Prediction Do you believe the AFL will ever be the same again?

[Run n Spread]

Optimistic if the powers that be finish doing what they want with the virus then footy returns by July and the AFL exploit it doing s**t they've always wanted by making games shorter mid week footy and GF at home team venue.Geelong get KP final(Can no longer argue they give a s**t about it being the people's game or maximum attendance when they played in front of no one)
Pessimistic If it drags to a mid 2021 return than contracts cut and the AFL won't be able to bail everyone out. Bye bye suns giants possibly st Kilda north and lions.
Tassie get a team as the AFL won't have the luxury of playing silly buggers with 30 year generation plans and would need a new lean team who could spend minimal amounts yet generate instant support.

 

[JayJ20]

Highly doubt it returns the same. The huge financial loss can’t be hidden.

 

[Macpotata]

who cares

 

[Macpotata]

actually



ring da cops

 

[Asifhe Givashe]

Didn’t the AFL make a $50m surplus last year including all the money they wasted on AFLX, China, India, AFLW, jobs for he boys and an executive which is 50-75% overpaid?

Too big to fail, the Vic Gov will bail them out.

 

[Olian]

It will return in 2021 but a few clubs will struggle to survive in the medium term unless the economy as a whole picks up rapidly.

 

[RUNVS]

One thing that has made the AFL's finances a little tighter is buying Marvel. I suspect a lot of the AFL's reserve cash went into that purchase, which seemed like a great idea at the time but might be less of a great idea now. Still, it is good to have such an expensive asset.

 

[RAPPA]

Merge

 

[Olian]

One thing that has made the AFL's finances a little tighter is buying Marvel. I suspect a lot of the AFL's reserve cash went into that purchase, which seemed like a great idea at the time but might be less of a great idea now. Still, it is good to have such an expensive asset.

Outside of cash reserves it’s the only asset of value it has.

 

[RUNVS]

Outside of cash reserves it’s the only asset of value it has.

I wonder if the AFL could sell Marvel, sell it to a corporation for a billion. It would not be ideal, but it would mean the AFL would get the funding it needs to keep all the clubs afloat. Would mean though all clubs based at Marvel will be paying more to play there though.

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

Theres no chance its the same upon return, if it returns.

I think it has the capacity to return, but it will think hard about making changes to prevent it being left in a similar financial situation should something like this ever happen again.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

I wonder if the AFL could sell Marvel, sell it to a corporation for a billion. It would not be ideal, but it would mean the AFL would get the funding it needs to keep all the clubs afloat. Would mean though all clubs based at Marvel will be paying more to play there though.

Who would want to buy it? It's a white elephant in terms of generating money. It's run at a massive loss for most of it's history and returned modest profits when it hasn't.

Marvel Stadium (Docklands) - Sports Industry AU

Name: Etihad Stadium (formerly Telstra Dome, Colonial Stadium) The Docklands Stadium is located in the Melbourne CBD, near Spencer Street

www.footyindustry.com

A very real possibility of the situation is a return to local football. A number of clubs might go to the wall but I'd imagine they would be allowed to be wound up and restarted in a new competition (eg the VFL). Of course, that would mean less money for the AFL in television rights.

One thing it should curb is the rampant spending on football departments and training facilities. Hawthorn (quite sensibly) has shelved plans for the Dingley operation - the AFL should come over the top and put a cap on unsustainable/risky spending. We can all live with the grounds we've got now.

 

[deltablues]

AFL will fold. A victim of its greed and hubris.

C-virus will make folk want to reprise simpler, more wholesome times.

Accordingly traditional state leagues as in pre-AFL days will rise again to resume their rightful position as the pre-eminent suburban/community sporting teams playing Aussie Rules - not AFL. Two umpires in white, goal umpires in hats and coats, 2 reserves, beer allowed to be brought into the grounds as of yore.

VFL reduced to 6 teams.

Interstate games resume.

#Every cloud has a silver lining.

 

[JackFlash]

The NRL is doomed, there is no way it can survive this. The AFL will return, but not as it once was as we will have club casualties. I expect a return of approximately 14 - 16 clubs and a major 20 year rebuild will be required...The sporting world as we know it has just ended, the final nail will be the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics. Footy will be very different unless some miracle happens and the virus is eradicated completely or the number of cases drop rapidly. We are all in for a torrid 6-8 months...

