The year 2013 year marks the tenth occasion I have been privileged to begin an AFL season as Chief Executive of this game.
This season also marks the tenth anniversary of the appointment of our chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick, to the AFL Commission.
Ten is an important number, not just a milestone, but a fork in the road that allows for reflection, for analysis and for anticipation.
Events over the past few months have made that audit trail even more important.
Back in 2004, the AFL’s agenda was clear. The AFL’s purpose was:
• To grow the game via appropriate policies.
• To recruit, retain and develop participants.
• To connect with fans and community.
• To manage responsibly and strive for financial growth and stability.
The reality is, no matter what the year, or the administration, or the circumstances, those points will always drive the AFL’s agenda and, on balance, the Commission has ensured our game has flourished in all those areas, and more.
But there is still much to be done as we enter 2013, on the eve of our first game this Friday, March 22, at AAMI Stadium in Adelaide.
Experience is a great teacher – and moderator – in an ever-changing world. It gives you an acute sense of reality.
I can see the blemishes – and strengths – that have passed under my watch during the last decade, and I can say with great surety, despite some recent errors of judgment by some in the AFL community, myself included, despite some murmurings in the media calling for a new direction and a new culture for the AFL, despite the warnings given to us – and to sport in Australia – by the Australian Crime Commission, and the Federal Government, our game has never been stronger, never been supported with more passion, and has never had more potential and opportunity.
And the AFL community – from the Commission, through the executive and the administration and to the clubs – has never been more alive and alert to continue its role to manage and guide the game on behalf of our supporters.
To that end, we have made significant changes to our administrative structure, and more will follow over the next weeks.
On the eve of our season, I was delighted that Hawthorn’s General Manager of Football, Mark Evans, has accepted the role of AFL Football Operations manager, following in the footsteps of Adrian Anderson.
Adrian did a wonderful job in his nine years in the chair, instituting and managing many vital changes to our ever-evolving game.
Many of these changes have come because we have listened to our supporters, but we need to get even closer to our fans, and a new department – Fan and Community Engagement – will be instituted in the next month to ensure we are on top of any issue that may confront us.
We are in the entertainment industry, as well as the sports industry, and we must ensure that all of us – in the AFL and in the clubs – work together to ensure our game remains the dominant sports entertainment in this country. Many will say the most exciting in the world.
For all the beauty of our game, these past months have not been positive for any of us. There’s no avoiding that issue.
Our fans have had reason to doubt us in recent months. We have had to deal with breaches of our rules by the Adelaide and Melbourne clubs. We have had Essendon coming forward and admitting flaws in its operations and seeking answers on its governance and processes, and we’ve had a cloud over all sport following our briefing by the Australian Crime Commission.
Serious matters all, and we cannot avoid this truth: what infects any of us, has the capacity to infect us all.
Our fans have quite reasonably been outraged by what’s been happening, and with great justification.
Many of our wonderful players and many brilliant sports medicine practitioners are similarly angry – besmirched as they have been by poor behaviour, driven by poor values and poor judgments.
That said, the on-going attraction of our beautiful game, and the faith our fans have in its integrity and competitiveness, cannot be broken by the misdemeanours and misjudgements of a misguided few.
It is a time, in a sense, to slow down, to return to a more languid past to understand what it is that makes sport a wonderful thing to watch, to be part of.
If our game is reduced to a madcap philosophy of winning at all costs then we have lost the spirit of sport and we need to pull out all stops to get it back.
Some will scoff at that. Some will think the elite game is all about winning and winning is the only measure.
It is not.
In all parts of our life, we admire those who compete at their best, and win ethically.
The AFL has flourished off the back of great athletes performing marvellous feats – without any assistance beyond their own genius.
I was reminded of this when I read a recent description of Roger Federer by the novelist, and sports fan, J.M.Coetzee:
“One starts by envying Federer, one moves from there to admiring him, and one ends up neither envying nor admiring him, but being exalted at the revelation of what a human being – a being like myself – can be.”
