View Full Version : We haven't forgotten you, says Demetriou
Beaussie
4 Mar 2009, 06:57
Good to hear Vlad and the AFL are still committed to GC17 and WSYD18. Hopefully there is more to the story about growing speculation that $150 million has been secured from various sources for a redeveloped Gold Coast stadium.
We haven't forgotten you, says Demetriou
Nick Smart
March 4th, 2009
`WE understand your impatience but we haven't forgotten about you'.
That's the message from Andrew Demetriou yesterday as the AFL boss moves to assure nervous Gold Coasters the league's grand plan for a second Queensland team by 2011 was still a go-ahead.
The AFL Commission has continually delayed the decision to award the 17th national licence to the John Witheriff-led GC17 bid team, which has resulted in some lost momentum and a public perception the league has gone cold on its bold expansion plans.
Demetriou said he understood those sentiments but declared nothing had changed at AFL House.
"It is all full steam ahead," Demetriou told The Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday.
"It is very understandable that people are waiting for the decision.
"We have already said repeatedly that the Gold Coast bid team can't do any more -- they have fulfilled their part of the deal. It now rests with the AFL Commission and the next meeting is mid-March."
One stumbling block has been the stadium deal, with the AFL yet to strike deal with state and federal governments to redevelop Gold Coast Stadium. The Coast will not gain entrance into the AFL unless government funding for the redevelopment is secured.
However, there is growing speculation that about $150 million has now been committed from various sources for the $200-$300 million project.
Demetriou would not be drawn, when asked, whether he would like to see the State Government announce a funding plan for a redevelopment of Gold Coast Stadium in the run-up to the March 21 election.
"We will stay out of the politics of the election," he said. "I think we are making good progress and it is very important we get a stadium for this club.
"We also know and we are also very sensitive to the fact that there is an election going on and at these times it is best for the AFL to opt out of discussions."
There has also been talk the world financial crisis may force the AFL to push back its plans for a team here by 2011. But Demetriou vehemently denied that claim when asked yesterday.
"It has not changed -- 2011 for the Gold Coast and 2012 for western Sydney is still our plan and it is what we are committed to working through," he said.
"Given it is 2011 and 2012, one would expect that even the global financial crisis might start to ease up by then."
When asked if the current state of the global economy was the reason for the delay in the issuing of the licence, Demetriou said: "Only from the perspective that we have been consistent in saying that any decision we make cannot be to the detriment of our clubs and our players.
"We're absolutely confident in the work we are doing and the path that the Gold Coast is taking is the appropriate action."
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/03/04/55511_gold-coast-afl.html
150 million , well thats a good start, any idea on who is putting in what?
Iva Bigun
6 Mar 2009, 07:47
Vlad is about as trustworthy as Anna Bligh and as incapable of making a decision:thumbsd: if they are serious about making this happen then accounce it as all of the criteria have been met, stop moving the goal posts and make the decision already.
Stereophonic
6 Mar 2009, 12:25
They must have given the GCFC permission to start selling their memberships.
Beaussie
7 Mar 2009, 09:10
150 million , well thats a good start, any idea on who is putting in what?
I'm tipping various funding from the the Federal Government, QLD state government, Gold Coast City Council and private investors.
Check out the submission made to the Federal Government by Gold Coast City Council.
http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/public_submissions/published/files/470_goldcoastcitycouncil_SUB.pdf
there is that much Govt money it wouldn't surprise me
go GC
Beaussie, that document says that the stadium will cost $200m and take over two year to complete.
They'd want to start this year.
Beaussie
9 Mar 2009, 07:28
Beaussie, that document says that the stadium will cost $200m and take over two year to complete.
They'd want to start this year.
True about the construction timeline walhawk and finally yesterday the QLD state government has committed $60 million.
AFL here in 2011Mike Bruce
THE Gold Coast will become an AFL city in 2011 after a dramatic $60million funding pledge for a new stadium unveiled by the State Government yesterday.
In the biggest announcement of the election campaign so far, Premier Anna Bligh revealed the State Government would tip in $60million to redevelop the existing stadium at Carrara, effectively paving the way for the AFL to sign off on the the nation's 17th AFL licence to be based on the Coast.
Not only will the windfall mean the Coast will now secure its own AFL team, it may also provide a fillip for the city's bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games with a $130million facility with a seating capacity of 25,000.
``It will be suitable for use in the Commonwealth Games if our bid to attract them to the Gold Coast is successful, and it will be home to a new AFL team for the Coast,'' said Ms Bligh. ``This will create a 175m x 128m AFL oval capable of being scaled to accommodate an international-standard cricket oval, athletics field and soccer field on the Gold Coast.''
The announcement removes the last stumbling block for a sign-off on the Coast's AFL licence a funding deal to build a new AFL-compatible stadium and kills speculation surrounding the AFL's real desire for a Gold Coast team.
Speculation about the prospects of a Coast team began to mount late last year when the AFL Commission repeatedly postponed a decision on the bid, despite affirming that the application met all criteria.
The state's $60million funding builds on the Gold Coast City Council's pledge of $20million, but is contingent on the AFL securing the shortfall of $50million from either its own funds or the Federal Government.
But Ms Bligh was `optimistic' that the Federal Government would come to the party for a good part of the money and has stressed to both Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese that the project was vital for the Coast.
