One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: Rampsation on March 18, 2020, 09:53:47 PM
-
Our club has done well financially but we like other clubs are going to get hammered financially this year.
Clubs with money are the ones who will have success. I have my membership for 2020 but I can afford to chuck in an extra $50 as a donation to the club. Would others consider supporting this type of program?
-
Sorry, no.
My membership packages total a large amount and I'm not going to get value for the outlay (appreciate it is not the club's fault) this year
Simply cannot afford anymore
-
Unless the entire comp goes under, the big clubs like ours will survive and I for one look forward to a 12 team comp. and what should be a higher standard of football... :shh
-
Are we being refunded for reserve seat members?
-
Refunds are currently before ACCC as part of a private mediation as to what the AFL do here.
No doubt there will be some form of compensation for members - I’d just decline the refund request as a way of helping the club
-
Better to wait and see how it all unfolds. If the club needs money later in the year or even next year then sure l would be chipping in. We are in a sweet spot list wise hate to waste this opportunity.
-
Anyone who who wants a refund on there membership should just pee off......
-
Anyone who who wants a refund on there membership should just pee off......
I'm not asking for a refund, they can have my membership $$$$
Just not able or prepared to give anymore this year
-
Anyone who who wants a refund on there membership should just pee off......
I'm not asking for a refund, they can have my membership $$$$
Just not able or prepared to give anymore this year
I was never insinuating they you were WP, don’t take my comment personally.
-
The AFL are expecting this from members and probably this is a smart assumption
-
Anyone who who wants a refund on there membership should just pee off......
I'm not asking for a refund, they can have my membership $$$$
Just not able or prepared to give anymore this year
I was never insinuating they you were WP, don’t take my comment personally.
All good Willy :thumbsup
-
well il be asking the afl for my afl membership dollars back. They can get stuffed. The RFC can keep all the money for my club memberships from this house, even if i dont see a game.
understood the club will lose $50 of that so yep should i get that back from the afl would chip in ramps.
The afl will survive and if they think they can gouge us year on year, then expect a handout in their time of need well they are kidding themselves.
Calling afl today. I suspect il get the answer they wont be refunding at which point il head straight to the ombudsman or lodge a accc complaint.
-
Individuals and their families are more important than a footy club that is flush with cash. The government will back the AFL.
People can do what they want but now isn't the time for me to be giving away cash to large cash generating businesses
Just my opinion.
-
:thumbsup perfectly said
-
Wonder how much money the club will be losing on those leisure centres now? :shh
-
here is a question and one i dont really understand.
if the club has 100k members of which none of us will get a refund or in most cases want one. Where would our club lose the most money? gate receipts wouldn't be high as the majority of us are members.
sponsorship deals refunded?
-
“It’s hard (to predict) an average - it does really depend on club to club. It’s an impossible exercise because we don’t know the impact of this at this stage,” he said on SEN.
“We don’t know how long we’ll be playing games without crowds. Simple maths, if you look at our game on Thursday night we’d probably expect a crowd of around 90,000.
“A crowd of high 80s, 90,000, would probably return a gate of $1.2 to $1.4 million. That’s one game.
“You extrapolate that and it’s a big number.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/03/15/richmond-ceo-outlines-the-big-figure-clubs-stand-to-lose-due-to-empty/
We will also lose $$$$$ on merchandise sales I guess.
-
Keeping our club in a strong financial position should be the no 1 priority for this year. Forget the footy. Last night was terrible. Footy cant be played without the supporters at games. We won but it was irrelevant and I stopped watching at half time and went to sleep. The club probably lost $700,000-$800,000 in profit as well. Whats going on is going to decimate clubs. So for me the financial future of our club is more important this year than winning games in empty stadiums.
-
“It’s hard (to predict) an average - it does really depend on club to club. It’s an impossible exercise because we don’t know the impact of this at this stage,” he said on SEN.
“We don’t know how long we’ll be playing games without crowds. Simple maths, if you look at our game on Thursday night we’d probably expect a crowd of around 90,000.
“A crowd of high 80s, 90,000, would probably return a gate of $1.2 to $1.4 million. That’s one game.
“You extrapolate that and it’s a big number.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/03/15/richmond-ceo-outlines-the-big-figure-clubs-stand-to-lose-due-to-empty/
We will also lose $$$$$ on merchandise sales I guess.
To ask a stupid question, how does a 80-90k crowd equate to 1.4 million $ if the majority of those who turn up are members? Opposition supporters? Reserved seats?
-
40000 Irregulars/Carlton/Neutrals x $25 = $1m. Then add merchandise sales etc. That would go close to $1.2-1.4m.
-
Ramps, no games at all means no sponsors. That would mean a huge financial hole.
-
40000 Irregulars/Carlton/Neutrals x $25 = $1m. Then add merchandise sales etc. That would go close to $1.2-1.4m.
Simple enough, thanks :cheers
-
40000 Irregulars/Carlton/Neutrals x $25 = $1m. Then add merchandise sales etc. That would go close to $1.2-1.4m.
Thanks MT
Much clearer picture now
Not a great scenario
-
This is terrible for all clubs. Some clubs may go out of business.
-
There's half a dozen clubs I wouldn't miss and neither would the league, 12-14 teams is the sweet spot IMO but I'm hearing that the very worst case scenario is that we could be left a comp of just the Big 4, Adelaide, WC & Swans.....even Geelong & Hawthorn are up against it... :shh
-
Hawthorn are loaded.
-
The Hawks can delay/defer their Dingley project. They have cash on hand.
It's St Kilda with their large debt, the Dees and Norf with their supporter base that can fit in a phonebox that are most at risk.
If this was the 90s, you could see the AFL using this situation to merge and relocate clubs. End up with the Gold Coast Saints and the Tasmania Kangaroos.
-
Theres too many Victorian clubs losing two or three
Wont hurt the league it will help the league in the future.
-
Hawthorn are loaded.
Not if they don't get their Tassie cash.... :shh
-
Hawthorn are loaded.
Not if they don't get their Tassie cash.... :shh
So true
Their deal is worth $5 million a year the media reckon
-
Foolproof sponsors we should be reaching out to:
Coles, Woolies, Aldi, IGA ,Priceline, Chemist Warehose, Sorbent, Quliton, Kleenex, Handee ,Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, UberEats, Deliveroo, 7-11, Netflix etc... :shh
-
Club's should do what Port used to do at Footy park with no crowd.
