The NRL signing the richest free-to-air TV rights deal in Australian sporting history with Channel Nine – a whopping $925 million – has delivered the AFL a major reality check.
From 2018 the NRL will have revolutionised the way the code is broadcasted and will deliver more money to its clubs than at any time its history.
It is expected this deal will nearly double once pay-TV and live streaming rights are signed off.
The NRL now also has the confidence to expand and may consider fast tracking the admission of the West Coast Pirates and the Brisbane Bombers to be in the NRL premiership come 2018.
Not only that, four live NRL games will be broadcasted on free-to-air TV.
It has given Gillon McLachlan and the AFL Commission some serious thinking to do, especially as far as New South Wales and Queensland are concerned.
While the Sydney Swans get decent crowds at the SCG and have been closing in on 50,000 members, the AFL must be careful handling each of the four northern clubs.
It seems baffling that club bosses in traditional Australian football states and at AFL heartlands cannot see why the academies for northern clubs are crucial for the development of the game in traditional rugby league states.
Why would it matter if any of those clubs were able to recruit from their academies – especially when Sydney, Western Sydney and Queensland do not have the Australian football grassroots like their Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian counterparts?
The AFL has been shooting itself in the foot with its expansion markets, starting with taking the Brisbane Lions’ retention allowance away in 2003. The club has since struggled to retain players and former Carlton now-Brisbane CEO Greg Swann has discovered the reality of what running an AFL club in a traditional rugby league state and city is like.
The Lions have been in a world of hurt and Australian football development in Queensland has been stalling.
Meanwhile, the AFL put an unfair trade ban and restriction on the Sydney Swans as the AFL phases out the cost of living allowance. And then, in a knee-jerk reaction, introduced an awkward points-bidding system for any northern club to draft academy players.
Since the academy has barely produced the stream of players rival clubs, particularly in Victoria, have been fearing, the points system made no sense.
No wonder the Lions are pitching for a priority draft pick.
Both the Lions and the Swans were effectively punished for winning premierships and being successful. No wonder former Sydney Swans president Richard Colless lashed out AFL Commission boss Mike Fitzpatrick.
Just think if the northern clubs were able to recruit more from their own states and develop the game – there would not be a need for a COLA or any allowances.
The AFL has tremendously underestimated the NRL’s capacity to compete for big money. Now the NRL will significantly increase its clubs’ salary cap capacity – something AFL have been stalling at doing.
And now the AFL finds itself in an awkward situation where its main rival has enough money in the kitty to not only expand, but to make life incredibly difficult for the AFL’s own expansion.
The NRL already had the upper hand in Western Sydney with the grassroots – now it has the money to keep them.
brett
Guest
AFL major reality check?? I think you better print an updated story now and reverse the content. NRL, poor crowds, old suburban gounds and decades behind the AFL at every level including TV deal.
Nick Nack
Guest
Tom Bell of Carlton and Charlie Dixon of Gold Coast Suns also started in soccer before cracking the big time in AFL. It's what you are good at in the end.
Karl's
Guest
the difference will be seen and felt at the grassroots level where RL has been outgunned by AFL since super league. More numbers out there advocating the game to kids and mums. Feminism has seen the rise of the pussy husband too afraid of his missus to let little johnny play what he wants to play. Not much soccer on fta TV and that is going to be the biggest media influence for some years to come. NRL supporters have been telling afl this is coming for years. They and the afl laughed. Now to deal with the reality.
Gyfox
Guest
Well we are in Australia, so obviously he means Australian Football ?
Steve
Guest
By football do you mean Australian. Association, Rugby or Rugby League?
Warren Cooper
Roar Guru
Yeah there is some truth in that, however some kids might see Ben Barba and say, "he's a small guy, I can give it a go as well." The Jack brothers had to love to Australian football first before they chose it over rugby league. Both of those players would have been super rugby league players - Brandon actually moves a lot like his famous father used to. The only problem with "soccer" is the A-League does not have the commercial appeal via the major networks, although the recent exhibition matches featuring Liverpool and Manchester City were massive and featured on commercial networks. However naturally Channel Nine or Seven naturally view Man City a lot different than they would view the Western Sydney Warriors.
Warren Cooper
Roar Guru
It would be. Quite seriously the AFL may need that figure to be able to invest more money in the northern state clubs - especially the GWS Giants, Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions. The Sydney Swans are effectively with the big boy clubs now, which is why the other northern clubs need to let them lead the way. However the northern clubs could be a massive financial drain for the AFL if their management plan for them is not well thought out. The Gold Coast in particular is potential black hole, as it is for the NRL. It's already swallowed an A- League team and it nearly swallowed the Titans. Meanwhile every year the Giants progress, Canberra always seems to be the place they will eventually call home.