That sentence describes the sport we love, we oversee, and ultimately must protect from any assault from the unscrupulous, the unworthy.
He could have been writing about any of our players, of Gary Ablett, or Lance Franklin, or Jobe Watson, or Scott Pendlebury: players of bravery, strength, courage, and that X-factor that separates them. He could have been writing about our game.
The Commission, under Ron Evans and Mike Fitzpatrick, hammered into me one key point that drives the best sporting administrations: we have a responsibility to hand over the game in better shape than that we inherited.
We also have a responsibility to hand over the ethos of the game in better shape.
The style of the play might change, the speed, strength and endurance of players might change, the science and strategies available to coaches might change, the training methods might change but the day we accept that players, coaches, officials and clubs can do anything in the pursuit of victory or advantage is the day we will lose the faith of the people who love the game far beyond winning or losing.
I will say it again: our game is a beautiful game. It is resilient, it is never the same, it brings in new champions to excite us, as the previous generation moves on.
In recent weeks, I have met with most of our clubs, and have stressed to them some emphatic truths. They, like us, have a singular responsibility – and that is to the game, and the integrity of the game.
I was delighted, though not surprised, by the common purpose all the clubs expressed, and their shared view that we must be united in all our efforts to protect that integrity.
The game owes us nothing – we owe everything to the game.
We are nothing without it.
I was proud of the way the Commission responded to our briefing by the ACC, rapidly enacting significant changes to the way we monitor our game, our systems, and our personnel – at all levels.
We approached serious matters with zeal, and purpose to stem the potential of any incursions at any level of the game’s administration, supervision, coaching, or playing.
But we cannot rely on rules alone.
We have to act personally and collectively.
Everything we do – or don’t do – impacts on our game, its importance to our fans, and its capacity to impact on the broader society.
In 2013, we will take another significant step on ANZAC Day when two of our foundation clubs, St Kilda and the Sydney Swans, will make history, playing our first international match for premiership points, when they venture to Wellington New Zealand.
This is not just a significant event for Australian football, it is a marvellous commemoration of this sacred day for Australians and New Zealanders.
I congratulate both clubs for taking this bold step – although the journey is not long; it is one giant step in taking our game into new frontiers.
The cynics may sneer at that, just as they sneered at the introduction of the Suns and the Giants into our competition, but why should our game have boundaries?
Our potential is limited only by imagination, vision, and application.
In that regard, 2013 must be a year of solidarity, of great purpose, blended by just the right mix of optimism and realism, and driven by the values that formed our game and the culture of our sport.
2013 is our chance to do great things for our game, to reset the foundations that have been shaken, and to drive our destiny to new outcomes, new successes and new pride.
2013 is the year we remind everyone that Australian Rules Football is the greatest game – it’s authentic, it’s beautiful, it’s eternal, and it’s ours.
Redb
Roar Guru
Looking at Wellington Phoenix crowds its pretty obvious Aussies couldnt care less about the A League games in NZ. haha
Redb
Roar Guru
I'm sure this is a fake David Gallop account :) Come clean Dave.
Kasey
Guest
So Aussies flying in rather than locals beating down the gates to see this sport showcase itself? Hardly a recipe for "converting the heathens" is it?
Kasey
Guest
TW, ABs vs Wallabies sells itself in the BloodySlowCup;), no need for gimmickery to sell their $100+ tickets. Australia v Turkey in football, now that's a mouth-watering duel for a fan of the World game and of sport in general :)
Martin
Guest
Who television stations sell advertising to is not, I don't think, the responsibility of the AFL. By the way, it is the government that allows gaming to flourish in Australia because it is a huge tax revenue raiser. You can't blame the AFL for the NSW Government's approval of a second casino in Sydney, can you?