That is put advertising covers over seats
Sponsor's get extra exposure, baby for the buck and clubs get to keep the $$$
Heard it suggested yesterday on SEN reckon it is a good idea
Foolproof sponsors we should be reaching out to:
Coles, Woolies, Aldi, IGA ,Priceline, Chemist Warehose, Sorbent, Quliton, Kleenex, Handee ,Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, UberEats, Deliveroo, 7-11, Netflix etc... :shh
Deliveroo signed on as major sponsor of the saints early this year
Chemist warehouse are already an AFL sponsor
-
Imagine the scramble for signatures if even just GC & GWS, let alone any other clubs fold...you'd imagine we'd target Anderson & Green for starters...then probably Sam Taylor & Williams...probably be in it for Rowell too if we nabbed Anderson, Ainsworth was a Tiger fan I think, like the look of MacPherson....you'd ithink Saints would jump on King unless they fold themselves in which case I'd be going after him & his brother...and of course AT will be lobbying the club hard to bring BEllis back home....him & Milesy can co-captain our VFL side... :shh
-
The AFL won't want to lose the expansion clubs. It would let smaller Vic clubs go before them.
-
The expansion clubs are money pits that nobody watches and always will be...the AFL might not have a choice and finally have to face reality once they look at the bottom line at the end of the year....:shh
-
big opportunity for the afl to merge or relocate clubs.
Melbourne and St Kilda merging to create the Melbourne Saints HQd in Moorabbin would be a good fit
Carlton taking over North Melbourne to Create Carlton North FC with the Kangaroo as there club mascot makes a lot of sense to.
Gold Coast Suns relocated to Tasmania
that would create a better league in the future
-
Can't see any mergers of Melbourne clubs ever gaining much of a following.. I know that if Richmond ever merged I sure as hell wouldn't follow the new club....stuff that bullshyte.. :thumbsdown
-
All I know is that if I was donating $50 to anything , it won’t be the Tiges
They get enough off me and there is going to be plenty of entities far more in need of that $50
-
Fewer clubs when this is over would mean a large reduction in TV rights. The AFL wouldn't want that. So it's about going into survival mode.
No games for at least the next two months or so means no public exposure for club sponsors. This is just going to financially devastate clubs and plenty of good and talented club staff are going to lose their job even at the RFC :(.
The only positive is this didn't happen 10-20 years ago when we were still in $5m debt and surviving off the smell of an oil rag. If this had happened during the SOS era we'd definitely be gonski.
-
a 16 team league not including gcs would be a better situation for the league. a Tasmanian team would also be good to have in the league.
-
16 teams would mean one less game per week = 11% cut in TV rights.
As for now, there's even talk of the AFL imposing smaller playing lists (possibly as low as 35) and lowering the soft off-field cap to cut club costs. Not sure how that is done without breaking or alterating existing contracts :huh but which 10 players would we be forced to let go? Rance (retired), Markov, Aarts, Chol, Naish, English, Higgins, Eggy, Kmac plus maybe a new draftee?
-
I reckon we move to 14 clubs, they play 26 rounds, top 6 and reduce the finals to 4 weeks without a bye before they start.
In no particular order:-
pee off GC by relocating Roos
pee of GWS by relocating Doggies
Merge Saints and Dees
Move Hawks to Tassie
Delist Cats
-
The 'drastic' measures AFL clubs will take to survive coronavirus crisis revealed
By Chris De Silva
Nine WWOS
23 March 2020
With the AFL making the decision to suspend the 2020 season for at least the next two months, the league's 18 clubs are set to begin taking "drastic" steps to ensure their survival.
As he announced that the league would be suspended, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan admitted that the AFL is facing "its biggest financial crisis" in its history.
The league is already understood to have told each club to find at least $5 million in savings through cost-cutting, and as players head home until at least April, club executives face tough decisions.
While admitting that it will be "a challenge" to help each of the league's 18 clubs survive, McLachlan was optimistic, saying the AFL and it's clubs would "do what we'll need to do to survive as an industry".
"We'll get there," he said in his press conference.
"The Federal treasurer gave some comfort for businesses for the next six months, which is a start.
"We're working collectively to secure liquidity so that we protect the AFL and all our 18 clubs. That's what we've been working on over the last week or so."
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has already estimated that each clubs could collectively lose $500 million due to the loss of games this season, and Port Adelaide chairman David Koch stressed the importance of clubs executing cost-cutting strategies effectively.
"Of course we could (lose clubs)," Koch told 3AW.
"It is that serious, but let me tell you every single club and the AFL, what has been achieved in the last 10 days is freaking remarkable.
"The co-operation, the collegiate thinking has been amazing …"
Several clubs have already begun the process of cost-cutting, telling part-timers to stay away for a temporary period.
Players are reportedly facing a 20 percent pay cut as a result of the suspension to the season, and according to the Herald Sun, players are prepared to take "considerable pay cuts to ensure they are not paying money back at the end of the season".
https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/clubs-drastic-steps-revealed-after-suspension-to-2020-season-coronavirus-news/5dc797dd-de81-45ad-a7a4-5dd09d0b678e
-
From Monday, clubs will take ‘drastic steps’ to survive. It will be the tip of the iceberg
* March 23, 2020
* Tom Morris
* FOX SPORTS
Monday looms as a difficult day at AFL clubs around the country as chief executives attempt to deal with the serious financial implications of a postponed season.
Last week foxfooty.com.au reported clubs were expecting to shed between $5 and $10 million from their balance sheets — and these numbers have now become an immediate concern following league CEO Gillon McLachlan’s press conference on Sunday afternoon.
McLachlan said clubs would soon detail the “drastic and immediate steps needed to be taken to cut costs”.
Several clubs have told part-timers to stay away until further notice, while Essendon has already made a handful of changes to its administration staff.
But these initial measures are likely to be the tip of the iceberg once club executives sit down to balance their books this week.
The $10 million soft cap – which was designed to equalise the competition – could be slashed in half. Recruiters are likely to be stood down indefinitely while there is no footy to scout, while events and community workers made redundant or given unpaid leave.
Some clubs, such as the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne, are understood to have told staff they will explore every possible solution before wielding the axe. But other clubs have simply shared a “wait and see” message, increasing anxiety for football and non-football staff.
In the NFL, the day following the final game of the regular season is widely referred to as ‘Black Monday.’ Underperforming general managers and coaches get fired almost hourly.
The only difference with what’s to come in the AFL is that those who face uncertain futures won’t necessarily have underperformed. They will just be a victim of circumstance. One high ranking club official told foxfooty.com.au that his executive team was “dreading it”.
McLachlan, who has conceded he will need to take a pay cut in light of recent extraordinary developments, was asked about the short to medium term future of clubs on Sunday afternoon.
“I think it’s become very real in the last couple hours and it’s going to be a very real few days as people, including me, chief executives and presidents, have got to have honest conversations with staff and people, because this is a very human part of the business,” the AFL CEO said.
“This virus is taking an incredible personal toll physically on many people and will continue to do so. But the economic cost and the livelihood cost is significant as well.
“We’ve got to stay united and work through this as a community, no matter what industry you’re in.”
The AFL Players’ Association has conceded male players will need to take a pay cut (what percentage they land on remains to be seen), while AFL coaches are also consigned to a reduction in their salaries.
