Expansion AFL face senate inquiry re: Tasmania

[ManWithNoName]

Senate to grill bosses on Tassie footy snub
Article from: The Mercury
August 29, 2008

AFL bosses will face a Senate inquiry to explain why footy-mad Tasmania has been denied a league team of its own.

In a move which has infuriated many football fans, the AFL commissioners have decided to add Gold Coast and western Sydney teams ahead of Tasmania.

But in a coup for the Tassie push, the Senate will today back a bid by Tasmanian Labor senator Kerry O'Brien for a committee inquiry into the AFL's unpopular decision.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou is expected to be among those called to give evidence before the Senate.

"This will keep the pressure on the AFL to give Tasmania a fair shake," Senator O'Brien said last night.

"It's about revealing to the public the whole rationale for the AFL's decisions and exposing the strength of Tasmania's case and the best way possible in an environment where people can say what they want to say under parliamentary privilege."

The campaign for a Tasmanian AFL team was launched by the Mercury in March.

Mr Demetriou originally said there was no way Tasmania would get a team.

But the campaign, which the State Government joined soon after the launch, has forced the AFL supremo to reconsider his opposition to a Tasmanian team.

The AFL has agreed to give Tasmania a chance to put its case formally. As a result, the State Government has commissioned a company, which has Essendon legend James Hird as a director, to prepare the state's case.

The AFL was last night standing by its decision to make the granting of new licences to Gold Coast and western Sydney a priority.

"The AFL has decided the 17th and 18th teams will be from western Sydney and the Gold Coast," said spokesman Patrick Keane.

"Beyond that we've not made any decision on the creation of any new teams in any particular areas."

An overwhelming 81 per cent of respondents to a Herald Sun Footy Fans Survey last month favoured Tasmania over Queensland and NSW as the home of an 18th team.

The inquiry is being established with the support of the Government, the Greens, Independent MP Nick Xenophon and Family First.

Family First senator Steve Fielding last night accused the AFL of slapping ordinary Tasmanians in the face by overlooking the state's bid.

"If the AFL stood for the ordinary punter, why wouldn't they support a team from Tasmania?" Senator Fielding said.

Opposition sport spokesman Pat Farmer said the inquiry was a waste of time because Parliament had no power to force the AFL to admit a Tasmanian team.

"At the end of the day this is a publicity stunt by the Labor Party," Mr Farmer said.

"For all of the time and money wasted on a Senate inquiry, it will still be up to the AFL to decide whether or not Tasmania gets a team."

The inquiry's draft terms of reference include an investigation into "whether the AFL commissioners' obligations to current supporters of the game override their desire to promote larger television audiences for it".

The Tasmanian Government has been running an aggressive campaign for the state to be the home of an AFL team.

Chocolate maker Mars has promised a $4 million, three-year sponsorship deal for a Tassie team.

Hawthorn plays four of its games in Tasmania as part of a lucrative sponsorship deal with the State Government.

http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=2570613&TABLE=HANSARDS

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

LOL.

This could be very funny. Good on the double headers.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I wonder what Bob Brown thinks about it.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

I wonder what Bob Brown thinks about it.

He is annoyed no teams wear green.

 

[Hollow Knight]

He is annoyed no teams wear green.

But is a big fan of the tight shorts.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

(not having read the article, or anything related to it).

Senate - what is your reasoning for awarding licences to WS and GC rather than Tasmania?

AFL - $100 million a year in TV advertising.

Senate - Case closed.

... actually

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Dunno. There's a hell of a lot of stuff at play here that a Government Senator could be wanting to belt the AFL round the head with or use as bargaining chips in order to guarantee himself a seat for time immemorial (if he secured a Tassie AFL team)

Areas where the AFL is vulnerable to Fed Gov pressure and might not want to answer questions:

TV deals in the context of a possible reform to cross media ownership rules. (And the terms of reference clearly state: "whether the AFL commissioners' obligations to current supporters of the game override their desire to promote larger television audiences for it".


