The AFL is set to spend $1 billion across the next decade in an effort to fast-track more people signing up to play footy.

[The_Wookie]

The AFL is set to spend $1 billion across the next decade in an effort to fast-track more people signing up to play footy.

In a major push to double the number of registered participants by 2033, the AFL will increase funding into traditional NRL states New South Wales and Queensland, but remain fully committed to financially supporting the heartland football states of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australian and Western Australia as well as the territories.

The $1 billion war chest for the next decade is aimed at getting one million signed-up participants, almost double the 526,000 currently registered.

the $1b will be spend on initiatives including:

● Constructing new ovals and facilities and increasing capacities.

● Rolling out modified versions of the game to attract new markets including diverse communities.

● Boosting women’s participation from 27 per cent to 50 per cent.

● Retaining juniors from the age of six to ten, to make up for impact of Covid from 2020 and 2021.

● Helping regional clubs with planning, funding, volunteering and grant applications.

● Assisting the expansion hub in Western Sydney to drive greater fan engagement for GWS, Sydney Swans, Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl-set-to-spend-1-billion-with-aim-of-having-one-million-participants/news-story/5b21bbe38522e9db9167418d2da66a70

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Given a few days ago the AFL released its 2023 results and in it they said

* $89.7million to Game Development (up from $60.8 million);

Then if you apply a 3% compound growth to 2024 thru to 2033 ie 10 seasons then the amount put into game day development will go from $92.39m in 2024 to $124.17m in 2033 and that totals $1,090.93m in those 10 seasons.

Great commitment by the AFL, given they cranked up game development $29m in 2023, and I hope they are transperent about what they have spent in each state and territory each year and how much they have committed to Auskick and how much to actual football competitions.

But this has shades of politicians just trying to make up the biggest number possible to get the biggest headline.

Politicians used to say they will spend $X or raise $Y next financial year, then they started marketing it to the public they would spend $XX or raise $YY over the 4 year forward estimates, to then saying they would spend $XXX or raise $YYY over the next 10 years.

Covid put and end to this bullshit, because no one can project 10 years forward as if no big changes will occur, and they have gone back to talking about the 4 year forward estimates spending or tax raising amounts. The exception has been the lifetime build/buy and operating costs of the nuclear subs over the next 30 years.

The left wing media and commentators couldn't help themselves over the stage 3 tax cuts and had to always quote the 10 year figure the "rich" would receive in tax cuts as they lobbied the Albanese government to scrap / change the coalition's 2019 Stage 3 tax cuts.

 

[weewilly]

Now we are talking, the AFL must look after grassroots much better than it was under Gill = a long overdue move by the new admin and the money spent will reap plenty of rewards for ALL aspects of OUR great home grown game and secure its future for many decades to come.

And now can we trim some of the AFL Executive's bloated pay packets?
No one apart from the CEO working for a local Australian sport is worth $1 million plus bonusses per year!

FFS the PM only gets $600,000 per year and he runs a country!

 

[Cunnington Cartel]

FFS the PM only gets $600,000 per year and he runs a country!

I dare say this a major reason why Australian politics is in disarray and community confidence in politicians is perhaps at an all-time low. The CEO’s of major Australian corporations wouldn’t get out of bed for $600k pa, let alone for a role as heavily scrutinised as the PM. This is precisely why we end up with incompetent/ineffectual PMs like ‘Scomo’ and ‘Albo’.

 

[Bjo187]

It's weird that they are announcing something that was already going to happen anyway as a new and big commitment. Not much innovation going on at AFL hq, despite a new CEO coming in.

Overall though it's a good thing. I wonder how it's divided up?

I'd probably go 50 percent to the northern states (QLD 30, NSW 20)

50 percent to the southern states (VIC 20 WA 10 SA 10 TAS 10)

Queensland is the place they are making inroads and I'd be spending a lot there whilst the nrl are spending lots in America. I think s.a and w.a fund themselves?

 

[Cmarsh]

The AFL will need to spend at least that much to keep any sort of loose foothold in NSW and QLD to combat V'Landys plans of, quite unashamedly, plowing revenue from overseas betting markets into the NRL and RL.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

It's weird that they are announcing something that was already going to happen anyway as a new and big commitment. Not much innovation going on at AFL hq, despite a new CEO coming in.

You obviously don't watch much news/politics.

Governments do this sort of crap all the time.

The Morrison government in particular on a few projects, had a big announcement 3 or 4 times for individual projects over a handful of different projects, as if every announcement was for new monies for a new idea, but it was just repeating what had already been committed, but actually hadn't been started yet. It was a way to get some good PR spin when the government had poor poll numbers.

 

[Bjo187]

You obviously don't watch much news/politics.

Governments do this sort of crap all the time.

The Morrison government in particular on a few projects, had a big announcement 3 or 4 times for individual projects over a handful of different projects, as if every announcement was for new monies for a new idea, but it was just repeating what had already been committed, but actually hadn't been started yet. It was a way to get some good PR spin when the government had poor poll numbers.

It just shows how incompetent the media are that they go along with it, like it's some big and innovative proposal.

Is it concerning that Dillon has come up with nothing since he became CEO? I mean I've never known a new CEO to not bring anything fresh to the table. He was a safe and boring choice. I said elsewhere, if you have a safe and boring ceo, then the chairman needs to be an ambitious, outspoken type. Or vice versa.

I remember when he was announced to the role, he was asked what he wants to change, the best he could come up with was investing in seeing where the game is going. I actually think he is switched on, but I do have concerns he didn't really want the job and isn't even cutting some fat from the bulging afl house.

 

[Cmarsh]

It just shows how incompetent the media are that they go along with it, like it's some big and innovative proposal.