Peter Wilson
Roar Guru
Demetriou, you are your AFL are unpopular and unwelcome in NSW and Sydney in particular. No matter how much money you throw at us, we are not going to follow AFL blindly. AFL is going backwards, not growing, as you say. Despite 2 new teams and 22 extra games last season, your aggregate attendances and TV ratings were the lowest in years. AFL has reached saturation point and you are on a downward slide - admit it. And you have no growth overseas.
Brad
Guest
How about no rules committee? It's a "make work" committee, pure and simple. They have no incentive to retain the status quo. Imagine if they recommended the rules stay the same year after year - they'd be out of a job because people would say they don't do anything.
Anon
Guest
This depends on your definition. If you count a zero base of around 20-25 years ago to half reasonable amatuer footy in some cases with two divisions and the odd junior comp - then, yes - there already has been growth. If you want to limit to it to the prospect of potential for professional or even semi pro leagues - then, no, not really. 20-25 years ago - the idea that we'd have a South Pacific side contest the NAB U/16 nationals with all players from their island nations (i.e. not Aust based expats/kids of) would've probably seemed an unattainable quest. That's been ticked off and one graduate (Gideon Simon from PNG is rookie listed at Richmond) while there's a fair sprinkly of International scholarship kids including a couple from NZ who Hawthorn have pretty committed to rookie listing. 20-25 years ago - the idea the by 2014 we'd be seeing the 5th International Cup to be contested with in each year no less than 11 and now nearing 20 senior mens teams in 2 divisions plus in 2011 the debut of the Womens comp - and that's international players - no expat Aussies - that would've seemed unattainable too. So - just what happens growth wise going forward will be interesting - however - it's no longer from a 'zero base'.
Brad
Guest
+1
joe b
Guest
???....your argument is that the AFL is not alone with it's association with gambling and shouldn't try to arrest the perverse effect it is having on children. That is meek. The AFL has several clubs that derive income from pokie machines (I think collingwood phased it out last year, good on them), at least one club has a betting agency as a main sponsor (yet the AFL do not allow players to punt on football games), the broadcasters (which believe it or not, the AFL are a party to the broadcast arrangement) flood the tv broadcasts (and their in-house programming) with betting odds and adverts normalising (or rather indoctrinating) gambling. If adults want to punt they know how to go about doing it, you don't need adverts/live-odds during games which children are watching. I don't believe someone can be so ignorant to the fact that children now regurgitate odds for footy games, and this indoctrination can have very real affects on their future. To dismiss and ignore, is naive and lazy...the AFL prides itself on being a bearer and leader of community standards but is failing in this instance. If you need an analogy, look at cigarettes. regards, H. Lovejoy.
NeeDeep
Roar Pro
Great to see AD contributing to this site – which also gives me hope that he may read some of the follow up posts by Roar members. Certainly, I support the statements by many that the game is alive and well and continues to grow, although at a slightly slower pace in the last 2 or 3 years. I also know that I’m commenting on a theme that I have posted (written articles) on a few occasions, myself and whilst I don’t want to sound like a broken record, the fact that AD has written this article, suggests that I may have some chance of him reading the follow up posts. “Commercial” aspects have been to the fore during the early years of AD’s tenure as CEO and with Gold Coast & GWS up and running, great things have been achieved. The last couple of seasons has seen the game blighted by some clubs trying to gain an advantage over their competitors, by trying to push the envelope, by whatever means. This has damaged the “integrity” of the game, from a supporters view. The AFL Commission now needs to concentrate on the other aspect of its duty, the even playing field, by ensuring all clubs have an equal chance to taste premiership success. By doing this, the need for clubs to stretch the rules, or go beyond them, will lessen. They will have a lot more belief that if they play by the rules, their turn will come, if they keep doing the “right thing”. We don’t want an EPL situation AD, where the last 20 titles have been divied up between just 3 clubs. The Bulldogs haven’t won a flag since 1954, St. Kilda 1966, Melbourne 1964 & Richmond 1980. These are traditional Melbourne based clubs who haven’t saluted the judge in a lifetime. We don’t want these clubs to become “feeder” clubs to the successful and popular clubs, who come in like Manchester United and cherry pick the best talent each year, with the allure of success and big money. There are a lot of fans out there who are on the edge and tired of hearing about how great Collingwood are, and what fantastic club Carlton is and how the Bombers are destined to “shoot up” the ladder this year and completely confused as to why Sydney get an extra 10% in their salary cap (which is more about propping the game up in NSW through their success, than the actual costs of living). It is definitely time that the “integrity” aspect comes to the fore, from the AFL Commission. Unfortunately, clubs like the Bulldogs & Saints, who have been up in recent years, may have missed their chance and may now have to wait for another decade, or more – for the games sake, I hope their supporters don’t toss in the sponge and become Melbourne Storm fans.