Drug testing (Howard already stuck his nose in)

Salary cap and restraint of trade issues (Fed competence here and the SBW debacle as a hook)

 

[Wallaby]

(not having read the article, or anything related to it).

Senate - what is your reasoning for awarding licences to WS and GC rather than Tasmania?

AFL - $100 million a year in TV advertising.

Senate - Case closed.

... actually

Senate - "100 million a year in TV advertising? So What? You are not a private company with Shareholders to please. You receive Government money to provide sports and entertainment for the public. Have you asked the people of Australia (whose tax dollars you are using) whether they would rather you built up small, pre-existing markets with a century-old heritage, rather than creating a team from scratch purely to fill in TV hours?"

 

[Beaussie]

What a waste of time and more importantly taxpayer dollars. A Senate inquiry can't force a business like the AFL to grant TAS entry to the competition, so what's the point of this? How ridiculous. Stupid politicians.

 

[Father Jack]

Senate - "100 million a year in TV advertising? So What? You are not a private company with Shareholders to please. You receive Government money to provide sports and entertainment for the public. Have you asked the people of Australia (whose tax dollars you are using) whether they would rather you built up small, pre-existing markets with a century-old heritage, rather than creating a team from scratch purely to fill in TV hours?"

Andy D - "No worries, give us $100 mil a year and we'll start up a team in Tassie. We'll even start one up in Alice Springs if you like".

 

[medusala]

You receive Government money to provide sports and entertainment for the public.

Bit rich to tell the senate to get stuffed then ask the Feds for cash handouts.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

The fact is the AFL said they are expanding to where the Fans are (along with other things). One problem, noone in WS, and barely any in GC could give 2 rats about real footy. The only sport where you get the major score by kicking it WITH YOUR FOOT.

 

[rdhopkins2]

This is going to be funny....just how do the AFL spin this one off!!

 

[WALL-e]

(not having read the article, or anything related to it).

Senate - what is your reasoning for awarding licences to WS and GC rather than Tasmania?

AFL - $100 million a year in TV advertising.

Senate - Case closed.

... actually

The AFL will loose a stack of money in the first few years of these developement teams.

They need a new stadium @ the Gold Coast, membershipd will be dismal in West Sydney..

Hell even Sydney are going to post a 1 million dollar loss this year by all account.

Tasmania has already got 6 million over 3 years for sponsership, 35,000 people saying they will be a member etc etc etc.

I don't mind the Gold Coast so much, although it's a rugby heavy tourist destination, where no-one really STAYS to live, thus havingan unsteady membership base, but West Sydney will fail.

Demitiou is so dead set about destroying rugby he's ruining our game.

How's about rewarding the people who
A - like football
B - go to games. I see so many at the tassie ones that the GC ones.
C - Want a team

 

[Mitchell Madness]

The AFL will loose a stack of money in the first few years of these developement teams.

They need a new stadium @ the Gold Coast, membershipd will be dismal in West Sydney..

Hell even Sydney are going to post a 1 million dollar loss this year by all account.

Tasmania has already got 6 million over 3 years for sponsership, 35,000 people saying they will be a member etc etc etc.

I don't mind the Gold Coast so much, although it's a rugby heavy tourist destination, where no-one really STAYS to live, thus havingan unsteady membership base, but West Sydney will fail.

Demitiou is so dead set about destroying rugby he's ruining our game.

How's about rewarding the people who
A - like football
B - go to games. I see so many at the tassie ones that the GC ones.
C - Want a team

the bolded is precisely why Tassie wont get a team.

The AFL like to have a strangle hold on the comp, in that each club owes them. The AFL can then hold them for ransom when times change.

Perfect example. Kangaroos

AFL bailed them out many of times, then when things are on track, AFL says "thats it, we want you to move to the Gold Coast or you will lose your money"

 

[Father Jack]

The AFL will loose a stack of money in the first few years of these developement teams.

They need a new stadium @ the Gold Coast, membershipd will be dismal in West Sydney..

Hell even Sydney are going to post a 1 million dollar loss this year by all account.

Tasmania has already got 6 million over 3 years for sponsership, 35,000 people saying they will be a member etc etc etc.

