MCC, AFL may sign preliminary final deal

[ignoranus]

http://smh.com.au/news/Sport/MCC-AFL-may-sign-preliminary-final-deal/2005/07/25/1122143783466.html
July 25, 2005 - 9:19PM

The Melbourne Cricket Club and AFL are likely to sign a new deal this week paving the way for two preliminary finals to be played outside Melbourne for the first time.

Representatives of the MCC and the MCG Trust will meet with AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and chairman Ron Evans on Wednesday.

The MCC is confident they will sign a new contract which will remove the problematic clause requiring at least one preliminary final to be played at the MCG each season.

That long-term arrangement has vexed non-Victorian clubs, which have been disadvantaged by being forced to play "home" finals at the MCG.

Brisbane last year "hosted" Geelong in an MCG preliminary final.

A similar situation will likely occur this year without a change in the contract, given West Coast, Adelaide and Sydney currently occupy the top three positions on the ladder.

But MCC general manager of club operations Trevor Dohnt said there was an expectation that a new deal would be reached in Wednesday's meeting.

"All parties are pretty keen to move forward and sign off on this," Dohnt said.

"The intent is there, it's a matter of fine-tuning the words of the agreement."

Crows chief executive Steven Trigg, whose club has a firm hold on second place and is most likely to benefit from a contract change, urged the AFL to quickly finalise the deal.

"We just want to be clear that it's being pushed as hard as it possibly can be," Trigg said.

The Crows suffered from the AFL's finals scheduling in 2002, when they played a semi-final against Melbourne at the MCG despite being ranked higher than the Demons.

But Trigg said it was not just Adelaide's finals chances, but the integrity of the competition that was at stake.

"To be really clear, there's a level of urgency that the reputation of the competition is appropriately dealt with and understood and that the outcome is in keeping with that," Trigg said.

An AFL spokesman said the league had no comment to make, other than that it was hopeful an agreement would be reached soon.

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Wont believe it until it happens.

 

[dA Crow]

Will be good IF it happens; Maybe the SACA should try to get a Prelim final at the Adelaide Oval, they have some experience in getting the AFL to terminate contracts. Although the one with the MCC has already cost sides alot, including the Lions fourth flag in a row.

 

[GoSarge]

Wont believe it until it happens.

Agreed. I am not excited one bit by this statement.

 

[Alex99]

Is this being done because the Adelaide Crows are sitting in second spot? I have this theory and still stand by it that the AFL are trying to stooge the non-Victorian clubs and didn’t have any intention of doing a deal, at the beginning of the season Andrew Demetriou stood in front of the CEO and publicly stated that “a deal would get done” and it would be finalised before this years finals (season 2005). Those comments were made at the CEO executive meeting in February 2005

I think that Andrew Demetriou tried to hoodwink the CEO and thought that with St Kilda, Melbourne and Geelong highly placed teams in 2004 the likelihood of three non-Victorian sides in the top 4 out of the realms of possibility and this debate would not be needed for at least 12 more months, oh how wrong you have been Mr Demetriou.

With the Adelaide Crows and Sydney Swans sitting in second and third place respectively the preliminary final debate has made the AFL find a solution to the MCG deal, I will believe it when I read that the deal has been done.

 

[Alex99]

Will be good IF it happens; Maybe the SACA should try to get a Prelim final at the Adelaide Oval, they have some experience in getting the AFL to terminate contracts. Although the one with the MCC has already cost sides alot, including the Lions fourth flag in a row.

Their arrogance and public perception of the Port Adelaide Football Club lost them that grand final last year, nothing to do with playing the preliminary final at the MCG

 

[Mad Dog]

lets see....Demetriou has got the Umpiring, Drugs policy, Telstra Dome surface, draw equity, and Tribunal all spot on and ticking along nicely......so I'm really confident this can be sorted out as well.....