But it’s the future of clubs – especially those already vulnerable ones – that is sure to cause the most headaches for McLachlan and his team over the coming weeks and months.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-season-shut-down-coronavirus-news-updates-financial-impact-on-clubs-staff/news-story/203d51cdc64a885763a139f6618ba22e
-
Up to 80 per cent of staff at the AFL and clubs have been stood down without pay as the league imposes austerity measures in the wake of the suspension.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/afl/suns-football-department-staff-stood-down-indefinitely-20200323-p54cxb.html
-
Up to 80 per cent of staff at the AFL and clubs have been stood down without pay as the league imposes austerity measures in the wake of the suspension.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/afl/suns-football-department-staff-stood-down-indefinitely-20200323-p54cxb.html
Confirmed.
https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-forces-clubs-to-stand-down-up-to-80-per-cent-of-staff-amid-covid-19-crisis-c-758375
-
Players to take a 50% pay cut according to the AFLPA.
Reduced list sizes of 35 for next year being considered.
AFL now in control of all player contracts.
Off-field staff: Clubs told to start backwards with everyone on leave and then decide who is essential.
Source: Tom Browne, Talking Footy.
-
Houli should probably retire now...Nankervis is cooked... Aarts, McIntosh..then you get to the likes of Garthwaite, Chol :(, Miller.....there's 7...:shh
-
Geez Geez
Brave Brando needs to be compensated! I am furious.
Bring him home, the wheels are in motion.....:shh
-
Hutchy on Footy Classified thinks it will be a billion dollar hit to the AFL industry.
Fighting Money:
AFL Future Fund $100m
AFL Cuts $100m
Players cut $60m
Total $260m
So still a big hole if Hutchy is right.
Caro said she now genuinely fears the loss and merging of clubs.
-
Club rationalisation in Victoria is the best solution. 18 teams is unwieldy and its finally time for an AFL Super League to evolve. 16 teams is fine for an AFL competition in Australia including Tassie.
Richmond
Collingwood
Essendon
Carlton North (merger between Blues & Norf)
Geelong
Hawthorn
Melbourne Saints (merger of Melb & StK)
Western Bulldogs
Sydney
GWS Giants
Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Brisbane
West Coast
Fremantle
& Tasmania
If you want 14 take out Port Adelaide and Tasmania
-
I still believe Richmond supporters should rally and start donating via a Bpay program. AFL footy will change forever as a result and we need to ensure our club can get through this successfully with us emerging as a powerhouse in the comp when this is all over.
-
Richmond
Collingwood
Essendon
Carlton
Geelong
Hawthorn
Sydney
Adelaide
Port
Brisbane
West Coast
Fremantle
Canberra-Riverina Red Giants (GWS-Suns merger)
Tassie Roowoldts
26 rounds, final 5 system à la 80's :shh
-
Hutchy said the AFL owning Docklands Stadium (worth $2 billion) will save the sport. It will allow the AFL to get a line of credit of $500m from the NAB. The NRL is in a worse position as they don't have that. They rely on po-kies which have also shut down.
https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/nrl-and-afl-suspend-seasons-face-up-to-major-financial-impact/
NRL will lose $13m a round. So at the moment with 24 H/A rounds remaining they are down over $300m and that's not including no state of origin nor finals.
-
Just five AFL clubs are likely to come out of the coronavirus shutdown financial secure, according to The West's chief football writer Mark Duffield.
“If you go from the top, West Coast, Richmond, Collingwood, probably Essendon, Hawthorn’s in that group. Everyone south of that group is probably under severe threat,” Duffield said.
Quartermain agreed, listing Victoria’s trio North Melbourne, St Kilda and Melbourne as some of the most vulnerable clubs.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/the-game-afl-podcast/duff-and-quarters-podcast-thirteen-clubs-under-severe-financial-threat-due-to-the-afls-coronavirus-shutdown-ng-b881498545z
-
Not surprisingly, Ch 7 news mentioned St Kilda as one of those in trouble. The Saints are carrying a large debt and are the most dependent on AFL handouts.
Also mentioned tonight that the TV rights money has ceased being paid given there's no games.
It was reported on one of the news services that some clubs are still withdrawing membership money from members accounts despite no footy. They didn't say which clubs.
I still believe Richmond supporters should rally and start donating via a Bpay program. AFL footy will change forever as a result and we need to ensure our club can get through this successfully with us emerging as a powerhouse in the comp when this is all over.
Problem is people won't donate if they don't have a job. This will also hurt next year's membership numbers too.
-
Yep, ramps is being ridiculous
Far more important things going on. If there is a billionaire Richmond supporter out there, perhaps they can donate
20% of our supporters probably won't have jobs in 6 months.
-
Pfft..... that never stopped Collingwood supporters from contributing to their club... :shh
-
Yep, ramps is being ridiculous
Far more important things going on. If there is a billionaire Richmond supporter out there, perhaps they can donate
20% of our supporters probably won't have jobs in 6 months.
Why ridiculous?
A $50 bpay donation to rfc is not ridiculous. No one will starve over $50. Everyone claims they love the club, but it seems $50 is too much for some. My idea could raise $5,000,000 for our club. It would help enormously. Anyway each to own, I will try and donate 2 or 3 times if i can.
-
Yep, ramps is being ridiculous
Far more important things going on. If there is a billionaire Richmond supporter out there, perhaps they can donate
20% of our supporters probably won't have jobs in 6 months.
Why ridiculous?
A $50 bpay donation to rfc is not ridiculous. No one will starve over $50. Everyone claims they love the club, but it seems $50 is too much for some. My idea could raise $5,000,000 for our club. It would help enormously. Anyway each to own, I will try and donate 2 or 3 times if i can.
Ramps, have you not seen the queues at Centrelink? Our employment rate is going to (at best) double. People are struggling in a way not seem since the Great Depression
$50 right now is not something alot of people can spare.
People don't have enough money to pay their mortgages, rent... $50 is a bloody lot right now... so sorry people are struggling and so the idea of stumping up $50 for a football club is just not possible.
So, I agree with AT, right now and I get your intention, this donation idea is ridiculous.
-
Also mentioned tonight that the TV rights money has ceased being paid given there's no games.
Eddie McGuire sent shockwaves through the AFL community on Tuesday after candidly speaking about the future of the game after the suspension of the code on Sunday.
"The Channel 7 money, the Foxtel money, stopped this week. It’s finished, it’s all over.
"There’s no gate receipts, the AFL is cutting through its costs, all the clubs are cutting through their costs, and we have to come to an elegant situation here … if there’s no money, there’s no money.
https://au.sports.yahoo.com/coronavirus-eddie-mcguire-shares-bleak-afl-outlook-014357937.html
-
Nick Riewoldt thinks the AFL should consider ‘private ownership’ to keep clubs alive.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/st-kilda-great-nick-riewoldt-thinks-the-afl-should-consider-private-ownership-to-keep-clubs-alive/news-story/49de5f31242d8508eec01ffa08e5cbe5
---------------------------------------------------
AFL clubs contacting corporate partners in bid to keep staff in work
By Sam Edmund
SEN
2020-03-25
The AFL and its clubs are reaching out to sponsors in a bid to keep stood down staff employed.