I don't mind the Gold Coast so much, although it's a rugby heavy tourist destination, where no-one really STAYS to live, thus havingan unsteady membership base, but West Sydney will fail.

Demitiou is so dead set about destroying rugby he's ruining our game.

How's about rewarding the people who
A - like football
B - go to games. I see so many at the tassie ones that the GC ones.
C - Want a team

They are hard to compare at the moment due to the fact that York Park >>>>>>>>> Carrara. If we had a decent stadium we would get a much better comparison.

Plus we are forced to watch North Melbourne.

 

[WALL-e]

They are hard to compare at the moment due to the fact that York Park >>>>>>>>> Carrara. If we had a decent stadium we would get a much better comparison.

Plus we are forced to watch North Melbourne.

Neither stadium is AFL standard yet.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

Don't the Tasmanian senators have some legislation to block, bunch of over represented media whores.

 

[kira]

senate inquiry... a farce... publicity stunt

afl... stupid w***ers... can't make a good decision about anything... ********s

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Can they have one on the closing of Waverley while they're at it?

 

[DrJon]

Goodness me, the Liberals holding the moral high ground. Good on 'em.

This is a ridiculous waste of time and a means of deflecting attention from a raft of real problems. The independent senators are just doing this to get column inches. As the Libs have said, they can't compel the AFL to actually do anything.

Mind you, I suppose the senators from Tasmania have to find something to do after about 10am in the morning. 12 senators to represent the interests of 500,000 people .

 

[1jasonoz]

The AFL will loose a stack of money in the first few years of these developement teams.

They need a new stadium @ the Gold Coast, membershipd will be dismal in West Sydney..

Hell even Sydney are going to post a 1 million dollar loss this year by all account.

Tasmania has already got 6 million over 3 years for sponsership, 35,000 people saying they will be a member etc etc etc.

I don't mind the Gold Coast so much, although it's a rugby heavy tourist destination, where no-one really STAYS to live, thus havingan unsteady membership base, but West Sydney will fail.

Demitiou is so dead set about destroying rugby he's ruining our game.

How's about rewarding the people who
A - like football
B - go to games. I see so many at the tassie ones that the GC ones.
C - Want a team

The figure qouted by Eugene Arroca at out shareholder meeting was the AFL have budgeted for a minimum of $200 million to be spent supporting the GC and West Sydeny side over the next 5-10 years.

 

[sherb]

The figure qouted by Eugene Arroca at out shareholder meeting was the AFL have budgeted for a minimum of $200 million to be spent supporting the GC and West Sydeny side over the next 5-10 years.

A portion of that amount devoted to the senior game at grassroots level (ie suburban/country) would be nice.

I mean, the AFL is responsible for the health and welfare of the game at that level as well (not that you would know it at times).

 

[greennick]

The AFL will loose a stack of money in the first few years of these developement teams.

They need a new stadium @ the Gold Coast, membershipd will be dismal in West Sydney..

Hell even Sydney are going to post a 1 million dollar loss this year by all account.

Tasmania has already got 6 million over 3 years for sponsership, 35,000 people saying they will be a member etc etc etc.

I don't mind the Gold Coast so much, although it's a rugby heavy tourist destination, where no-one really STAYS to live, thus havingan unsteady membership base, but West Sydney will fail.

Demitiou is so dead set about destroying rugby he's ruining our game.

How's about rewarding the people who
A - like football
B - go to games. I see so many at the tassie ones that the GC ones.
C - Want a team

$6m over 3 years? So, 2 mil a year. Not guaranteed for longer than 3 years though. Well, at least that is 5% of what would be required to stat up an AFL team. I guess that is a start.

 

[greennick]

The figure qouted by Eugene Arroca at out shareholder meeting was the AFL have budgeted for a minimum of $200 million to be spent supporting the GC and West Sydeny side over the next 5-10 years.

At least $200m over 5-10 years?? That is not much of a budget. More of a stab in the dark. I wonder where he got that figure? I would say the sun doesn't shine there.