 

[dA Crow]

Their arrogance and public perception of the Port Adelaide Football Club lost them that grand final last year, nothing to do with playing the preliminary final at the MCG

Being forced to host a game at the MCG, in terrible conditions against with one less day to recover I am sure had an influence on both there preparation and energies come GF day. Had they played the game at the Gabba, as they deserved, then, I would suggest they would have approached their GF preparation alot differently. (Geelong at the Gabba would have presented a lot less of the threat than Geelong at the MCG). But there again, that isnt the issue here, it's the future that needs to be correct, errors from the past are done and dusted.

 

[dA Crow]

lets see....Demetriou has got the Umpiring, Drugs policy, Telstra Dome surface, draw equity, and Tribunal all spot on and ticking along nicely......so I'm really confident this can be sorted out as well.....

Smooth saling ... is their much left to make his life more complex?

 

[ignoranus]

I would guess that IF it is sorted out tomorrow as the article suggests it will have more to do with the AFL darling Sydney rather than Adelaide.

 

[DJ75]

I would guess that IF it is sorted out tomorrow as the article suggests it will have more to do with the AFL darling Sydney rather than Adelaide.

Ignoranus?..... I don't think so!! You are spot on here. If Sydney qualify for the home final there is absolutely no doubt they will get the rules changed!
I have a feeling there will be a deal done, but...........wait for the fine print! It won't simply be a matter of screwing up the old contract, the MCC will force the AFL to fold on something else. Don't be surprised if Eddy hasn't been involved in negotiations and the deal is that Collingwood, Essendon or Melbourne are involved in all games at MCG!
It might look like the comp will be getting fairer, but experience shows there will be sting in the tail!

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

I would guess that IF it is sorted out tomorrow as the article suggests it will have more to do with the AFL darling Sydney rather than Adelaide.

Spot on.

 

[Portia]

Demetriou is just weathering the storm and waiting for interstate clubs not to have a specific vested interest in having the MCC agreement fixed any more.

Port and Brisbane did the right thing by the AFL and dropped off the pace, but with Adelaide, WCE and Sydney all rising it looks like they have to have another year of looking determined and mouthing false platitudes. Maybe in 2006 they can put it back on the Easy To Ignore pile of non-Victorian issues.

 

[outback jack]

i have a feeling that we will be ok on this one. There is no commonsense or logic to it, but its just a feeling. Logic would say, if they couldnt reach an agreement in the last two yrs, do they really want too and really whats changed that makes it ok to happen in two weeks>? Atleast the club has spoken up, unlike last time and quite sensibly too, not just complaining like the last port CEO. However, i do have a good feeling.

however, on the byrce gibbs issue i have a bad feeling and the vibe you get is the club isnt pursuing it as hard as they ort to be imo. We seem to be in trouble on that one.

 

[eddie eagle]

Atleast the club has spoken up, unlike last time and quite sensibly too, not just complaining like the last port CEO. However, i do have a good feeling.

Yes I like the way Triggy has been quoted as saying Andrew is an excellent administrator and has confidence in him keeping his promised committment.

I'm hopeful, but the MCC are holding all the cards still

 

[MaccasNeighbour]

The AFL are waiting to see the result of Saturday night's game.

If Sydney win and are only percentage off 2nd spot, a deal will be done.

If Adelaide win and virtually secure 2nd spot the AFL will "continue in their negotations".

 

[GoSarge]

however, on the byrce gibbs issue i have a bad feeling and the vibe you get is the club isnt pursuing it as hard as they ort to be imo. We seem to be in trouble on that one.

The club should be looking at the 20 year rule in regards to this situation.

Just like, Port, Freo and WC, the 20 year rule should end the first year the club joined the comp to be aligned with the other NON victorian clubs (besides Brisbane and Sydney) ie 1971 --> 1991.

That way, young Bryce would then be eligible.

 

[dA Crow]

The AFL are waiting to see the result of Saturday night's game.

If Sydney win and are only percentage off 2nd spot, a deal will be done.

If Adelaide win and virtually secure 2nd spot the AFL will "continue in their negotations".