TW
Guest
Have the All Blacks and the Wallabies ever held an Anzac Day match - They would have been the obvious contenders. If not complete lack of lateral thinking or as I suspect too conservative.
Australian Rules
Guest
That's a ridiculous comment. The AFL is hardly Robinson Crusoe with respect to legalized gambling or betting...in fact, there's far less of it in AFL than what there is in other sports such as League and cricket. Good one Helen Lovejoy.
TC
Guest
Wellington hotels already booked out for the ANZAC Day clash: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/8423408/Full-houses-for-Anzac-AFL-clash
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
People citing match fixing and drugs as only being prevalent during the Demetriou era are kidding themselves. What we have had in the last ten years is a far more pervasive media coverage that actively hunts down any fault or misdemeanor and runs it into the ground. What we are seeing as a result is that more people are getting caught, this doesnt mean that more people are doing it. The same is true of any sporting code. The internet combined with a society that like to eat their own unleashed a monster that must be constantly fed. As for Demetriou, he's done several things extremely well. One, the league is on a firm footing. Its worth noting that the losses incurred in the setting up of GWS and GC last year, appear to have been turned around this year, due to a $100 million increase in revenue, primarily from broadcast rights, so the AFLs budget process is in hand. No club has been driven to the wall, no mergers have been mooted, theres been nothing but firm support for all clubs, with the AFL actively looking for ways to make the clubs more equal, while satisfying the needs of broadcasters who enable the funds needed for that equalisation.
Bob Anderson
Guest
What qualifies something as a "rant" as opposed to legitimate viewpoints? Anything someone disagrees with I guess.
Anon
Guest
That Izzie Folau played AFL does illustrate the vast difference in scope of a start up team of kids vs an established side in contention - contrast to Majak Daw, 3 years as a rookie at North - big media coverage - yet to play a senior AFL match. Mike Pyke made a mockery of Izzie. re the sight of the game - simply need to reinstitute muddy cricket pitches in the middle of the ground!! Should be an AFL Commission imperative. talking about the Commission - it's always easy to forget that an AFL CEO is answerable to the AFL Commission - and the amount of people who talk of Demetriou as some solo ruler seem to forget this. Demetriou holds a responsible position, is well paid - but, is hardly a sole dictator. However - he DID do a fantastic job in holding firm on behalf of the AFL and in extension the ARL and ARU a couple of years back against Frank Lowy and his personal whim and fancy.
Anon
Guest
re your PS question - it's simple really - the Anzac spirit illustrated best by shipping the lads away to a foreign land and fighting there - before a tactical withdrawal. Fits great in my opinion!!
Anon
Guest
and RL and RU have tinkered rather greatly too - and cricket. Be careful though - not every rule has been changed - in some cases it's the interpretation and a number of interpretations have merely been back tracked a bit.
joe b
Guest
ADs most significant failure is AFLs association with gambling. The AFL has lead the children of football fans to assess teams by odds flashed on screen and gambling on games to be normal. This failure outweighs any progress in "entertainment".