This post is intended more as an expansive theoretical question to other Roarers than simply my own opinion, but something has been nagging away in my head since I read that Australian Football League CEO Andrew Demetriou got $2.2 million last year as the head of the sport.
That’s 7.5 cents a second. Every second. All year. Whether he’s singing paperwork, attending games or eating breakfast. I’m not saying don’t pay the man, but there’d be a few other people who’d like to earn that amount.
The Advertiser‘s Mike Rucci pointed out on February 26 that Demetriou earns more than any other AFL-listed player. Not even Bud Selig, Major League Baseball commissioner in the US, can do that. Neither can NBA chairman David Stern.
Demetriou’s salary now equals Rick Scudamore, CEO of the English Premier League – and he gets no more than the average wage of an EPL player.
Anyway, it made me ponder why it is that Mr. Demetriou can earn so much, and be in charge of such a seemingly huge domestic sporting body, yet the general fan chatter is, much of the time, negative about the controlling body itself.
Fans made their feelings known on the Herald Sun website, polling a 70.08 per cent “no” vote on Demetriou deserving his pay rate.
In light of those money numbers, and I must say I’m not usually a Rebecca Wilson fan, but her February 28 piece in Melbourne’s Herald Sun had a point. The AFL does like to think of itself as the best-run sports organisation in Australia, although some might suggest that it’s become in recent years closer to “Sports Entertainment”, complete with the odd bit of wrestling, but lacking the worldwide scope.
However, I also agree that the whole media/publicity storm/controversy thing surrounding “that girl” and her alleged involvement with both St Kilda players and agent Ricky Nixon has not been well handled. Perhaps it could have been hand-balled on to the police by now instead of dragged through the newspapers every week?
“She may be physically mature and attractive, but she was only 16 when she alleges she had sex with at least one of the St Kilda stars,” wrote Wilson.
“It was then that the AFL should have intervened. They didn’t. They allowed the club to handle it.”
Whether, as Wilson puts it, Demetriou’s National Rugby League counterpart David Gallop “would have stepped in weeks ago” on such a matter is a moot point, but the whole scandal itself raises a wider question I’d like to call “brand-aid”.
Have sporting, and particularly footballing, controlling bodies in Australia become so insular and taken the fans for granted so much that their solution to such on-field or off-field behaviours is nothing more than a “brand-aid”?
If so, why? Why don’t the AFL and/or NRL take such matters more seriously, or at least be seen to do so? Are they not the custodians of their respective sports within Australia? Don’t they care about the image these sports present to young and old alike in the public sphere?
Or, as Wilson said, “perhaps he [Demetriou] believes his sport is above other professional football codes and that those who are part of it deserve to be treated as though they are in possession of certain sensibilities.”
Take a simple example from the EPL – the moment in January 1995 when a certain French-born future Manchester United captain decided to demonstrate his skills in the ancient Lancastrian martial art “Can To Na” (no, not Ecky Thump, as some Goodies-watchers would no doubt have expected).
Cantona launched a kick on Crystal Palace defender Rick Shaw at Selhurst Park. Ref red cards Cantona. Cantona launches second kick on the way to the tunnel against Palace fan Matt Simmons. Simmons received a week in jail for abusive language toward Cantona – and a one-year ban from all football venues in England and Wales.
Cantona, for his part, did 120 hours of community service in lieu of an initial two-week prison sentence on a charge of assault. United as a club suspended Cantona for four months and docked him 20,000 pounds worth of pay. The Football Association banned him for an extra fourth months, and topped up the fine by another 10,000.
Over a decade later, Cantona apparently told the press it was his favourite moment in his EPL career – kicking a spectator.
Graham Kelly, the then-EPL CEO, called the incident a stain on the game. When did you last hear Demetriou or Gallop say that?
Perhaps, in the case of EPL bosses, they feel they are custodians, generally, of a wider sporting family and value it more at times. Or take their supposedly special domestic status for granted, in the case of the AFL.
Put it this way, Aussie Rules fans generally complain about either ticket prices or food prices or the fixture list or the rule changes. Not much of a to-do about an on-field moment of madness (it’s all part of the game, apparently) or an off-field indiscretion (one almost wonders if some footy fans actually celebrate, delight in or encourage certain behaviours at times).
Despite the appalling behaviour, a la the case in the northern states, people still flock, year after year, through the turnstiles to pay these guys’ wages.
It used to be that, way back when, possibly in the 80s, that the average AFL player wasn’t mentioned on a daily basis in the national press for alleged sexual assault or a drink-driving booking. That was the domain, supposedly, of rugby league lads.
While there was a bit of biff on the field in the AFL, it was the off-field boof-ness that people noticed in the NRL – urinations, fights, etc. Have the tables, if not turned, then at least been given a slight back-and-forth jerk or two in recent times?