As the suspended AFL scrambles for survival amid the coronavirus, the league’s 18 clubs have been ordered to lay off up to 80 per cent of staff.
The limited number of employees who survive the cuts will be forced to work drastically reduced hours while the competition is in shutdown.
Carlton has contacted its corporate partners as part of a redeployment strategy to keep its people in work.
The Brisbane Lions have reached out to major sponsors, including XL Express and Neds, in a bid to keep its staff out of Centrelink queues.
The AFL itself is working behind the scenes with its corporate partners, including Coles, Toyota and NAB, to ease the pain on some of the 80 per cent of staff it has been forced to stand down.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/03/24/afl-clubs-contacting-corporate-partners-in-bid-to-keep-staff-in-work/#
-
I have a different opinion and thats ok
-
Pools and gyms to close. Aligned Leisure is up the creek without a paddle now. Things are bad for the rfc.
-
We got our poo together just in the Knick of time
You watch the AFL milk us the skunks druggies from the west
To prop up poo no soul clubs like GC GWS
Not to mention the norfs and bulldogs
And stuff Oort Adelaide also
-
We may not be in a position to prop anyone up if the season gets cancelled and aligned loses millions. We'll be looking to prop ourselves up.
-
Rating every AFL club's viability during shutdown crisis
* March 27, 2020 1:20pm
* Tom Morris@tommorris32
* Source: FOX SPORTS
RICHMOND
No club is completely shielded from the current revenue issues the game faces, but Richmond’s 100,000-strong membership gives the club a significant upper hand. In an unprecedented show of unison, big clubs like the Tigers have already been working with smaller clubs on uniformed membership options. All 18 clubs understand that the strong getting stronger and weak getting weaker is bad for the game.
STATUS: Healthy
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/rating-every-afl-clubs-viability-during-shutdown-crisis/news-story/85bbc179ee50958c1c7e768b8ba30f88
-
Of course I would.
Tigerland not immune it seems.
BG on 7 news tonight.
Anyone listen to the podcast.
-
Benny Gale on Ch 7 news just now:
* He went into bat for the players. Bagging them has been "tiredsome, unimaginative and unfair".
* 60 staff at RFC stood down.
* Footy hasn't overspent. It's about competition. About promoting people and getting the best out of them.
* There will be change to footy once this is over.
* We need the support of our members more than ever. He's been blown away by the generosity so far.
-
Richmond open for business
By richmondfc.com.au
27 March 2020
Richmond Football Club remains very much open for business, despite having to stand down a number of staff this week.
The Club – and the entire AFL industry – is navigating the significant financial impact of the coronavirus and that has meant some difficult decisions have had to be made, Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said.
“It is incredibly hard asking staff to stand down or work on reduced hours for a period of time,” Gale said.
“These people have all made a significant contribution to building a Club that our fans are proud to be a part of.
“The responsibility of those remaining at the Club is to work as hard as we possibly can in the coming months and sustain a business that will welcome these wonderful people back as soon as possible."
And to that end, Richmond Football Club is still very much open for business.
“Our membership lines are open, our on-line retail business is open, our digital team are on deck and will work to deliver our fans some great content that will keep them engaged while the season is on hold,” Gale said.
“And, of course, we will work with our fantastic partners, and be as innovative as we can, to deliver them the value they deserve in return for the fantastic support they provide us
“Beyond that, Korin Gamadji Institute and Bachar Houli Foundation staff will maintain their important work, engaging key communities through innovative digital programming.
“The Richmond Institute of Sports Leadership will continue to deliver its education program and our health and recreation business, Aligned Leisure, will continue to build despite the current interruption to its business.
“So there is much hard work to be done. We owe that to our members, supporters and partners. And we owe it to our staff who are enduring some difficult times like so many Australians are right now.
“We will get through this together.”
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/581457/richmond-open-for-business
-
Gil on MMM yesterday said all 18 AFL & 14 AFLW clubs will remain after this crisis.
Barrett said thanks to the soon to be $600m loan from the NAB & ANZ.
Clubs won't be going back to the way they were as that $600m loan will need to be paid back over time via cost-cutting.
-
The afl is going to waste the greatest opportunity to refocus and reorganise the competion it will ever have. Melbourne as a city has too many clubs. North, St Kilda and Melbourne shouldnt be in the competition. Those xlubs are just wasting resources and taking up sponsorship dollars that should be shared by the clubs. Its time for a superleague. Now is the opportunity.
-
The AFL and their compliant media parrots will trot out the "all clubs will survive" line for as long as they can - the NRL are saying the same even though it's obviously not true....let's see if they're still saying that once this is all over after they go through the books and do the sums... :shh
-
The AFL friendly media thinks the AFL will try to hold onto the Suns in case the NRL's Titans go to the wall. That would leave the Suns as the only professional team in a national comp. on the Gold Coast.
It's the Saints and North who are most at risk. The AFL saying 18 clubs will survive (thanks to that $600m loan) doesn't rule out relocation of a club or two.
-
Many AFL club and league employees stood down or laid off last week will be eligible for the federal government's income support money of $1500 per fortnight.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-and-club-staff-eligible-for-government-bailout-money-20200330-p54ff4.html
-
The afl is going to waste the greatest opportunity to refocus and reorganise the competion it will ever have. Melbourne as a city has too many clubs. North, St Kilda and Melbourne shouldnt be in the competition. Those xlubs are just wasting resources and taking up sponsorship dollars that should be shared by the clubs. Its time for a superleague. Now is the opportunity.
According to Caroline Wilson, club bosses and figures at the AFL are convinced that the Kangaroos should be moved from North Melbourne to Tasmania
https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/caroline-wilson-says-north-melbourne-relocation-to-tasmania-possibility-footy-classified/9cd1672e-fd99-45bc-8544-cbc3f964f4b5
-
Thats not enough. Reforming the competition should be a priority.
-
The AFL sent a letter to every member backing all clubs to survive.
A letter from the AFL Commission Chairman
March 31, 2020
Dear Supporters,
This is an unprecedented time in the history of our country, impacting on every aspect of our lives, both personally and professionally.
In order to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we all need to play our role in helping to slow the spread of the virus and to ensure we flatten the curve to reduce the impact on our hospital facilities and the medical system for the sake of everyone’s wellbeing. We owe our health professionals a great debt for their selfless service to us all.
As we have said before, footy is a game but not the main game. The main game for all of us remains ensuring the safety of everyone - families, friends and the wider community.
While this is one of the biggest challenges to face the community, this is also one of the biggest challenges to face football in more than 160 years.
At every level of the game, from the 18 elite AFL clubs down to community football and Auskickers, Australians are currently unable to play and watch the game we love, severely limiting the ability to be part of the footy clubs and communities that are so important within our lives.
Which is why I want to assure you the AFL Commission and Executive, led by myself and Gillon McLachlan, will protect our game at all levels. From the 18 AFL clubs, to the 14 AFLW teams, to State leagues and the community game, footy will be back when it is the right time to be back.
