AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says he has no fears about the NRL pumping increased TV-rights money into protecting their heartland against competition from the AFL.
The AFL’s expansion into rugby league’s traditional markets has continued in 2011 with the launch of the the Gold Coast Suns.
Greater Western Sydney will make their AFL debut next year, coached by legendary Essendon premiership mentor Kevin Sheedy.
The national draft will also be held at Homebush in November and GWS will receive a raft of concessions.
“On balance we’re really pleased with the way GWS are going,” a bullish Demetriou told SEN Radio on Friday.
“They are hitting all their targets with things like sponsorship and so forth and signing up members and some of their commercial arrangements.
“They’ve got some young kids coming through and they’ll get the pick of the draft.
“Their greatest challenge is to try to win the hearts and minds of young people in the greater west of Sydney and families.”
NRL club bosses were briefed on Thursday on a new broadcast agreement that could outstrip the AFL’s $1.25 billion deal.
Demetriou baulked at giving a view on whether the AFL’s rights were more valuable than those of the NRL.
“There’s no doubt lots of people watch the NRL. The State of Origin numbers are extraordinary,” he said.
“The significant difference between our game and the NRL game is we play in every state and territory.
“The NRL is played in two states primarily with a game in Melbourne.
“That will be their challenge. But it’s not a competition.”
Demetriou said he wasn’t expecting the cashed-up NRL to suddenly start investing heavily in promotions in the western Sydney market.
“I already think they are doing that,” the AFL chief said.
“They don’t need to get a financial windfall from the rights to do that.
“They are in there working very hard in their heartland.
“This is not about taking the NRL on.
“This is about creating opportunities for a new group of people.”
Demetriou said greater western Sydney housed Australia’s most diverse population, with over 200 languages spoken.
The AFL boss also defended the lucrative pay-packets for NRL recruits Karmichael Hunt (Gold Coast) and Israel Folau (GWS).
“He (Folau) will be paid to play football what the average player will be paid,” Demetriou said.
“He gets an additional amount of money because of his marketing capabilities.
“It has already paid for itself 10 times over based on the exposure and the publicity and what has actually happened as a result.
“Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt have no doubt influenced our ability now to be in private schools in New South Wales and Queensland.
“They’ve also attracted a number of young lads and also islanders into our game.
“We like to think our game is an inclusive game.”
Demetriou shrugged off concerns GWS would struggle to attract big crowds against battling clubs like Port Adelaide.
“We average 37-odd thousand to our games. We are blessed to be able to pull 85,000 to a Carlton-Collingwood game,” Demetriou said.
“If we get 20,000, there are other codes that would die to get 20,000.”
Queensland's game is rugby league
Guest
I think GrecoRoman's comment about Aussie rules in PNG is an attempt to troll rugby league fans. No one could be silly enough to believe Aussie rules is more popular than rugby league in PNG.
Aware
Guest
Yes, and hopefully both codes destroy each other so we can grow our truly international games: soccer and rugby union.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
oh, poor diddems, did dat big bad nasty AFL start the code wars?
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
@Queensland's game is rugby league: Who can p*ss further up a wall - Mal Meninga or Arthur Beetson? Who is more manly - Petero Civoneceva or Matt Scott?
hutch
Roar Guru
norman, the nrl pretty much outrates the afl every friday night. it is the only time the two codes are pitted directly against each other all week and the nrl is shown after midnight in 4 states. it still wins the ratings most weeks convincingly! imagine if channel 9 actually cared about the game and gave it a chance in the southern states. rugby league rates quite well in melbourne when shown live despite no promotion, no regularity and an obvious anit rugby league agenda from eddie and co!
hutch
Roar Guru
actually clipper, rugby league is the fastest growing sport in london. so it has grown beyond that!
hutch
Roar Guru
yet the broncos are 10 times bigger than the lions. the broncs definately need to work on the memberships!
hutch
Roar Guru
same old lines republican. seems you have a problem with australians of polynesian backgrounds? have you gone around and individually asked every spectator at a melbourne home game and asked if they consider themselves kiwi or islander? do you prefer your crowds to be people of a certain colour, racial background?
hutch
Roar Guru
the suns fans must spend a lot of their time in the bars at the ground because their is no way their is anywhere near their stated crowds at the ground. some games have been played in what looks like more than a half empty stadium! it will be hilarious in a few years time when they post a crowd of 22k or so, when in reality there will be only a couple of hundred in the crowd!
hutch
Roar Guru
tiny? tell that to the 85000 people who will be attending the challenge cup final at wembley next month! you people seem to forget that we are also the major sport in the act and have a solid presence in the nt! hows the swans tv rating going?
hutch
Roar Guru
there is nothing supopsed about it. surprisingly, the suns seem to always get around the 16k mark despite the stadium being mostly empty! the titans crowds have been rather poor and have been overstated by a few of hundred per game due to no fault of their own. id suspect the suns crowd inflations have something a little bit more sinister behind them!
hutch
Roar Guru
it is still a bigger sport than afl though! :)
hutch
Roar Guru
the afl figures on paytv are nowhere near the nrls figures, what are you on about?
hutch
Roar Guru
mick, the nsw ccc sides have traditionally dominated the schoolboy championships. it has only been the last few years with the introduction of many sports high schools which offer rugby league as a subject that we have seen the nsw chs and qld schoolboy sides so strong.
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
"zero sum conclusion"?! Where are your random statistics quoted in abstraction to back up your meaningless argument? Who p*sses further up a wall then code warrior - James Hird or Mal Meninga?
Aware
Guest
The Brisbane Bombers are just the start. NRL teams in Adelaide and Perth will further dillute the AFL brand around the country. It's fair enough because the AFL started the code wars.
Queensland's game is rugby league
Guest
@Norman, I didn't see many youngsters on the train when I went to the Cowboys vs Titans game. Though I did see an elderly couple wearing Suns merchandise.
Queensland's game is rugby league
Guest
I don't know how my comment can be misconstrued as sexist. Dingo mentioned a dog act that was performed by a woman from Queensland. I countered that by mentioning a young Victorian woman who performed many dog acts that were meant to harm other people.
Bondy
Guest
Whats clearly evident is both sports are now just going to get in one anothers way and hang sh^^ on one another . These two sports in modern day times are designed to basically get in one anothers road Im sure that most would agree that neither sport is or will ever be our National sport .
Ben of Sydney
Guest
The game is not shoved down peoples throats anymore - Only people looking for it will watch it, thats the point.... And not many people in NSW and QLD will be looking for AFL games while a FTA NRL game is on live