Presidents call for ground warfare
Greg Denham | March 20, 2009
THERE was a sense of deja vu at yesterday's meeting of the AFL Commission and club presidents -- old issues confronting the competition were regurgitated, seemingly with little resolution in sight.
Just as they were at the same time 12 months ago, on the eve of the 2008 season launch, the two main discussion points were the league's planned expansion north -- to the Gold Coast and western Sydney -- and poor stadium returns in Melbourne.
A year on, the stadium contracts pose a larger problem for clubs than the league's proposed $400 million budget for the formation of two new clubs.
Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon said yesterday the clubs again gave their unequivocal support to an 18-team competition -- with the addition of the Gold Coast in 2011 and in Sydney's west by 2012.
Twelve months earlier commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick labelled the same meeting "historic" for the AFL.
"It is a day when the presidents have shared our excitement about the business case for expansion," Fitzpatrick said at the time. "They are excited by the future and they expressed their unanimous support for the principle of the expansion of the game from 16 teams to 18 teams.
"They had a strong preference for going to 18 teams over 17 teams. The very clear message from the club presidents was get going. Get to work on expanding the competition. Don't waste any time. Do it."
Following that meeting Fitzpatrick said: "The other thing the presidents have asked is that we also do more work on securing better stadium deals for some of the clubs. So we will make sure we do not forget those clubs that currently don't have a great stadium deal."
While the stadium contracts that the AFL struck years ago with the MCG and Etihad Stadium now have far more urgency for clubs, the AFL appears to have one hand tied behind its back in acting on behalf of affected clubs.
Fitzpatrick said yesterday the AFL was not making any threats to the stadiums, but acknowledged the league had several cards up its sleeve.
"With the expansion we'll have more games, and we also control the fixture," he said. "We've looked at the sort of leverage we have."
On the flip side, he added: "We understand these are long-term contracts, and in our view they have become unfair over time.
"They should be reviewed, but they are long-term contracts and we're not in the business of breaking contracts.
"We're limited by the terms of the contracts because they specify a number of games."
At Etihad Stadium, the AFL must play a minimum of 42 home-and-away games each season until 2015, when the minimum number of games is reduced to 35 annually. That can include pre-season fixtures.
Smorgon said the Melbourne clubs most affected by poor stadium deals did not want any short-term solutions.
"We want a fair go for our fans, we want a fair go for the clubs," he said.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou reiterated the postion of the commission and clubs that despite record attendances at Etihad Stadium and the MCG, clubs were not better off financially.
"All the upside seems to be going to the venue operators," he said. "In the case of Docklands (Etihad Stadium), it goes to shareholders, and in the case of the MCG to service debt," Demetriou said.
"To be quite frank, the clubs have had enough.
"We know there are other codes and other sports getting better deals at these stadiums."
Demetriou said the unfair match-day stadium returns would be taken into account in the review of the Annual Special Distribution fund, which was in place until the end of 2011.
The ASD review covers funding for the next two years.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25212731-5012432,00.html