Given that 10 odd million of that is distribution money that every club gets the overall figure isn’t as bad as it seems.
Given the suns add extra money to the broadcast deal they are still a viable asset to the competition
But long term it’s not ideal for the afl to continue propping up the club
Yup, I mean the Saints and Lions both got almost $21m too this year. The Dogs got just under $17m, the Eagles and Hawks got under $11m. There's a greater degree of fiscal equalisation than there used to be, which is an explicit AFL policy, and that's a good thing for small clubs being able to compete.
A commitment to quite unequal funding arrangements is also the only way further expansion is going to happen because any further new teams aren't exactly going to be big market powerhouses.