Warren Cooper
Roar Guru
How is the game rigged in favour of the Northern clubs? One of the primary reasons why both the Brisbane Lions and the Sydney Swans had their allowances in the first place was so both clubs had a chance of being able to compete on the field. How would it bastardise the competition if the northern clubs used their draft picks on picking local players - provided they are good enough to be picked? It is well known now that the amount of player talent from New South Wales and Queensland is scarce. Having home grown players playing for the Lions or the Swans, like Isaac Heeney, is a major plus for the code and the competition. Of course there is a very good argument that the Melbourne Storm do not get any allowances, yet the Storm did infamously cheat the salary cap as well. It is arguable the Storm have a much bigger challenge to grow rugby league in Victoria, compared to New South Wales and Queensland. Yet in both northern states traditional Australian football areas are no where near Sydney or Brisbane.
Nick Nack
Guest
Funny if the AFL ends up with 3 billion, that'll be a real kick in league's clacker.
Nick Nack
Guest
The ironic thing is, what it'll end up doing is initially all the UK rugby league talent will be looking at coming down here to play. Then as the years pass, the Wigan's, St Helen's, Hull's have a gut-full of losing all their talent and they move their clubs into the mega buck rugby union competitions in Europe, which will have the added bonus of freeing them from Murdoch, and also returning them to the traditional winter seasons. Then because there is no salary cap in union competitions in Europe, it'll be open season on NRL. Particularly as the Aussie dollar goes to pot because it is too up the Chinese renmindbi. You work out what'll happen after that. It's called a Pyrrhic victory rugby league fans.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Why was the A-League outraged by Doc McStuffins? I thought it was Peppa Pig doing the porkbarrelling.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
Epi, see posts above!!!
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
db, nowhere in my post did I mention taking over. All I did was counter Mister Football's comment that soccer has had bigger participation for 100 years, that yes true but, with globalisation & the strength of the A-League in comparison to it's predecessors that football is more primed then ever to take advantage of this huge participation rate. A young soccer player anywhere can play soccer & follow their favourite EPL side, just as easy as the kid from Alice Springs who plays AFL & Follows their favourite AFL (competition) side.
peeeko
Roar Guru
true Epi
peeeko
Roar Guru
and that money they threw at Izzy produced nothing
WhereIsGene
Guest
So somehow the NRL selling their TV rights for a record price is justification for Rugby state AFL teams cherry-picking the creme of the talent from their academies? Err, interesting use of "logic" there. Rugby state teams should be given all the FINANCIAL assistance they need by the AFL. They should be give absolutely zero ON-FIELD assistance because doing so compromises the league, bastardizes the concept of a competition where teams compete on an equal footing and reduces interest levels of supporters of all the other clubs because they know the game is rigged in favor of Sydney, GWS & GC. By all means lets grow the game in expansion states but bending the rules in their favor to ensure they make the finals every year is NOT the right way to go about it. That approach makes a mockery of the league and kills off the illusion the AFL is an unbiased umpire. They can follow it up by ditching the father/son system and removing their inherent "big 4" Victorian team fixture bias. No on-field advantages for ANY clubs thanks!
Gyfox
Guest
This new "NRL" deal includes SOO & a few international games. So it is not just NRL games & is incorrect to suggest that NRL is now way ahead of AFL. In fact the AFL is still Australia's most watched competition, both at games & on TV. The big difference with NRL this time is that in Sydney/Brisbane they will now have 4 live games a week, as opposed to 2 currently. Seems that 9 reckons that's worth almost double what they have previously paid.......assuming Fox doesn't also show those 4 games, as then the price goes down! Now we wait to see what the AFL will get.
c
Guest
never heard of Doc mcstuffins is it any good db :)
db swannie
Guest
Lol@ the Sokka will take over / sleeping giant blah blah talk . Same talk yr after yr ...nothing new there . The a league was outraged by Doc mcstuffins(a kids show ) on a few occasions this season . That tells me all I need to know about how big Sokka will be in this country .
Paul
Roar Rookie
For a city that people on this website constantly talk as no one caring about AFL football Brisbane still has a amazing home attendance average of over 19,000 despite being south of dismal and has been that way for a number of years. A middle of the road Lions would average mid 20's a strong Lions would hover around 30's There is a definite decent sized supporter base in Brisbane just waiting to be tapped into again.