For the time being, we have needed to reduce costs at AFL level, at our AFL clubs and across the states and territories dramatically, without regular revenue coming into the game, and this has been extremely difficult for everyone involved but we are conscious that this is not an easy time for anyone in the community.
With the support of NAB and ANZ as funding partners, we have been able to secure the funding that we need to enable continued operations, that will ensure that all parts of the game are protected for the longer term. It is a very important step and I want to thank NAB and ANZ while also acknowledging the AFL and our clubs still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do.
Our clubs have made difficult and hard decisions, while our players have stepped forward to show their support in taking salary cuts and agreeing to the flexibility that will enable us to run a season. Everyone is aligned and united in taking the actions to get through and I want to thank them sincerely for their response.
In my regular contact with the club Presidents, as well as those Commissioners and Presidents who are part of the AFL Council created to address this situation, the commitment by all to the future of our game has been both strong and reassuring.
We will come through this period together because of this united approach.
All stakeholders across the industry – players, coaches, clubs, staff, corporate and broadcast partners, members and supporters -- are united in doing everything necessary to ensure the game we love remains strong for every level of the community across the country.
We have had great support from our major partners and broadcasters who have backed us to work our way through this. Our game thanks all of those partners and broadcasters who share our values.
And although our Toyota AFL Premiership season might look a little different when we return to play, it will still be there for football supporters. It might mean we have to watch from our living rooms for a while, but your club colours are just as important as if you were sitting in the outer.
Whenever we return, I am hoping the footy this season provides you with a sense of normality and joy but right now the major focus of all clubs and the players is that our supporters and staff and their families continue to follow the guidelines to stay safe and healthy.
We will make it through this together.
Together as clubs, together as states and territories, together as community leagues, together as a football community.
Above all, I want to sincerely thank club members and supporters for the way they have backed their clubs, understanding the difficulties they are facing.
This time has reconfirmed once again that the passion of our supporters is the lifeblood of the game and that the game cannot prosper without you. Your clubs are equally concerned about your health and wellbeing as fans, so please look after yourselves and follow the safety messages.
This game has so much history and is so important to thousands of communities across Australia and millions of football supporters. One of the great strengths of our game is how it brings us all, from our various backgrounds together. This unity in diversity is and will continue to be important.
Our commitment is to protect the long-term viability of our game at all levels. At the end of the day, those of us with leadership responsibility in our game will continue to lead us through this, but we – with you the supporters – are stewards of this great game. All of us together. And it is what we create together that makes both AFL and AFLW what it is today.
This remains a complicated and evolving situation that reminds us that we are all part of a broader society with a responsibility to look out for one another.
We encourage you to visit both afl.com.au and your club’s website for the latest news, updates and features to stay connected to the game.
Finally, I want to assure all supporters of all clubs that the AFL and the 18 clubs are facing this challenge together, and that all 18 AFL clubs will come through the other end. Together.
Richard Goyder, AO
Chairman, Australian Football League Commission
-
Richard Goyder and Gill McLaughlan should resign. They have no vision for the games future.
-
As I said - it's all lip service & empty platitudes until this is over and they see the true, final damage... :shh
-
Pools and gyms to close. Aligned Leisure is up the creek without a paddle now. Things are bad for the rfc.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-set-to-capitalise-on-shrewd-business-venture-20200331-p54fr2.html
:shh
-
Hopefully we got a great deal in the current environment. Hopefully corona passes soon and we r r open all these facilities.
-
Only four clubs could survive football-free season without AFL help
Caroline Wilson
The Age
3 April 2020
The AFL will assume unprecedented control over its clubs as part of the revolutionary new rescue package put forward on Thursday night to the 18 club bosses.
In a receivership model that will essentially turn league chief Gillon McLachlan and the AFL Commission into the competition's banker, clubs unable to meet cash-flow demands will now borrow funds previously deemed extra dividends from head office.
The move has left the financially stricken clubs disappointed and demanding to understand how the gap will ever be narrowed between the rich and the poor. It has also left several clubs seriously questioning the future of their AFLW teams.
St Kilda chairman Andrew Bassat, whose club is in debt to the tune of $12 million, emphasised those fears in Thursday's telephone hook-up, pointing out some clubs would now find it virtually impossible to achieve success.
And to underline the increasing differences between the ''haves'' and the ''have nots'', the wealthier clubs such as West Coast, Richmond and Collingwood - disenchanted at having to follow receivership rules - have achieved a special clause in the new agreement. This will exempt them from having to regularly open their books to head office.
In a series of developments over the past 24 hours it has emerged:
* Only four clubs - West Coast, Richmond, Hawthorn and Collingwood - could potentially survive a football-free season without borrowing from the AFL.
* A handful of clubs will need extra funds within weeks to address their cash-flow crisis.
* The clubs were taken aback to learn they will have to cover their players' seven-figure marketing costs for 2020 - a decision strongly questioned by Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett on behalf of the clubs.
* The AFL could further cut football department spending beyond the forecast $3 million and turn the soft cap into a hard cap.
* Several clubs fielding AFLW teams are seriously questioning whether they can afford to continue in the national women's competition given the dire financial circumstances at a time they could be forced to cut their second-tier teams and academies.
* McLachlan will also instruct the clubs to agree to a new cap on club administration costs in a bid to force all 18 businesses to cut more staff and additional costs.
* While the clubs can loan money from the AFL interest-free until the end of October, borrowings after that will acquire interest charges of 3.3 per cent.
* Wealthier clubs choosing not to sign up to the receivership model will pay a penalty should they require funds at a later date.
The final draft agreement was drawn up and delivered to clubs on Thursday night after significant disquiet among board members across the competition concerned at the implications for club directors.
Further divisions emerged with clubs questioning the unfairness of the debt-free financial circumstances of Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, which are funded each year to the tune of roughly $25 million respectively.
Should the football season commence by early August the prevailing view is that Essendon, the Western Bulldogs - which recently sold off a large parcel of gaming machines - and potentially Adelaide retain sufficient cash flow to survive without borrowing from the AFL's $600 million pool.
The fact that only one-third of the 18 clubs boast bank balances that could take them through to the end of July has underlined the false nature of the profits announced by the majority of the clubs at the end of last season.
While several clubs sought independent legal advice, Western Bulldogs chairman Peter Gordon has engaged legal opinion that has been made available to all the clubs.
The AFL has engaged one of Australia's most respected lawyers, Arnold Bloch Leibler's Leon Zwier, who worked with the commission as it negotiated the $600 million NAB/ANZ bank loan and then advised on the complex negotiations with the 18 clubs.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/only-four-clubs-could-survive-football-free-season-without-afl-help-20200403-p54gsn.html
-
AFL 2021:
Richmond
Collingwood
Hawthorn
West Coast
Richmond Reserves
Collingwood Reserves
Box Hill
West Coast Reserves
:shh
-
Tigers fear being dragged back to AFL pack
Shayne Hope
7News
Saturday, 4 April 2020
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale admits he is concerned the AFL powerhouse may be brought back to the pack by the ongoing financial crisis.
