Yeah, the argument that the AFL is not technically a for profit privately owned corporation is naive.
There is a huge profit driven industry built up around it. Therefore commercial decisions are first and foremost and that's what guides decision making and hires, not "stewardship of the game" or even fan sentiment, if it's not being expressed in gain/loss of revenue for the AFL and various interested parties, like apparel and betting companies, stadium management, advertisers, media companies, online rights holders etc.
Spot on!!! And anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional. The AFL Commission and Executive are whores beholden to the corporates. Revenue is first and foremost the driver for ALL that they do.