Roast Gillon Mclachlan - Get rid of this tool, please

You'd think it would be in everyone's interests for tickets to be cheaper.

How would cheaper tickets be in the interests of:

- players who want to be paid more?
- clubs who want more revenue to be able to be more competitive
- a competition who wants revenue to support grass roots footy and women’s expansion.

For example, imagine if Qantas were running the AFL, you and I (as supporters of big teams that fill stadiums) would be paying more for tickets than followers of ‘off peak’ teams.
 
... they act like they are successful entrepreneurs as if they invented the AFL and without their business skills the comp would collapse.

To be fair ...

... there is enormous scope to screw it up.

For example: imagine what might happen if the value of the broadcasting rights tumbles due to changing media landscape? -> AFL gets much less revenue -> AFL distributes less money to clubs -> clubs can’t afford to pay salary cap and honor player contracts -> Oops.

And for all the bluster over the job Gillon is doing, few would disagree that the AFL is the best administered sport in the country at the moment. By a long way.
 
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Yep, it's amazing how many people in here still have this notion that AFL's number 1 priority is providing a fair and equitable sporting competition. :)

To be fair to those people ...

... the AFL do make some pretense of it (draft, salary cap, soft cap, attempting to give successful teams a more difficult fixture)
 
Just this week alone:
* A rule interpretation change on the basis of Jack Riewoldt having a whinge about it
* The Bont escaping MRO sanction because the medical report of someone's FRACTURED LARYNX wasn't available until the next day
* The Jaidyn Stephenson farce, and
* Trialling the bunker system for 2 games in Rd23, and then fully implementing it for finals.

What an administration. A big week of farce even by their lofty standards.

If the AFL don’t react (Stephenson, Bontempelli) they’re labeled as farcical, if they do react (Reiwoldt, Bunker) then they’re pilloried.

They’re damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.
 
Well the thing is that you would not have to disengage for long to create change. A month would do it. Stay away from footy for a month and at the beginning of the season, so you can re engage when the footy gets better. The problem of course is getting everybody to do it at the same time, amassing the troops for a common cause is the hardest to do. If we could do it we could change anything we wanted.......but we will start with the AFL, yeah?

It has always been a thing that some AFL fans have felt like the game is leaving them behind. Back in the 80’s and 90’s some blokes bemoaned how their sacred arvo at the footy with their mates getting on the piss in the outer was being invaded by punces and shielas and families bringing their kiddies. Times change. People need to adapt or get left behind. It’s the circle of life.
 
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VicBased

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It has always been a thing that some AFL fans have felt like the game is leaving them behind. Back in the 80’s and 90’s some blokes bemoaned how their sacred arvo at the footy with their mates getting on the piss in the outer was being invaded by punces and shielas and families bringing their kiddies. Times change. People need to adapt or get left behind. It’s the circle of life.
You are right in what you say but the burning question is, Is it right?
 

basashi

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Overall, when you compare the AFL to governing bodies of other sports you would have to concede that poor governance and a lack of commitment to fairness are hallmarks of the Australian game.

Uneven fixtures, weird recruiting biases, heavy subsidies in the form of standalone and Friday night games, unfair stadium deals, contracts that affect the league's ability to fixture some teams outside their home state, ridiculous uneven travel loads amongst the Vic clubs, inability to rule fairly on salary cap infringement / draft tampering / drug use, elastic rule interpretation. ...

Every club is on a different deal.

Whether its true or not, this leaves the door open for EVERY fan to feel hard done by.

I feel that the league needs to amend its constitution to require the governing body to deal fairly with each club. OK so the league insists that some of the unfair things they do are required for the overall commercial success of the league - that is fine BUT inherent in this should be a requirement to "balance up" any of these necessary unfair features. Eg - if your club gets anything that makes the league less fair (even if it is to the perceived overall financial benefit of the league) then the unfair element must be unwound with either cash, relegation of Draft picks or reduction in salary cap.
 