The Tigers, who boast a massive membership base, are one of just a handful of clubs that could survive a full year of football shutdown on their own during the coronavirus pandemic.
Others will be saved with help from the AFL, which secured a $600 million line of credit with banks this week.
Richmond, along with rival clubs like West Coast and Collingwood, have used their financial muscle to invest heavily in their football department in recent years.
But all spending by clubs will be reined in by the AFL as it takes greater control of club finances in its bid to steer the entire competition out of the mire.
"In one respect I am (worried) because I feel right now we've got ourselves in a position of strength off the field and a sustainable level of performance on the field," Gale told Fox Footy Live on Saturday.
"I look at our list profile and you'd like to think we're going to be around the mark for a little while, competing at the highest level.
"It's probably fair to say that we're in the upper end (of spending) with the soft cap. We need to invest in those things because we thought they were worthwhile," he said.
"Now, for the remainder of the season, the salary cap's been significantly reduced. So in one respect you think 'yeah, some of those advantages might be gone'."
Gale was one of the key figures involved in helping Richmond fight its way out of debt and into a strong position over the past decade.
Despite his concerns over losing that position, the 51-year-old former Tigers player said he was open to ceding some control of his club to the AFL for the greater good.
"We've had to beg for money and living hand-to-mouth at our footy club was an experience not that long ago," Gale said.
"We've worked very, very hard to build our organisation, build our finances and build our balance sheet, ultimately to sustain on-field (performance) but also to protect us in difficult times.
"But at the end of the day the AFL's got to run the competition in the best interests of the competition.
"By and large there's an incredible amount of collaboration and goodwill to work together as an industry to get through this period.
"If that means a bit more transparency, a bit more openness and the AFL has a bit more control, then so be it."
Gale confirmed the Tigers were committed to fielding an AFLW team into the future but was unsure where the VFL program would sit beyond this year.
https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-fear-being-dragged-back-to-afl-pack-c-956340
-
Tigers CEO fears Tiger Time could be over amid COVID-19
April 4, 2020 6:32pm
by David Zita
FOX SPORTS
Propelled by the premiership win in 2019, Richmond recorded a revenue increase of 16 per cent year-on-year.
Speaking on Fox Footy Live, however, Gale suggested their success on and off the field could be impacted by the inevitable cost-cutting that will be needed to remain solvent in 2021 and beyond.
“It’s a really delicate exercise because we’ve got to make decisions to protect the ongoing viability of the club from a financial point of view, but we worked very hard to get ourselves in a position of strength on the field,” he said
“And that’s based on a program where we prioritise certain things over others because we know they work for us, and we learnt that through struggle and through success and failure.
“Those things are important and we invest in those, and right now with all these cuts, it makes it really, really hard to maintain that program.
“But it’s just simply about identifying what are the things that are absolutely critical to the way we do business at our footy club. What’s critical to our competitive advantage, and just fighting as hard as we can pithing the confines of the rules to protect those — it’s a balancing act.
Gale, Richmond’s CEO since 2009, was forthright when asked if he was concerned about the club’s lead on the competition due to the implications of the coronavirus.
“In one respect I am, Huddo (Anthony Hudson). Because you know I feel right now we’ve got ourselves in a position of strength off-the-field and that has sustained a level of performance on-the-field.
“You know that’s got us to our level, sustained that, so I’d like to think you know look at our list and our list profile, you’d like to think you know we’re going to be around the mark for a little while competing at the highest level.
“And it’s probably fair to say we’re at the upper-end of the soft cap willing to invest in those things, Huddo, because we thought they were worthwhile.
“And now for the remainder of the season our salary cap has been significantly reduced, so in one respect you think, yeah, some of those advantages might be gone.
“But I think the strength, the biggest strength, is our culture, and it’s our connection with each other. It’s our ability to take a performance mindset in everything they do, to control what you can control, but not so worry about the things you can’t control.
“And maybe, maybe this might provide us with an even greater opportunity. You know, I’m confident our guys will make good out of this. We’ll find a way to make good out of this, and I think we’ll be well placed to come out the other side.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-richmond-tigers-richmond-football-club-brendon-gale-afl/news-story/2c5c2f018bc34af523febc39176a892a
-
How Richmond plan to stay ahead of the game during coronavirus pandemic
By SEN
5 April 2020
Richmond CEO Brendon Gale says Richmond will try and retain the things which have characterised the club’s recent success as the AFL looks to cut costs during the coronavirus crisis.
The majority of AFL and club staff have been stood down until further notice as a result of the league being suspended until at least May 31.
But while costs are being slashed across the board, Gale said it was vital Richmond held onto the things which make the club unique.
"We have worked very hard to get ourselves in a position of strength on-field and that is based on a program where we prioritise certain things over others because we know they work for us," Gale said on Fox Footy Live.
"We have learned that through struggle and through success and failure, and those things are important. We invest in those and right now with all these cuts it makes it really, really hard to maintain that program.
"It is simply about identifying what are those things that are absolutely critical to the way we do business in our football club...what is critical to our competitive advantage and fighting as hard as we can within the confines of the rules to protect those.
"In one respect you think some of those advantages might be gone but the biggest strength is our culture and it's our connection with each other. "Maybe this could provide us with greater opportunity, I'm confident our guys will make good out of this."
Richmond have won two of the last three premierships and began their 2020 season with a 24-point win over Carlton in round one.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/04/04/how-richmond-plan-to-stay-ahead-of-the-game-during-coronavirus-pandemic/
-
FYI
Club's online shop is offering 20% discount to members with free shipping
Every little bit helps
-
Richmond chief Brendon Gale says football will ‘look different’ once the coronavirus pandemic eases
Sportsday
3aw
7 April 2020
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale says there’s no doubt the AFL is going to “look different” once the coronavirus pandemic eases.
He said there’d be even more ramifications if the league couldn’t get a season away, at all, this year.
Many predictions are already being made about reduced playing list sizes, smaller coaching panels and possibly even fewer clubs.
“Football is going to look different,” Gale told Sportsday.
“It’s going to look different.
“There may be more focus on the elite part of the game and if that’s the case, it may come at a significant cost.
“We’ve got to be very, very mindful of that.”
Click PLAY in link below to hear more on 3AW:
https://www.3aw.com.au/richmond-chief-brendon-gale-says-football-will-look-different-once-the-coronavirus-pandemic-eases/
-
Clubs borrowing from AFL will have to report to league weekly
Jake Niall
The Age
8 April 2020
The clubs that borrow money from the AFL to make ends meet will have to submit a detailed weekly budget to the league as one of their conditions.
AFL and club sources have confirmed that those "assisted" clubs – of the 18, at least 10 are expected to need to borrow from the AFL during the COVID 19 crisis – would need to have their budgets approved by the league on a weekly basis.
