransigence in firmly rooted on the FFA (Frank Lowy's) side of the negotiation table. If Mr Masters is able to illustrate where the FFA has been 'flexible' I'd be astounded.

Victoria Park ??., right next to the train station, in fact has its own.

You really haven't been to Princes Park lately have you? That venue will never again be used for top level Football in this country. Not only is it hard to get to for most of Melbourne, but parking is abysmal and the new Carlton training centre goes right up to the ground! It would take great expense to make this ground usable again - which would in fact be a great waste of taxpayers money.

The AFL should never have abandoned Princes Park as a venue, and it's not too late to reconsider. It's a 30,000 capacity ground within 5km of the CBD. Looking at AFL options in the event of an Australian World Cup: Princes Park comes into play, AAMI Stadium (assuming Adelaide Oval is redeveloped, otherwise Adelaide Oval for AFL), the WACA ground (which used to host AFL), Kardinia Park, maybe even the Melbourne Showgrounds or Windy Hill.

Demountable stadiums, like the London Olympics. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/london-olympic-flatpack-stadium.php