- Moderator
- #576
Winning has a far greater affect on club finances than you think.
Teams outside Victoria are guaranteed 11 home games in a one or two team environment that should mandate the selling out of stadiums regardless of the opposition. In Victoria, the draw been a factor since the AFL guaranteed blockbusters for Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond, and greatly reducing the ability of North, the Bulldogs, and Saints to get big games agains the big clubs at home - thats where the money is, it sure as hell isnt against the non victorian clubs.
This was a consequence of going national and keeping the fixture at 22 rounds. The smaller clubs could no longer bank on return games against the big Victorian clubs for a pay day. If your only playing the small clubs and interstate clubs for most of your season at home, then you will always be screwed.
Not to mention again - playing at Etihad, which is not the preferred stadium for most, timeslots that arent suited for football goers - and with up to 17 games a season in Melbourne, and ticket prices being what they are, you've got plenty of choice.
Yes we overlook the last 30 years, because North are finally get a fair deal due to a change in AFL policy. They still play at Etihad, and despite your refusal to believe it, is the driver of their compensation. Change doesnt happen overnight - and this was budgeted for four years ago. We'll see what they get in the next AFL funding plan.
Collingwoods guaranteed fixture of at least 14 games a season at the MCG helps too. No one is asking for Collingwoods draw, they want the same consideration given to everyones fixture, not just Collingwood.
Clubs havent had the ability to do their own deals properly for decades, since the VFL and Cain Government decided that they would force a two stadium strategy. Clubs would play smaller attended games anywhere but the major stadiums if they were allowed to organise such. Princes Park would still be used now if Carlton had a choice in the matter, and if it had been a clean stadium, then other clubs would have used it to. The Dogs have already said they make a small mint playing games at the Western Oval - and they might have even played at Kardinia Park if allowed. North were refused permission to sell games to Perth which would have made them a stack of money. Melbourne were prevented from playing games at Adelaide Oval a decade before AFL was actually played there.
The most glaring example is Fitzroy - refused permission to play in Canberra despite the lucrative offer being made to play there, and refused permission to play in Tasmania, despite offers there too AND underwriting their own cost - both options of which would have been preferrable to being wound up by the league and forcibly merged.
