The AFL were foolish IMO - from a tenant club pov - to pay $200m and have to service that with debt rather than wait a few years and each year would have been $25m less to purchase it which would have only been $30 on 31/12/25.
They have to find around $12 mil cash to pay the interest and depending on length of loan maybe $20m of capital repayments each and every year. Where does that money come from?? Tenant clubs.
Well, clearly all else being equal, they thought it advantageous to bring forward the purchase. Perhaps relating to the potential public investment. Note also that the afl is giving a ten % dividend and is intending on paying off the debt 3 years ahead of planned ownership