``The Federal Government is still going through its assessment process ... but I'm optimistic about a federal contribution,'' Ms Bligh told The Gold Coast Bulletin. ``If they (Federal Government) only come part way, then the AFL can source the funds from their own resources or borrowings.''
While all stadium operational costs will have to be covered by the AFL under the deal, its ownership will transfer from the council to the State Government something the council may take issue with.
Against the backdrop of the global financial crisis and a crippled state budget, Ms Bligh has engineered a funding model that will cost the state just $9million in its first two years and will see the AFL carrying most of the upfront construction costs.
The state will pay just $2million next financial year, $7million in 2001-12 and $51million the following year, `when the economic situation should be better'.
``We could not have got this deal over the line if the AFL had not been prepared to structure the financing in a way that fitted our finances, but equally our commitment gives the AFL certainty on which to proceed,'' said Ms Bligh.
``In return we expect the AFL to start construction within months (of the first funding allocation).''
Ms Bligh said the stadium redevelopment would not only provide 350 much-needed construction jobs and ongoing operational jobs at the stadium but also a major boost for a beleaguered tourism industry. With building set to start possibly later this year, it also came at a time when other major projects, like the desalination plant, had wound down.
``This will start generating construction jobs now. The construction industry on the Coast has been hit by a rapid and serious deterioration in the property market, so it's construction projects like this that will keep people in work.''
One independent study estimated a Coast-based AFL team would generate about $34million a year into the local economy, with 90 per cent of it flowing money will flow to hotels, tourism operators, restaurants, retailers and transport companies.
``We have seen with Skilled Stadium and Suncorp Stadium that investment in these projects brings people from other parts of the country to attend major events,'' Ms Bligh told The Bulletin. ``It's now up to Gold Coast tourism operators to convince people to make a weekend on the Gold Coast part of every Melbourne AFL fan's footy season.''
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/03/09/56921_gold-coast-top-story.html
Rutherford Hayes
9 Mar 2009, 19:53
Hmm, I see nobody complains when the AFL gets funding.
Hmm, I see nobody complains when the AFL gets funding.
Probably because AFL gets over 6 million bums on seats.Do you have a problem, that the most attended, watched sport in Australia picks up some tax payer monies?
Rutherford Hayes
10 Mar 2009, 17:15
Probably because AFL gets over 6 million bums on seats.Do you have a problem, that the most attended, watched sport in Australia picks up some tax payer monies?
If AFL supporters are going to bitch when other codes get funding, then... yes.
mediumsizered
10 Mar 2009, 20:25
If AFL supporters are going to bitch when other codes get funding, then... yes.
I don't see the Bligh Govt promising to build a brand new stadium for the Gold Coast AFL team & the amount pledged by Bligh for Carrara is less than half the cost of building Skilled Park, a stadium which was built for the benefit of a privately owned rugby league club & will also be utilised by a privately owned soccer team (I wonder if the Labor Govt knew they were building a stadium which was going to be used by a Clive Palmer owned team. A touch of irony in that).
AFL fans only "bitch" when they see other codes being given preferential treatment. Particularly codes that lie a massive distance behind Australian Rules in national support.
Rutherford Hayes
10 Mar 2009, 20:37
AFL fans only "bitch" when they see other codes being given preferential treatment. Particularly codes that lie a massive distance behind Australian Rules in national support.
Well, considering the whole "Nobody screws soccer like Seven" fiasco, I'd say that the AFL and soccer are about even now.
fabulousphil
10 Mar 2009, 20:54
Soccer has and always will screw itself, needs no help from anyone else.
No 4 in the OZ footy codes pecking order says it all about the soccer boys.
Move to Europe or Sth America if soccer is really your go, you can have wall to wall soccer ....... and about zilch else.
Mr Crow!
27 Mar 2009, 21:45
What's going on?!
With the re-election of the ALP Government in QLD, there were statements to the effect from the AFL hierarchy that it was a certainty that GC17 was going to get the licence, given that the ALP had committed $60m to the upgrade of Carrara.
Given those developments only a week ago, you would have thought that on Thursday, the first day of the new AFL season, that a MAJOR announcement would have been made awarding the licence to GC17.
Still, nothing!
mediumsizered
27 Mar 2009, 22:39
What's going on?!
With the re-election of the ALP Government in QLD, there were statements to the effect from the AFL hierarchy that it was a certainty that GC17 was going to get the licence, given that the ALP had committed $60m to the upgrade of Carrara.
Given those developments only a week ago, you would have thought that on Thursday, the first day of the new AFL season, that a MAJOR announcement would have been made awarding the licence to GC17.
Still, nothing!
I thought there would have been an announcement this week, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised the AFL wouldn't have wanted to take attention away from the start of the season. The amount of hype around the Carlton/Richmond, Judd/Cousins encounter & the GF replay was going to ensure a blockbuster start to the season.
There was nothing to be gained, from the AFL's point of view, in making the announcement over the last few days. With GC's first TAC Cup game coming up next Saturday (4th April) it would be ideal for the AFL to make the announcement in the build up to this history making occasion.
FootyJunkie
28 Mar 2009, 02:56
Demetriou has cold feet. GCFC will be swept under the carpet. Nothing to see here.
There was nothing to be gained, from the AFL's point of view, in making the announcement over the last few days. With GC's first TAC Cup game coming up next Saturday (4th April) it would be ideal for the AFL to make the announcement in the build up to this history making occasion.
I concurr .Do you ?