This isn’t about one sport being inherently better than another. I am merely asking, as a fan, whether anyone else out there reckons the brand-aid applied by the likes of the AFL/NRL is comparatively less important to them as they know they hold a domestic audience captive, regardless of what players do in their off-hours, after dark or on holiday?
Do the European football league chairmen really have a belief in a greater sporting cause that compels them to act with swifter or stricter reproach against troublemakers?
Arguably, in aid of all that, too, EPL coaches can criticise the refs, AFL counterparts can only refer to them in code – a la Sheedy’s “Martians” mantra. Why is that?
Fans complain for half an AFL season about how mild and watered-down most of the trial-by-video decisions are at the tribunal, yet the bulk of the EPL’s decisions seem to stay on-field, judged by the ref alone, and there’s few repercussions (aside from a grumpy coach at a press conference).
There just seems to be this acceptance that the sport itself should be bigger than any particular controversy that might arise, whereas at times – going by Australia’s print media – the public Down Under might infer that the AFL/NRL almost thrive on sensationalist incident.
In cricketing terms, whether the sport is still holding on bravely against on or off-field controversy is about a 50-50 split at present. Let’s hope the game itself survives intact.
Of course, the English have their tabloids as well. Of course, there are the player affairs, etc. But on an average, week by week basis, do the AFL or NRL publicly present themselves as organisations that uphold high standards as true custodians of a sport? They’ve got a lot more to lose, in a way.
If Aussie Rules and/or rugby league (but the former in particular) dies in Australia, it dies. If the EPL has a tough financial/television rights period, fans can easily switch over to La Liga, Serie A and so on.
What can we expect from the EPL season; a few nasty tackles and some sky-high transfer fees. When the AFL/NRL seasons begin (or even before then), we have a steady diet of disaster already waiting, most of which isn’t even connected to people kicking a bladder between some sticks.
“As you’ve heard me say on many occasions, I feel very privileged to be in this position and I don’t take it for granted,” Demetriou told Rucci, although the journalist had the final say.
“Demetriou, however, despite his riches, does not have a kingdom stretching beyond Australia’s shores,” Rucci wrote.
Given that is the case, are mere brand-aid solutions fair or reasonable?
OzFootballSherrin
Roar Pro
Andrew Demetriou is CEO of the AFL, unlike the FFA, it pays it's way and has much larger revenue streams. It is a job that requires the management of complex issues. It is a position that can not simply join in a global bandwagon piggy backing off arguably the worlds biggest regular sporting contest (the FIFA WC and qualifiers), and is under constant attack from the gold medal counters, it is a position that can't rely on wave after wave of code specific literate and likely playing able and supporting able immigrants. A concern that Buckley will never confront (whilst at the FFA). Katie Page is irrelevant - - - different industry, is she a personal friend or why did you pick her (at random)??
OzFootballSherrin
Roar Pro
orlac - ask Frank Lowy how good Andrew Demetriou is.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Ben Buckley is CEO of the FFA - a job that requires the management of complex issues that are well beyond anything the CEO of a local sporting body will ever confront. Katie Page is the CEO of HVN - a job that requires the management of complex issues that are well beyond anything the CEO of a local sporting body will ever confront.
OzFootballSherrin
Roar Pro
Mate, as per the other thread, you quoted Katie Page's 2009 remuneration, Demetriou at that time was around $1.4 million (inc bonus's). What is Katie Page's current return? what is her bonus structure like? did she get a fist full of shares and/or options? And how is it relevant? and along with that, back in 2008, just after the FFA (with Govt funding for operational expenditures) poached AFL 2IC Ben Buckley - he was getting reportedly $850,000. Compare the annual turn over of the FFA in 2008 with the AFL and tell me which of messers Demetriou and Buckley was being over paid??? Heck, look at the much lower turn over of the ARU and in 2008 John O'Neill was getting $840,000, although, with the poor performance highlighted in the 2009 annual report, O'Neill took less than $700,000 for 2009. However, we know that O'Neill coming back to the ARU was part of the malaise of market forces after he'd been poached by the FFA. Fussball - anyone, and I mean anyone involved even in local sports, knows that the administrators have a major off season job. That the 'in season' component of the AFL may 'only' be over 6 months, although, these days, mid Feb through to end Septmeber is clearly 7.5 months - - so your maths is pretty flawed (but, being a soccer fan, I recognise that you get dizzy with numbers bigger than 0s and 1s). Let alone that I could contest your 'one product' notion. ANd if the AFL has only minor operations in Adelaide and Perth, then, how the heck do you rate any of the operations of the FFA?? Buckley should be giving money back!!!!
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
thats true in most business. Sports are more centralised and operate on different principles. Fixturing, stadium arrangements, travel arrangements and broadcast deals would be nowhere near as efficiently organised without a central body.
JamesP
Guest
which aussie sporting ceo would you replace demetriou with? Gallop? Buckley? James Sutherland (cricket)? O'neil?? C'mon...who would honestly do a better job?