Interesting , I found some rare footage of the way the AFL commission communicate with each other, and example is here

 

[Alex99]

Interesting , I found some rare footage of the way the AFL commission communicate with each other, and example is here

10 out of 10




Super effort that, pure class.

 

[jo172]

Really doubt it will happen.

Keep your fingers crossed that we end up playing a side like St. Kilda or Sydney that don't play as well at the MCG instead of someone like Brisbane or Melbourne who plays well there.

 

[jo172]

Interesting , I found some rare footage of the way the AFL commission communicate with each other, and example is here

Hilarious, Completely Gold!

 

[bluecrow]

An article in The Age today suggests that it is the AFL, not the MCC, holding up the variation in the contract. MCC seem happy to agree to giving up the prelim, in exchange for more higher profile games during the year, but the AFL are trying incorporate all these other matters into the new contract.

***
Ambit claims annoy MCG
By Michael Gleeson
July 26, 2005


The embarrassing MCG preliminary final impasse could end within days despite talks breaking down last week when the AFL tried to introduce a range of "ambit claims" to negotiations.

MCG officials were angry at the AFL's bold attempt to incorporate commercial matters unrelated to football or the preliminary finals to the contract negotiations at the 11th hour.

The talks had derailed until AFL Commission chairman Ron Evans and MCG Trust chairman John Wylie spoke on Friday and agreed to attempt to salvage the deal by limiting negotiations to football matters at a meeting today.

It is believed the AFL wanted to introduce into negotiations a right of veto over signage at the ground and of the MCG's ticketing contract with Ticketmaster.

Under the current deal with the AFL, the MCG must host at least one preliminary final, regardless of whether interstate teams deserve the right to a home game by finishing higher on the ladder.

In exchange for varying the contract to allow preliminary finals to be held outside Victoria, the Melbourne Cricket Club, which runs the MCG, has sought a minimum of 45 games a year, including 10 of the best drawing 12 home-and-away matches each season.

They also have requested more flexibility in AFL fixturing to allow them to host blockbusters of other codes, such as the Bledisloe Cup, in competition to AFL matches, and more Friday night fixtures at the MCG during the warmer months.

The AFL wants the current "banking" of finals in the first two weeks of September to be extended from a rolling six games over three years to a 10-games-over-five-years system. The terms of the existing contract, in place until 2032, which requires the AFL to reasonably attempt to deliver crowds of 2.1 million a year would not be varied.

"It was very, very disappointing," an MCG source said. "I don't know how the AFL could think at round 17 when they want an agreement to be reached for this year that they could put those things on the table for the first time. It's quite unbelievable, really. I think if the AFL wants to get it resolved, they will be able to get it resolved."

The AFL has been frustrated that MCC secretary Stephen Gough has been at the Ashes Test at Lord's and not available for negotiations.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou denied the AFL had tried to introduce commercial matters about signage or ticketing to negotiations, but said he was aware of the discussions last week between Evans and Wylie.

"I know about all that sort of stuff and I am still confident that the right dialogue is happening," he said. "Everything is going beautifully. I think it is heading in the right direction.

"I am still confident that both we and the MCC have got a genuine willingness to resolve this issue and our discussions over many months have been very constructive and we are genuinely trying to do the best thing for football."

The talks come as Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg intensified pressure on the AFL to resolve the impasse, with three non-Victorian teams occupying the top positions on the ladder, saying there was now "a level of urgency" about the issue.

 

[bluecrow]

Breaking news - Ch 7 reported the deal is done 'in principle,' presumably paperwork is all that remains Showed AFL/MCC representatives and both seemed happy with the deal.

Yay

 

[jo172]

Breaking news - Ch 7 reported the deal is done 'in principle,' presumably paperwork is all that remains Showed AFL/MCC representatives and both seemed happy with the deal.

Yay

Finally the AFL is looking like a fair and equitable competition. This is a great day for the AFL

 

[DaveW]

The words "in principle" make me somewhat nervous.