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AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou (R) addresses the media. Slattery Images
In Germany 2006, a cumulative 37.8 billion people watched the tournament. Expenses included, Germany made a profit of $1.7 billion. In either 2018 or 2022, Australia could possibly have this kind of global audience and profit. So why not let it happen?
The drama that unfolded last year in November was just the beginning of a long a painful battle with the AFL and Andrew Demetriou. It is a battle which may finally have come to an end.
But what are the consequences?
I acknowledge that every sport is permitted to defend it’s patch of grass and fight for its interests. However, declaring stadiums off limits and making false allegations against FFA to persuade the media against them is not defending your patch.
As a football fan, I do not believe that just because it is the World Game, that all other sports are rubbish by comparison. Nor do I believe that because football is comfortably the most played game in the world, that it should have to be forced upon all Australians.
All that is needed is mutual respect between the sports.
The recent chest beating by Andrew Demetriou about AFL being the most popular sport in the country is not mutual respect. Just because you are the dominant sport doesn’t mean that you override all other sports and have the final say on everyting.
Football is already very much a sport segregated by the media.
In Brisbane’s Courier Mail, for example, you have to turn several pages into the newspaper to find news on football. When the Socceroos play, they are often further into the paper than the news of a Broncos training session.
Is this a lack of pride in Australia?
This is a lack of support of a national team by the media, solely because of the sport they play.
So what has been really frustrating is that the AFL can’t cope with being second fiddle for two months. TWO MONTHS!
Although they may argue that they are simply protecting their code, where was all the drama when the Rugby World Cup possessed stadiums in 2003?
As for the venue choice for the World Cup, hats off to FFA for semi-snubbing Melbourne. Let’s see them come crying to FFA when they make half the profit that Sydney does during the tournament.
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