Cashed up US buyers looking to buy Aussie teams

[Seeds]

if the owner was going to boot out chris scott i would be all for it.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

if the owner was going to boot out chris scott i would be all for it.

If we had Trump, the whole coaching staff would get thrown out during the season... several times.

 

[Sydney Kicker]

If we had Trump, the whole coaching staff would get thrown out during the season... several times.

Any chance he would sack the players too for not standing at attention when the Star Spangled Banner rings out around Kardinia Park.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Will never happen.
Didn't work for Sydney didn't work for north. The game is club based, not franchise based. Can't see it changing, ever

 

[Kwality]

Will never happen.
Didn't work for Sydney didn't work for north. The game is club based, not franchise based. Can't see it changing, ever

Yet a peanut gallery regularly describes the Eagles as a franchise, it supports WA footy, clearly the 'not for profit' mentality of some in clubland has seen the majority of clubs unable to stand alone.

Not a fan of private ownership BUT there is a need to review the traditional club model, 14 out of 18 can not stand alone.

 

[SSSSSS]

Carn the Mountain Dew® Hawks.

 

[Starburns_]

Jeeeez sports reporters are struggling for stories

If this is what the stories look like now I hate to think of what they'll be dishing up next month.

Perhaps they'll be speculating on whether we can decide the 2020 Premiership on AFL Evolution.

Isnt there room for this sort of cheer squad nonsense? Bay 13 ? Politics of foreign countries .... stay out Aus stuff with this irrelevance, pllleeezz.

Yes, let's not let a silly video taint the thread about private ownership in the AFL.

 

[juss]

Will never happen.
Didn't work for Sydney didn't work for north. The game is club based, not franchise based. Can't see it changing, ever

In fairness, only a few months ago, a season being cancelled and the potential for several clubs going under in a few months and the industry laying off 80% of staff and the entire professionalism of the sport being compromised would probably have been filed under the "will never happen" basket too.

I wouldn't rule anything out at the moment, if private investment is the way to save clubs & the game, then I wouldn't rule it out. The longer this situation goes for, the more drastic it's impact.

 

[My Tilly]

As an American I sure hope not. Keep American owners out of AFL! Don’t let them ruin such a great sport!!!

Unfortunately, it was once a great sport.

It is now a different game and not too dissimilar to NFL and other sports which have been drastically altered to prevent future billion dollar lawsuits.
I would see no issue in having billionaire owners taking over struggling clubs. It's either fold and become another Fitzroy or lose some liberties as a paid up member.

But AFL is no longer the same game. It has been a slow death for a good 10+ years now.

 

[dustysnecktattoo]

I see two changes if this happens

positives - cheerleaders

negatives - NFL style advertising dragging out games (please no)

 

[dylan93]

and before you know it, we'll be like the EPL or other sporting leagues around the world where the same 5-6 teams win the flag every year... NO!

 

[Pykie]

Private ownership of a club is one thing.

Private ownership of the league is completely different.

It will never happen with the AFL, but if it did, say goodbye to Auskick and grass roots and community football funding.


The league finances the development of the entire code throughout all levels, this is completely different to most other sporting codes in the world.

 

[dustysnecktattoo]

and before you know it, we'll be like the EPL or other sporting leagues around the world where the same 5-6 teams win the flag every year... NO!

was happening already anyway

hawthorn Geelong ugh

 

[Starburns_]

As ridiculous as the idea is, the major thing this article overlooks (along with the FIRB) is that it's not the big, 'attractive' for an owner clubs (the big 4, the Perth teams, or Adelaide) that would be in a position to be bought. It's smaller clubs like those in NSW/Qld, St Kilda, North, WB, Melbourne, and Port.

These clubs already don't turn over the same amount as the larger clubs and aren't going to make that up after the unpopularity of private ownership, along with losing NFP status and the special distributions from HQ. Apart from the Giants who have significant room to grow, none of these clubs are going to be worth anywhere near the price tag it'd take to prise them out of the AFL's control.

In summary, mergers and relocations are real concerns, private ownership is not.

 

[Nugett]

In the article it talks about buying leagues. I can’t see that aspect happening. If it did it could mean the end of the AFL and into a bastardisation of NFL.

no thanks from me.

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

What would be the point for them with the salary cap and football department spends its not like they can buy a super team man city style