Fans to help fund equalisation through increased AFL ticket pricesNathan Schmook
afl.com.au
December 13, 2013 1:00 PMSUPPORTERS will be forced to pay $2 more for a ticket next year after the AFL lifted its gate levy in a bid to support smaller clubs.
The base general admission adult ticket price will rise to $22, with one dollar of that price increase to be contributed to the existing $2 equalisation levy.
The League announced general admission ticket prices for the upcoming season on Friday, with price rises implemented due to CPI increases and to bridge the gap between rich and poor clubs.
Concession tickets will be $13, junior (under-15) tickets will be $3 and families can attend for $44.
Chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the AFL was continuing to explore a range of measures as part of its equalisation agenda.
"It is vital that all clubs are able to compete and to be able to prepare their players for an equal chance of contesting the premiership," he said.
"A small price rise in admission to AFL games will be partly used to further balance our competition to put all clubs on a level playing field.
"The 18 AFL clubs continue to do an outstanding job in servicing their members and supporters while our players provide an outstanding spectacle every week with their skills and athleticism."
The AFL has been working with club presidents and chairmen on options to achieve a greater level of competitiveness across all 18 teams in response to an industry-wide meeting in March this year.
It was reaffirmed at that meeting that competitive balance is critical to the competition and fans should expect their club to be competitive on any given day.
Club CEOs Trevor Nisbett (West Coast), Brendon Gale (Richmond) and Keith Thomas (Port Adelaide) joined Demetriou in the US on an equalisation fact-finding trip in July.
Clubs will be briefed in the new year on the next phase of funding arrangements to address to financial inequality in the competition.
In July, the AFL increased the number of seating price categories for finals matches at the MCG to a range of seven price categories to more truly reflect the seating positions in the ground.
Work is currently being conducted on a similar ticketing approach for 2014.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-12-13/fans-to-fund-equalisation