Hahahahahaha

Congratulations. One of the worst posts I've read this year (and there's been a few doozies.)

When will people get it through their thick heads that it's the Victorian football fans who bring in more than 50% of revenue to the AFL?
That's not Vic bias or arrogance. It's a FACT. So shut your trap about Victorian "minnows".

Here's an idea: How about us Victorian clubs form our own rival breakaway league to yours, except we'll take the Eagles, Dockers, Port and Crows with us and leave you muppets to play with your fellow NEAFL minnows whom nobody gives shiit about.

Let's get another thing straight: The only reason your club exists is to provide Channel 7 and Foxtel with content which they televise to us southeners.
Have you even seen the TV ratings for AFL footy in NSW and Queensland?

You do realise the OP is a Geelong supporter, don't you?
 
Overall, when you compare the AFL to governing bodies of other sports you would have to concede that poor governance and a lack of commitment to fairness are hallmarks of the Australian game.

Uneven fixtures, weird recruiting biases, heavy subsidies in the form of standalone and Friday night games, unfair stadium deals, contracts that affect the league's ability to fixture some teams outside their home state, ridiculous uneven travel loads amongst the Vic clubs, inability to rule fairly on salary cap infringement / draft tampering / drug use, elastic rule interpretation. ...

Every club is on a different deal.

Whether its true or not, this leaves the door open for EVERY fan to feel hard done by.

I feel that the league needs to amend its constitution to require the governing body to deal fairly with each club. OK so the league insists that some of the unfair things they do are required for the overall commercial success of the league - that is fine BUT inherent in this should be a requirement to "balance up" any of these necessary unfair features. Eg - if your club gets anything that makes the league less fair (even if it is to the perceived overall financial benefit of the league) then the unfair element must be unwound with either cash, relegation of Draft picks or reduction in salary cap.

Why should the AFL be fair?

Isn’t it enough to have the same number of players on the field, and teams judged by the same onfield rules?

Consider the most popular league on the planet - the EPL - teams do need to follow the same rules onfield (fair like all sports) and they do have a perfectly balanced fixture (fairer than AFL) but apart from that anything goes (apart from some universal rules to stop clubs from hocking their future and going bust)

What does it matter if some teams have more money / can afford better players / have more fans than other teams?

I’d imagine many Kangaroos supporters would love to go back to those days before the VFL/AFL started fiddling around with trying to make the competition ‘fair’ ...

... those days when they were struggling to stay afloat and yet winning Premierships.

The problem with striving to be ‘fair’ is that there is no universal idea of what fair is. COLA was introduced to be fair (account for the extra cost of living in different cities!!) but then it was removed to be fair (why should some clubs get more salary cap than others!!)
 

basashi

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Why should the AFL be fair?

Isn’t it enough to have the same number of players on the field, and teams judged by the same onfield rules?

Consider the most popular league on the planet - the EPL - teams do need to follow the same rules onfield (fair like all sports) and they do have a perfectly balanced fixture (fairer than AFL) but apart from that anything goes (apart from some universal rules to stop clubs from hocking their future and going bust)

What does it matter if some teams have more money / can afford better players / have more fans than other teams?

I’d imagine many Kangaroos supporters would love to go back to those days before the VFL/AFL started fiddling around with trying to make the competition ‘fair’ ...

... those days when they were struggling to stay afloat and yet winning Premierships.

The problem with striving to be ‘fair’ is that there is no universal idea of what fair is. COLA was introduced to be fair (account for the extra cost of living in different cities!!) but then it was removed to be fair (why should some clubs get more salary cap than others!!)

The AFL should be fair so that to gentlemen, victory and success is of more value.

The bolded part is not the source of unfairness I refer to above.

To suggest there is no universal idea of fairness is a copout.
 