Only six clubs – West Coast, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs – have confirmed that they will not seek to borrow money from the AFL during the coming months, with the majority expected to sign up for what will be an initially interest-free loan or financing.
Essendon is still undecided about whether they will join the richer clubs – and the surprising Bulldogs – as one of the clubs that will go it alone and self-fund, outside of player payments. The Bombers' situation is complicated by the fact that they been midway through a construction phase at their Tullamarine base.
The incentive for self-financing, as at least six of the 18 clubs have decided, is evident in two ways.
The first advantage is that the clubs that are unassisted do not have to report to the AFL nor be as accountable to the league for what they spend, although all clubs will be subject to the heavily reduced soft cap (which could become a hard cap) on football spending, set to be slashed by about $3m from now until next year.
The second consideration is that clubs have to show they have exhausted cash reserves, or even the potential to borrow, before they can access the AFL loan.
Those assisted clubs will be charged the blended interest rate - about 3.3 per cent now - after October 31, which usually marks the end of the clubs' financial year, though it is likely that games would be played after that date – into November and even December – if the shortened season resumes after July.
Under the deal, all clubs will have their salary cap paid 100 per cent by the AFL, excepting the capped marketing deals for players of about $1 million, which the clubs will have to pay.
Some clubs believe this arrangement will be very tough on poor and indebted clubs, when considering what their distributions from the AFL had been.
Richer clubs, such as West Coast, Collingwood, Richmond and Hawthorn, had been receiving AFL distributions that did not cover their player payments. St Kilda, conversely, has been receiving several million dollars more ($20m plus in distribution) than their player spend, but will only have their salary cap paid during 2020 and have to borrow the remainder from the AFL to pay staff.
The same applies to North Melbourne (who received $17.6m from the AFL last year), although the Roos have only a $650,000 debt.
Of the confirmed "unassisted" clubs, five will rely on cash reserves, while Adelaide intend to borrow from their bank, the Bendigo Bank.
The requirement of borrowing means some clubs will increase their debt significantly, with St Kilda and the Brisbane Lions already owing well in excess of $10 million, although much of that is already owed to the AFL. The league is using their line of credit of about $600m from the NAB and ANZ to effectively fund the clubs.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/clubs-borrowing-from-afl-will-have-to-report-to-league-weekly-20200407-p54i0g.html
-
its time to start closing down the poor clubs they should go back to the VFA.
-
Only 6 clubs have opted for no AFL assistance. Us, Pies, Hawks, Eagles, Crows and now the Bombers.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/04/14/essendon-knock-back-afl-assistance-in-bid-to-remain-independent/
-
Be grateful the RFC was/is in a good place before this corona crisis and shutdown.
St Kilda is the club most at risk (already carrying $12m in debt apparently) and it was said on Ch 7 news tonight that the Saints' debt is now likely to balloon out to $22m. Yikes!
-
its time to attack st kildas heartland along bayside Melbourne. a massive opportunity for a club like ours to start getting into that area over the long term.
-
Victorian health minister saying crowds returning this year will be unlikely. More likely 2021 at the earliest. That's going to leave a massive financial hole given big clubs like ours make around $1 million per home game.
One of the experts Ch 7 goes to said even when crowds return they will limited to 20k say at the 'G to maintain social distancing.
-
So we are facing $20 million loss if we include lost revenue from Gaming and Aligned. Its a disaster I cant see how other clubs will survive.
-
'Football clubs are like families' - Brendon Gale
Brendon Gale speaks to Fox Footy about the future of all AFL clubs.
Watch here: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/583512/-football-clubs-are-like-families-brendon-gale?videoId=583512&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1586156577001 (https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/583512/-football-clubs-are-like-families-brendon-gale?videoId=583512&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1586156577001)
-
THE slashing of AFL clubs' soft cap expenditure is expected to be far greater than first feared.
Clubs had been bracing for cuts around 30 per cent ($9.7 million down to $6.7 million), but it is now likely the total allowed to be spent on off-field football department staff for the 2021 season and beyond will be reduced by 40 per cent, to $6 million per club.
Assistant coaches and recruiters will be the job sectors hardest hit in the soft cap cutbacks.
The AFL and the AFL Players Association also need to strike new arrangements from 2020.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/391907/millions-to-be-slashed-from-clubs-soft-cap-wine-regions-in-vic-hub-mix
-
Keep our chief recruiter and his best assistant
They should know enough already to be able to pick the best players available at our picks.
-
According to Tom Browne on Ch 7 news tonight:
Soft cap cut by a million this year (from $9 to $8m) and further down to $5-6m in 2021.
No VFL this year. So development coaches out of a job.
AFL wants all clubs to be under the same financial constraints to prevent rich clubs from poaching from poorer clubs.
https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1253245625660915714
-
How are the Hawks going with no pokies??
-
Hawks are rooted.
-
Richest AFL clubs agree to drastic action
Tom Browne and Glenn Valencich
7News
24 April 2020
7NEWS.com.au can reveal the 18 AFL clubs are aligned on the cost savings.
There has been industry speculation that big clubs like West Coast, Hawthorn, Richmond or Collingwood could take advantage of the drastic situation, by spending over and above the AFL’s proposed soft cap.
That won’t happen, with all clubs agreeing to abide by the reductions - though clubs are still waiting on firm figures.
7NEWS.com.au understands this year’s cap will be trimmed by $1.5m to $1.7m, with the clubs expected to be told the final number as part of an upcoming announcement on the season’s restart dates.
A reduction of $3.7m has been mooted for next year, which would leave the soft cap at $6m. A prominent source says a further $1m could be removed, leaving the cap at $5m for 2021 - meaning clubs’ football department spend will be reduced by almost 50 per cent. It could save the entire competition up to $85 million.
In a further development, the 2020 VFL season is unlikely to go ahead - a cancellation that will help clubs find a proportion of this year’s forced savings. VFL sides rely largely on gate receipts to pay players, and spectators will not be allowed to attend games this year. But it means job cuts and uncertainty for up to 60 development coaches.
https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/vfl-season-cancelled-as-richest-afl-clubs-agree-to-drastic-action-c-995752
-
In a further development, the 2020 VFL season is unlikely to go ahead - a cancellation that will help clubs find a proportion of this year’s forced savings. VFL sides rely largely on gate receipts to pay players, and spectators will not be allowed to attend games this year. But it means job cuts and uncertainty for up to 60 development coaches.
https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/vfl-season-cancelled-as-richest-afl-clubs-agree-to-drastic-action-c-995752
It also means an uncertain future for all non AFL VFL Clubs, e.g. Box Hill, Werribee, Williamstown, etc. The CLUB formally known as Preston have already folded
-
Balme and Scott warn against overreaction
Nine WWOS
28 April 2020
Richmond GM Neil Balme and Geelong coach Chris Scott have warned against the AFL's mass cost-cutting hurting the on-field product.
