A toddler chucking a tantrum over having to share its toys – that’s the most fitting analogy to describe the AFL’s reported anger over the MCG’s scheduling for next year and the International Champions Cup.
The AFL will have to bow to another sport. Shock horror.
First there was the drama surrounding the 2015 Cricket World Cup, which the AFL delayed its season for. This shouldn’t be such a surprise, as the C in MCG stands for cricket.
Now in the middle of the AFL season, the Victorian Government is attempting to bring the International Champions Cup to Melbourne. The Cup was recently staged in front of more than 100,000 people in Detroit, USA, and features some of the round ball game’s best talent.
There is already talk of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United being involved. There is the suggestion that three games, possibly also featuring Liverpool or Chelsea, will be played across three weeks.
So does the AFL have reason to be pissed off? Not really. It’s a one off event and it only disadvantages the code for three weeks of an entire season.
The AFL will protest, saying that its clubs have a contractual right to play at the MCG. While they may be right, the MCG also has the ability to play other sports there under certain circumstances.
And why wouldn’t those in charge of the MCG do so? If 95,000 can turn up to Melbourne Victory and Liverpool match, then there’s huge potential for teams such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Most Twitter critics have already pointed out the real possible reason for the anger. That, the AFL feels threatened by football and doesn’t want its game being a sideshow to the international flavour that will take over Melbourne.
The league has a history of being extremely stubborn when it comes to protecting its stadiums. Former CEO Andrew Demetriou was on the front foot when news came of Australia’s World Cup bid for the 2018 tournament.
He immediately ruled that Docklands Stadium was off limits if FIFA insisted on playing the tournament in June/July.
The MCC isn’t out to screw one of its biggest clients, it’s simply doing what any business does and making the best decision. The AFL needs to take a chill pill and realise that their game is strong enough to cope with a few weeks away from ‘the G’.
Besides, if the MCG is officially approved for the tournament, the AFL will have plenty of notice to come up with a draw that minimises any potential financial hit. The AFL is played across Australia, so bye rounds and away matches can be played across these three weeks with minimal disruption.
Kasey
Guest
@ahmed Just like the AFL propagated the myth that an Aussie World Cup would torpedo a whole AFL season in the media to turn public opinion against the bid? AD and Buckley were mates apparently, but AD preferred to use megaphone ':diplomacy' supported by a compliant(as usual) Melbourne media.if there exists an ounce of brains in the Melbourne sports administration pool, there will be some consultation between the organisers and the AFL to ensure neither organisation is getting in the others way too much. How else to ensure your event is a success in Melbourne without buttering up the leaders of the ruling political party? Not ALP or LNP, AFL. No need for a Premier when you have Gil.
bryan
Guest
Tell that to the true Believers on the "Football" tab!
bryan
Guest
Fuss,where are you going with this? Many "immigrants" are from England,so Martin's comments apply to them as well. Yes,most football codes derived from English prototypes,but the Australian game.has been around for a long time in this country,& has few similarities to the "World game". People from the UK,or any other country may well have a lack of knowledge of Australian Football.,& will in many cases prefer the game they know. Immigrants do make up a fair proportion of A league crowds,but,I agree Martin's comment is an oversimplification. Hardly Offensive,though! I seem to remember someone railing against "Anglos" on the Football tab,& when I made the same comment you made above,I was jumped on by all & sundry,including,I believe,your goodself.
bryan
Guest
Adam,people can hardly be blamed for assuming that some Football supporters are not from this country,when we see the constant barrage of not only AFL bashing,but also those that take aim at Australians in general. Australians are described as boofheaded,parochial,provincial,& all the other adjectives which seem to be the common vocabulary of folk in the "Football tab. Surely if these things are so,then Aussies who play in or follow the "A" League are also boofheads,etc! Of course,Eurosnobs probably do believe this as well:- "Watching Australians play Football-----really,my dear,how could you?" This attitude was prevalent in the Arts for many years,where an Artist of meagre talent who had "studied in Paris"(or London,or whatever),was given preference over a local of greater ability. This doesn't translate directly,because with Football,experience is as important as inborn talent,so the import usually will be better. .