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

I think we will see small changes but no huge ones like losing clubs.
The AFL PA should be shitting themselves. The game is bigger then them, this entire episode will highlight that and they will lose any public battle from now on regarding payment ect. The public will want clubs supported first so I can see any pay rise in the fairly long term future unlikely.
We will see long overdue unnecessary fat cut and these jobs for the boys are going to be a lot less available and way more scrutinised.
There will also likely be a lower footy department cap. This is extremely important to stop the ridiculous inflation within the industry.
Stupid s**t like sending u16 AA teams to South Africa cut.
More tv friendly games to ensure the $$ return too I would imagine.

these things won’t really affect the average fan but will hurt people currently on the gravy train.

 

[RUNVS]

I think we will see small changes but no huge ones like losing clubs.
The AFL PA should be shitting themselves. The game is bigger then them, this entire episode will highlight that and they will lose any public battle from now on regarding payment ect. The public will want clubs supported first so I can see any pay rise in the fairly long term future unlikely.
We will see long overdue unnecessary fat cut and these jobs for the boys are going to be a lot less available and way more scrutinised.
There will also likely be a lower footy department cap. This is extremely important to stop the ridiculous inflation within the industry.
Stupid s**t like sending u16 AA teams to South Africa cut.
More tv friendly games to ensure the $$ return too I would imagine.

these things won’t really affect the average fan but will hurt people currently on the gravy train.

A stronger footy department cap is vital. I mean Eddie might rail against the idea, but it is so important to save money, so instead of clubs feeling like they need to spend what little money they have to keep up with the bigger clubs, perhaps instead because they are at their football department cap they could save the extra money for a rainy day.

Really there is no need at all for a club to need to spend more than $20 million a year in total expenses.

 

[Cuzz09]

It will return but the fans will be expected to pick up the bill for a lot of it.

Expect memberships to be ridiculous and a pie and a beer to be a lot more.

As someone said its too big and important to just die.

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

If we don't have any more games this year there will be significant changes. Clubs will have to fold due to financial pressure and the competition will be smaller and better for it.

 

[eastfreo75]

Gold Coast should be first gone.

If they replace with Tasmania who will be debt free and with government backing.

Would hurt Hawthorn and North Melbourne.

 

[eastfreo75]

Merge

You ok with merging with the Roos and be called Northern Blue Roos?

 

[Franc de Borges]

Those old AFL flags don’t count for s**t. Pissy little national league trophies.

 

[Asifhe Givashe]

AFL will fold. A victim of its greed and hubris.

C-virus will make folk want to reprise simpler, more wholesome times.

Accordingly traditional state leagues as in pre-AFL days will rise again to resume their rightful position as the pre-eminent suburban/community sporting teams playing Aussie Rules - not AFL. Two umpires in white, goal umpires in hats and coats, 2 reserves, beer allowed to be brought into the grounds as of yore.

VFL reduced to 6 teams.

Interstate games resume.

#Every cloud has a silver lining.

I couldn’t give a * about any other competition. Aussie rules starts and ends with my club, local footy, women’s footy, country footy, VFL etc is for the tip.

 

[eastfreo75]

I think we will see small changes but no huge ones like losing clubs.
The AFL PA should be shitting themselves. The game is bigger then them, this entire episode will highlight that and they will lose any public battle from now on regarding payment ect. The public will want clubs supported first so I can see any pay rise in the fairly long term future unlikely.
We will see long overdue unnecessary fat cut and these jobs for the boys are going to be a lot less available and way more scrutinised.
There will also likely be a lower footy department cap. This is extremely important to stop the ridiculous inflation within the industry.
Stupid s**t like sending u16 AA teams to South Africa cut.
More tv friendly games to ensure the $$ return too I would imagine.

these things won’t really affect the average fan but will hurt people currently on the gravy train.

Most large organisations either government or non government have s**t jobs.

The AFL need to trim the fat and go skeleton staff.

The player should be paid according to income the league makes. Let’s us 25%.

 

[Cuzz09]

Yeah just get the players to play for minimum wage for a few years.

Too bad if they wont. I'll have a run with an AFL club for a few bucks if they are only in it for the money

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[RUNVS]

Yeah just get the players to play for minimum wage for a few years.

Too bad if they wont. I'll have a run with an AFL club for a few bucks if they are only in it for the money

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

Not just the players. The coaches are on huge money too, even more than the players in many cases.