OzFootballSherrin
Roar Pro
sheek - my perspective is to look at Ashley Cole in the UK, shoots a guy with a gun taken to training, and his club fines him 2 weeks pay........$400,000. That to me is perspective enough that we haven't entirely lost our perspective in Australia!!!! The reality of the AFL as an example is that CEO's and top admin executives operate in a vastly more global employment market than do the AFL players themselves. Elements of that, sadly, can't be ignored. I'm generally the first to jump up and down about way over the top executive pays - - however, in this microcosm, I can fully understand that the AFL commission do NOT want to lose a fellow like Demetriou, especially after the Buckley/O'Neill situations. There's way, way too much sensitive strategic information doing the rounds at all the HQ's of all the codes.
olrac
Guest
Simple question for you, how many people could I employ in the world that could replace Gary Abblet? realistically there are between 0 and 3 depending who you ask. How many people could do Demetrious job? A shite load. He is running a well established company with fixed income streams and fixed outgoings. For any CEO/MBA worth the paper their degree is written on could do it. That to me is the point of compairing player wages to the AD's wage. Realistically he should be on about 3/4 of what the best players are paid.
Republican
Guest
'Market Forces' is right. We place way to much importance on this top end of sport in my opinion, which is why these people are inflated to billio. Of course parity is something lacking across our society in respect of the way we value what people do beyond sport but having said that, these CEO's and the like are precariously accountable - are they not? Cheers
sheek
Guest
Redb, Never mind. It's a topic I won't waste my day on (anymore than I have already). Perhaps one day when we're having a drink in a pub with several hours to kill.....
DB
Guest
"Perhaps it could have been hand-balled on to the police by now instead of dragged through the newspapers every week?" It went to the police from the start' but what can the police do when no crime has been commited she is of consenting age.
Redb
Roar Guru
Sheek, Ok I read it and still dont see your point. Salaries are a value judgement part based on market forces part on the individual. The CEO does not set his own salary that is the job of the Commission who are per se big paid execs.
JVGO
Guest
I guess the underlying issue in your article is the corporatisation of sport and in what manner the fans relate to it. RL in the 80's was still very much community local club organisation based and the p/t players were judged by the everyday standards that they lived most of their lives in. The corporatisation of the league (epitomised by the Demetrious of the world)post SL and the professionalisation of the players has been a long adjustment for a sport like RL with its almost exclusively working class origins. AFL and RU with different demographics seem to have less issues with the process.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I wrote this on another thread but it's valid here since Demetriou's outrageous salary is being discussed. By any analysis, the AFL players are getting totally screwed by management! We have been told that the AFL Executive – 11 middle-aged men (perhaps, there is one token woman) earned a collective salary of $6.2m … … but the 40 blokes in each club - who train for 9 months of the year, risk career-ending injuries every time they go to work and who are the ONLY reason the AFL gets revenue - these guys, have their wages capped at collective sum of $8.2m! What exactly does Demetriou do for his $2.2m wage? Demetriou runs a non-complex business that sells ONE product and, his major revenue generating contract is negotiated once every 5 years! This company that Demetriou manages, only has significant business operations for 6 months of the year and generates annual revenue of $300m. The company's major operations are concentrated in one city and has minor operations in 4 other cities. Here is just one random example from the corporate world ... Katie Page is the CEO of Harvey Norman. Harvey Norman has 160 business outlets in Australia, New Zealand, Slovenia, Ireland, Malaysia and Singapore, employs over 10k people and generates annual revenue of $2.4 BILLION. The company operates virturally 24x7x365. Katie Page's job would be extremely complex and her business operates in one of the most competitive retail industries. Yet, Katie Page's salary in 2009 was $1.43 million!
sheek
Guest
Redb, Well, if you can't be bothered reading it, I can't be bothered repeating it.....
Redb
Roar Guru
Respectfully Sheek I didn't read it. What was your point?
Redb
Roar Guru
I still think people miss the point, AD's wage compared to the highest AFL player is irrelevant, its not a contest. So if Ablett was earning more than AD everything would be fine,? what about the other 799 players?
sheek
Guest
Redb, I say respectfully to you - you have totally missed my point.
sheek
Guest
Brett, From my experience, KPIs & management practices are there largely to make managers/bosses look & feel important, thasn for any intrinsic good they do. I reckon in my job, if HQ was miraculously wiped out by an unknown disease, those of us on the ground & in the field would actually function more efficiently.
sheek
Guest
The Wookie, Fair enough. But the remuneration committee is made up of management people, I presume. And who votes from the 16 clubs - the club presidents, or CEOs or deputy CEOs? So you see, it's all relative. There is collusion. If everyone agrees to Demetriou getting a huge package, then by extension, they can all argue something along similar lines for themselves, if just below.