If you read the article then most of what he says is quite true. While the AFL run protectionist policies of having blockbuster games played between the same clubs each year, allowing the same few clubs to play the large majority of prime time games, and signing off on lop-sided stadia deals then it will happen as Kennett predicts. I don't know what the solution is but if the AFL want to ensure the longevity of each club as it now stands then a good start would be to share blockbuster games around, pool all gate receipts from every match along with all television rights and all stadium deals (interstate clubs included) and then redistribute that revenue equally among every single club. Clubs would then be forced to raise any extra revenue from memberships and external (non-football, non-traditional) sources in order to fund their individual expenditures. I know this is a simplistic solution and in reality it would likely not be possible in that basic form but if the AFL are fair dinkum about all the current clubs surviving in the long term then they will need to stop kowtowing to clubs like Collingwood and Essendon who have too much power and say when it comes to the best interests of the game as a whole.
Of course, if they would like natural attrition to remove a couple of clubs from the landscape then they should keep on doing as they are.................................hhmmm, food for thought.
And as far as Richmond goes, the only way we can get an ironclad guarantee of our own survival is to eradicate our debt and future-proof our revenue streams as soon as possible. Thank God we have a board, a CEO and a viable plan in place, all working towards that very thing!