Coops93

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The problem with striving to be ‘fair’ is that there is no universal idea of what fair is. COLA was introduced to be fair (account for the extra cost of living in different cities!!) but then it was removed to be fair (why should some clubs get more salary cap than others!!)
I've heard great things about communism, apparently it's fair for everyone.
 
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So this entire argument for continuing to play the GF at the MCG till the 27th century "because it's the only ground big enough" rests on sixty plus thousand people who couldn't give a flying f who was playing, let alone who won being able to tell their mates they went to, you know, something at the MCG.
Brilliant.

They're the ones paying the big $$$$, they may pull their sponsorships/$$$$ if they don't get seats to the big dance a smaller venue. Always about the $$$$
 

garlic munchers

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Hahahahahaha

When will people get it through their thick heads that it's the Victorian football fans who bring in more than 50% of revenue to the AFL?
That's not Vic bias or arrogance. It's a FACT. So shut your trap about Victorian "minnows".

Here's an idea: How about us Victorian clubs form our own rival breakaway league to yours, except we'll take the Eagles, Dockers, Port and Crows with us and leave you muppets to play with your fellow NEAFL minnows whom nobody gives shiit about.

Let's get another thing straight: The only reason your club exists is to provide Channel 7 and Foxtel with content which they televise to us southeners.
Have you even seen the TV ratings for AFL footy in NSW and Queensland?

Remember a club called Fitzroy, don't need Melbourne minnows to survive.

Its a FACT!
 
Aug 18, 2006
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I can’t recall disliking an AFL CEO / administrator more, he is just terrible I can’t add anything that hasn’t already been said, he really is damaging the AFL brand

Not sure the brand is suffering, highest attendances/membership etc, he'd be hitting his quotas and getting a bigger salary each year (which I believe is no longer disclosed to the public)
 
The AFL should be fair so that to gentlemen, victory and success is of more value.

The bolded part is not the source of unfairness I refer to above.

To suggest there is no universal idea of fairness is a copout.

Uneven fixtures -> I agree, things were better in the good old days of the VFL when every team played every other team in a home and away game, but now given the number of teams and the length of the season, what is the AFL to do?

weird recruiting biases -> As in academies? Academies are doing a good job of expanding the game. Maybe remove all pretense of fairness and get rid of the draft altogether. People will then stop expecting it to be fair.

heavy subsidies in the form of standalone and Friday night games -> Again, there should be no pretense of fairness with this. Maybe reward finalists of previous years with good fixtures?

unfair stadium deals -> I’d put that in the ‘money’ bucket.

contracts that affect the league's ability to fixture some teams outside their home state -> Isn’t that the clubs doing that?

ridiculous uneven travel loads amongst the Vic clubs -> which is balanced somewhat by non-Vic clubs getting less competitive access to advertising revenue, plus a more effective home advantage. Think of it this way, imagine how much Freo’s ‘home game advantage’ would drop if they played 4 home games against interstate teams, 5 interstate games, and 13 derby games with WCE - and that’s pretty much what Vic clubs have (not complaining BTW)

inability to rule fairly on salary cap infringement -> not sure what you’re referring to there, but I’d be happy to get rid of the salary cap as long as there are measures put in place to stop clubs from hocking their future and risking going bust (European football leagues employ such measures to good effect)

draft tampering -> dunno what you’re referring to, tanking? If we got rid of the draft then it stops being a problem.

drug use -> PEDs? What more can the AFL do than sign up to the WADA code? Are you suggesting that some teams are being treated better / worse than others with respect to PEDs? I agree that this is one area where the comp should be even.

elastic rule interpretation -> what are you referring to there?
 
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You may not like Gil, but at least he's not stupid.

Gillon McLachlan, CEO of the AFL, on Friday noted Marvel is a football stadium.
"It's a basketball game in a football stadium, and the court's smaller [than a football field]," Mr McLachlan told radio station 3AW.
He went with his kids on Thursday night and said he expected to be watching the game off the video boards, which were great quality.


 
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