Watch here: https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/afl/balme-and-scott-warn-against-overreaction/ck9ik03v5005l0hnqtu8apqz8
-
Balme and Scott warn against overreaction
Nine WWOS
28 April 2020
Richmond GM Neil Balme and Geelong coach Chris Scott have warned against the AFL's mass cost-cutting hurting the on-field product.
Watch here: https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/afl/balme-and-scott-warn-against-overreaction/ck9ik03v5005l0hnqtu8apqz8
:clapping :clapping
Thank goodness for Balmey!
The voice of reason and common sense :thumbsup
-
Balme and Scott warn against overreaction
Nine WWOS
28 April 2020
Richmond GM Neil Balme and Geelong coach Chris Scott have warned against the AFL's mass cost-cutting hurting the on-field product.
Watch here: https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/afl/balme-and-scott-warn-against-overreaction/ck9ik03v5005l0hnqtu8apqz8
According to Balme, the AFL has over-reacted in terms of just how drastic the cuts will need to be.
"I think we've got to be very concerned about it," he told Footy Classified.
"We have to spend a fair bit of the day to provide a decent footy department and staff and support for our guys and our girls.
"If you cut too much we're going to narrow the game rather than broaden the game, so I am a bit concerned about it.
"I understand the arithmetic of it and I understand it's a real challenge and I understand the AFL. It's an enormous challenge for them and I think they're doing a fantastic job generally, but I think it's very easy to just cut the numbers.
"Somehow we can't allow ourselves to be defined by the coronavirus, we've somehow got to get through it.
"We know when it's gone that things will be back to where we are, I think we need to, at worst, stage things like reducing soft caps rather than just making a big cut.
"I think we will be very disappointed with our product if we did that. I think we are overreacting but that's a little bit about our reaction to the virus as well.
"We have to over-react otherwise we won't get the right outcome. I'm just hoping that the footy thing isn't quite as deep as that."
https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/neil-balme-chris-scott-warn-against-expansive-afl-cost-cutting-amid-coronavirus-covid-19-crisis/56e70c99-de3c-475a-af8a-11e91fb13ecf
-
The $36m hit facing AFL players in the long-term
May 5, 2020
Ben Waterworth
FOX SPORTS
Clubs are bracing for smaller list sizes and reduced wages in 2021 and beyond due to the coronavirus crisis.
It’s understood the Total Player Payments (TPP) figure for each club in 2020 is just over $13 million.
While the league is yet to officially determine how significantly the 18 salary caps will be reduced, Caroline Wilson reported clubs would have between $1.5 million and $2 million less to pay players in the future.
“There’s about to be a big negotiation about a new pay deal for the players and a lot of money is going to be taken off the table,” Wilson told Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“There’s going to be massive pay cuts across the clubs and a lot of briefing against the Players’ Association is a part of that.
“I’m hearing in the long-term – and I believe a new deal will be done with the broadcasters – that we’re looking at about $2 million for each club cut from the salary cap.
“And we’re hearing $5.7 million for a football department soft or hard cap, which is about a $3 million or $4 million cut (per club).”
Wilson suggested a motivation behind the floated list size reductions could be to save money without too many players having to take pay cuts.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-salary-cap-coronavirus-news-updates-list-sizes-caroline-wilson-footy-classified/news-story/456214a53e27a30a1b05d1e2dce2a6bc
-
Big test for the players IMHO
Lists will be cut but by how many?
Player's take cuts reduction isn't as great.
Player's refuse cuts then 180+ players are cut and unemployed
Over to you Paddy, Paul Marsh and co.
-
It would be good if the club provided the members with a progress report on the clubs finances and how much the problems associated with covid19 and the changes to the season ie. Playing with no crowds have and will cost the club. How much of a hit are we going to take in terms of the clubs financial cash position as well as the balance sheet.
-
Some organisations, such as the West Coast Eagles, Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn, finished the 2019 year with healthy cash balances.
Reigning premiers Richmond had $24 million in hand, while the Hawks surpassed both clubs with nearly $30 million in the bank.
The Eagles had more than $20 million in cash reserves.
For other clubs, the shutdown has thrown their very future into question.
"We were planning on generating around $60 million [in] revenue this year," Dockers president Dale Alcock told ABC Radio Perth.
"Seventy-five per cent of that would come from members, match-day ticket sales, match-day hospitality and sponsorship.
"That's what's at risk."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-21/west-coast-eagles-and-fremantle-dockers-coronavirus-response/12271900
-
‘I don’t think they’re safe’: Caro’s dire warning to AFL over future of poorer clubs
May 22, 2020 12:02pm
FOX SPORTS
Caroline Wilson said the debate over the spending cap is only getting more intense, specifically concerning the gap between the AFL’s rich and poor clubs.
She went as far as to say that the future of some of the newer teams is at serious risk.
“The poorer clubs are saying we have to have a hard cap on spending, the richer clubs are saying we’ll go nuts if you know, we have to stand under this amount of money and then those clubs are just going to make bigger profits and then where are they going to spend that money, well they are going to be taxed more heavily,” Wilson told FIVEaa Sports Show.
“It’s heating up. The return to play is consuming Gillon McLachlan and his team this week, but in about a month there will be a new set of dilemmas about what’s going to happen to the competition.
“I reckon they’re going to start looking at the poorer clubs again. I’m certain one or two of the newer clubs, and by them I mean obviously not in Adelaide but further north, and obviously clubs like North Melbourne, I don’t think they’re safe, I really don’t.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/i-dont-think-theyre-safe-caros-dire-warning-to-afl-over-future-of-poorer-clubs/news-story/0da05445c4c3ce7dc37f822adc7f8ee9
-
Geelong CEO Brian Cook has give a sobering insight into the financial challenge facing AFL clubs.
“I think by the end of this year you’ll find some clubs, and we’ll be one of those, could have a debt of up to 10 million dollars.
“Mainly because there’s no crowds, for every home game without a crowd we lose a million dollars.”
Source: Foxsports (https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-live-2020-afl-news-rolling-updates-luke-beveridge-afl-coaches-afl-coronavirus-cuts/news-story/43a91faccb2c1a0858f121aef9f19397)
-
No one gives a poo about Geelong. They can go iut of business for all I care.
-
Send 'em back to the GDFL... :shh
-
Have you noticed no one had a breakdown of costs in these articles. Maybe in club financials you could dig it up but no one seems to be saying what ar the expensive bits. Given 13 mill of salary cap and turnover of 95 million then it's not players.
-
Its all the hangers on who got jobs because they know people - theres too many of them in all afl clubs. There us no need for any club to need to generate 80-90 million just to break even. It just shows theres too many hangers on getting massive wages. Its shocking business management from those in charge of the clubs.
-
The AFL told club CEOs in a 90-minute phone hook up on Tuesday they wanted to repay the debt as quickly as possible showing revenue projections for two years beyond this season. They told bosses their projected revenues for 2020 were improving on their dire initial forecasts.
Source: The Age (https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/21-days-in-wa-as-victorian-clubs-ready-themselves-to-travel-20200623-p555g8.html)