Is it concerning that Dillon has come up with nothing since he became CEO? I mean I've never known a new CEO to not bring anything fresh to the table. He was a safe and boring choice. I said elsewhere, if you have a safe and boring ceo, then the chairman needs to be an ambitious, outspoken type. Or vice versa.

I remember when he was announced to the role, he was asked what he wants to change, the best he could come up with was investing in seeing where the game is going. I actually think he is switched on, but I do have concerns he didn't really want the job and isn't even cutting some fat from the bulging afl house.

He just got in the role didn't he? Lets not rush to judgement.

 

[Bjo187]

He just got in the role didn't he? Lets not rush to judgement.

5 months into the role and about 6 months before that where he was interim, where you'd think he'd have any ideas ready to roll out once gill handed over the reins.

So surely if he had something major he was going to do, he would have done it day 1. This is the problem with an internal candidate, they don't restructure coz they know everybody in the business and its too emotionally difficult to get rid of them.

Not that I particular like how new CEO's have to restructure to show they are doing something, but being internal there are always a couple of departments within a company that employees know need some changes or cost cutting.

 

[robbieando]

5 months into the role and about 6 months before that where he was interim, where you'd think he'd have any ideas ready to roll out once gill handed over the reins.

So surely if he had something major he was going to do, he would have done it day 1. This is the problem with an internal candidate, they don't restructure coz they know everybody in the business and its too emotionally difficult to get rid of them.

Not that I particular like how new CEO's have to restructure to show they are doing something, but being internal there are always a couple of departments within a company that employees know need some changes or cost cutting.

He put in place a restructure of the Football Operations Department in November. Its not as if he has been sitting on his hands for the last 5 months.

‘Footy front and centre’: Andrew Dillon makes his mark as CEO with new appointments

Gillon McLachlan was the dealmaker, but his successor is deliberately re-asserting the game as the league’s priority.

www.theage.com.au

The league waited for the new CEO to be announced to give them scope to have their choice of appointment and the chance to re-structure the executive team.

 

[Bjo187]

He put in place a restructure of the Football Operations Department in November. Its not as if he has been sitting on his hands for the last 5 months.

‘Footy front and centre’: Andrew Dillon makes his mark as CEO with new appointments

Gillon McLachlan was the dealmaker, but his successor is deliberately re-asserting the game as the league’s priority.

www.theage.com.au

It's not exactly ground breaking stuff. He replaced the people that left with people he knew previously at the afl or internal promotions. Stuff that had to be done regardless.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Starting the season early in the northern states is a pretty obvious sign of intent by the new CEO.

New AFL boss is kicking rugby league where it hurts

While the proverbial cat’s away in the US playing NRL, the AFL plans to make hay in rugby league’s heartland.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

How the NRL’s Vegas gamble has given a huge free kick to the AFL

In an early vindication of the AFL’s decision to launch 2024 in the northern states, some 115,000 fans are anticipated to pour through the turnstiles in NSW and Queensland for the start of the season.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Bjo187]

Starting the season early in the northern states is a pretty obvious sign of intent by the new CEO.

New AFL boss is kicking rugby league where it hurts

While the proverbial cat’s away in the US playing NRL, the AFL plans to make hay in rugby league’s heartland.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

How the NRL’s Vegas gamble has given a huge free kick to the AFL

In an early vindication of the AFL’s decision to launch 2024 in the northern states, some 115,000 fans are anticipated to pour through the turnstiles in NSW and Queensland for the start of the season.

www.smh.com.au

I think it would have happened anyway, because there was significant media criticism throughout the year about poor fixturing in the northern states and not taking advantage of weekends like magic round.

I know the Sydney clubs and gws in particular are happy gill is gone. Still though, dill hasn't really come up with anything on his own, it's kinda reflective of his ho hum attitude about wanting the job.

 

[weewilly]

I think it would have happened anyway, because there was significant media criticism throughout the year about poor fixturing in the northern states and not taking advantage of weekends like magic round.

I know the Sydney clubs and gws in particular are happy gill is gone. Still though, dill hasn't really come up with anything on his own, it's kinda reflective of his ho hum attitude about wanting the job.

I don't mind the new AFL CEO concentrating on the core business of the AFL all around the nation and that is keeping all of the Australian Football family happy and well resourced esp grassroots footy and let BS glad handers like the bogan snake oil salesman V'Landys take their eyes off the ball with pointless and costly overseas jaunts where they have to give away thousands of free tickets to make the crowd look half decent.

 

[Macca180]

The AFL is set to spend $1 billion across the next decade in an effort to fast-track more people signing up to play footy.

In a major push to double the number of registered participants by 2033, the AFL will increase funding into traditional NRL states New South Wales and Queensland, but remain fully committed to financially supporting the heartland football states of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australian and Western Australia as well as the territories.

The $1 billion war chest for the next decade is aimed at getting one million signed-up participants, almost double the 526,000 currently registered.

the $1b will be spend on initiatives including:

● Constructing new ovals and facilities and increasing capacities.

● Rolling out modified versions of the game to attract new markets including diverse communities.

● Boosting women’s participation from 27 per cent to 50 per cent.

● Retaining juniors from the age of six to ten, to make up for impact of Covid from 2020 and 2021.

● Helping regional clubs with planning, funding, volunteering and grant applications.

● Assisting the expansion hub in Western Sydney to drive greater fan engagement for GWS, Sydney Swans, Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl-set-to-spend-1-billion-with-aim-of-having-one-million-participants/news-story/5b21bbe38522e9db9167418d2da66a70

Let's hope it's taxpayers contributing.

Money well spent.