bryan
Guest
Geez Fuss,they play Aussie Rules in the Northern Territiory,& throughout WA's North,which is a long way from being "southern parts of Australia". NSW & Queensland are the two States where it is only mildly popular,but it is the most popular form of "football" elsewhere. I very much doubt that this particular event will bring big numbers of people to Melbourne from overseas,or even Interstate. It puts me in mind of all the hype over the America's Cup back in 1987. All the people who normally attended the event in the USA were going to come-blah,blah! The problem was that most of those people weren't millionaires & couldn't afford to fly halfway around the world! The same goes for the event in question--------when it was held in the USA,there were many "Soccer" fans who might travel across country to attend,plus it was closer to Europe & South America. How many are going to take 28hr flights to Melbourne? How many Australians went to the USA one?
bryan
Guest
"don’t forget little events like Melbourne GP and the Australian Open Melbourne cup?" I can't remember saying that----looks like there are two of us!
conchie
Roar Rookie
Dare i say it but Conkey has written a shonkey.
micka
Guest
Sanctimonious ignorance duly noted. Still, giving an event the green light is still having a say in it's occurrence. There's complex bureaucracy and then there is FFA's involvement in the ICC. I wouldn't describe it as very cloak and daggers mate...
Bondy
Guest
jjon You're just being paranoid no sport does or will dominate in Australia,never has and never will.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The Pope made the point that soccer has an extremely young demographic in Australia, which is good for the future of soccer, but for the moment, it does mean that a large chunk of soccer fans will have a problem each time shows like Peppa Pig are up against the soccer. For the moment, Peppa Pig is winning out. As for AFL ratings in Sydney, I do note that the highest rating show on Fox during July was in fact Hawthorn vs Sydney (360k), in fact, that would be close to the highest rating show on Fox for the whole year (also noting that over the last few years, Fox Footy has been the highest rating channel on Fox by a country mile). I'm not sure how much you know about ratings, but 360k is excellent for a show on Fox (sustained over 3 hours no less). Also, on top of the Fox ratings above, a further 80k watched that game on 7Mate in Sydney, while 91k watched Peppa Pig in Sydney. All in all, one would have to conclude that soccer has the most to worry about coming up against Peppa Pig. I think it's less of an issue for the AFL.
Cat
Roar Guru
And the only way a valid contract can be entered into is if it doesn't impact already existing contracts. If it involves MCG use on the weekends during AFL season, I can promise you there are contracts already.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@Ahmed No. The organisers are using contract law to negotiate their contract. The AFL has zero input on any contract to hire the MCG. Only the MCG owner & the potential tenant need to enter consultations. The AFL may like to think it can poke its nose into everyone else's affairs But, outside southern parts of Australia no one knows who the AFL is; and if they are aware .. well, no one cares.
jjon
Guest
In the UK soccer fans don't line up to take pot shots at other sports. This is unique to Australia. The objective of wipping out all other sports in Aus might well come true, but how boring will the county be with one only sport. Go to Germany, UK, Brazil and most of the world it all soccer and nothing else, no seasons, no breaks just soccer 365 days a year. This is the future, just like a Starbucks on every corner. Yippee
Lee
Guest
Melbourne produces more fans willing to attend sporting events than Sydney
Rob
Guest
I hate soccer - but that's just cause I find the game dull. Not enough scoring to much sissy shit on the field - I love it however when events like this come to Australia and particularly melbourne - there is nothing like a full MCG and although as the major tenant of the ground and the sole reason they can afford to keep the lights on the AFL have every right to question the MCC for putting this on right in the middle of a season. BUT a full MCG is a full MCG and the MCC have every right to host what ever event they want that can fill the place.
Ahmed
Guest
Ok. So there should be some consulting between the AFL and the organisers. Seems to me that the organisers are attempting to use the media to get their way.
Scott
Guest
We live in a global economy sad jack http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/24/nfl-may-expand-to-four-london-games-in-2015/
Scott
Guest
Isn't it more about generating money for the state and the city than the stadium?
joe b
Guest
AFL supporters are hole digging bogans - well done Adam, quite the intellectual response.
Carcass
Guest
Seem to recall the big Euro clubs took on Australia in the mid 1980s and Juventus played at the MCG on a Sunday afternoon. Would have been around 1985.