Hawks won't share revenue before AFL corrects 'anomalies'

[westdog54]

Hawks won't share revenue before AFL corrects 'anomalies'

HAWTHORN president Andrew Newbold says the AFL must correct some structural weaknesses that are working against an equal competition before expecting wealthy clubs like the Hawks to share revenue.

Newbold was one of several club officials on a recent equalisation fact-finding trip to the United States, along with AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and his deputy Gillon McLachlan.

It was driven by a desire to close the growing on-field divide between the AFL's richest and poorest clubs.

Upon return, McLachlan said revenue-sharing would be critical.

But Newbold said while powerhouse clubs such as his own and Collingwood wanted to help, they weren't ready to open their coffers before the AFL fixed what they regard as anomalies.

Newbold pointed to the cost-of-living salary cap allowance granted to the Sydney clubs, priority draft picks and poorer stadium deals for some clubs as obstacles that needed to be removed first.

"It's not an easy topic, equalisation," Newbold told a club function at the MCG on Friday night.

"I was just talking to (AFL chairman) Mike Fitzpatrick and I said that really before we get to the equalisation issue, there's a number of anomalies that we need to correct, including cost-of-living allowance, salary cap inequalities, draft priority picks, things like that.

"I think we need to get the baseline right.

"First cab off the rank needs to be the stadium deals that all the clubs have.

"I think once we can sort out those structural weaknesses, the bigger clubs like Hawthorn and Collingwood can very well look to contribute to a pot of money and to revenue-sharing."



----------------


I remain unconvinced by Neobold on this issue, but at least we have some common ground on the issue.

[boydogs]

HAWTHORN president Andrew Newbold says the AFL must correct some structural weaknesses that are working against an equal competition before expecting wealthy clubs like the Hawks to share revenue.

Fair enough IMO. Can't expect the clubs to pay a luxury tax to level things out when the AFL doesn't distribute what it has evenly itself.

One thing he didn't mention of course is the fixture.

[Twodogs]

Damning the idea with feint praise.

[azabob]

Fair enough IMO. Can't expect the clubs to pay a luxury tax to level things out when the AFL doesn't distribute what it has evenly itself.

One thing he didn't mention of course is the fixture.

I can't think of any regular block busters Hawthorn get except V Geelong, but Im don't count that as same as an Anzac day clash etc.

[Twodogs]

I can't think of any regular block busters Hawthorn get except V Geelong, but Im don't count that as same as an Anzac day clash etc.

That's exactly why they wheeled Newbould out I reckon.

[azabob]

That's exactly why they wheeled Newbould out I reckon.

Yeah, good point

[Eastdog]

Fair enough IMO. Can't expect the clubs to pay a luxury tax to level things out when the AFL doesn't distribute what it has evenly itself.

One thing he didn't mention of course is the fixture.

The concern I have with equalisation is we do not want to become too dependant on the AFL. I think any club including ours can become financially viable but you need the right people in there. The salary cap and fixturing needs to be addressed.

[boydogs]

The concern I have with equalisation is we do not want to become too dependant on the AFL. I think any club including ours can become financially viable but you need the right people in there. The salary cap and fixturing needs to be addressed.

We are dependant on the AFL for the salary cap and fixturing. I'm not talking about handouts.

[Eastdog]

We are dependant on the AFL for the salary cap and fixturing. I'm not talking about handouts.

Of course for those things we are. David Smorgon did an excellent job to get us into a better position than we were when he first came in. Where did the big debt come from and do you think we will one day become debt free.

[Remi Moses]

Newbold's telling us what we already know.
Was the trip to the states just tokenism?
Or are we serious about having an even playing field?
Fix the draw!fix the gate revenues!
You can't have one club getting 700 large for drawing 20,000
and another making a loss with the same crowd

[bornadog]

Newbold was a guest speaker at the recent Bulldogs CBD luncheon (along with Vlad) and pretty much said the same things.

[Eastdog]

Newbold was a guest speaker at the recent Bulldogs CBD luncheon (along with Vlad) and pretty much said the same things.

What else was brought up at that event.

[bornadog]

The concern I have with equalisation is we do not want to become too dependant on the AFL. I think any club including ours can become financially viable but you need the right people in there. The salary cap and fixturing needs to be addressed.

I don't think you are on the right track here? The reason we need equalisation is because the AFL has created a monster by favouring big clubs and the result is those big clubs are now even bigger. By giving them blockbusters, Friday nights, free to air, better stadium deals better draws etc they have now become so big that the poorer clubs can't get a foot in the door.

eg: Collingwood have doubled their membership in 6 years? Why because kids sit there in front of the telly and all they see is Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton every bloody week on Friday, Anzac day etc. How many times have Collingwood played Launceston, Darwin, Cairns, Canberra, Kardinia Park in the past 5 to 10 years - ZERO.

The more exposure, the more the popularity with kids and they grow up and buy memberships.

The AFL got greedy and have pandered to the TV executives and we are left behind and its either change the fixture, blockbusters and Stadium deals, or compensate us heavily.

[bulldogtragic]

The AFL got greedy and have pandered to the TV executives and we are left behind and its either change the fixture, blockbusters and Stadium deals, or compensate us heavily.

Yeah, TV executives who happen to be president on the biggest club and beneficiary...

What ever happened to 'king kong' gate??

[azabob]

Yeah, TV executives who happen to be president on the biggest club and beneficiary...

What ever happened to 'king kong' gate??

Swept under the carpet, much like this comment below.


Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has compared the "absolute injustice" he felt in the wash-up of his racial vilification of Adam Goodes to the plight of indigenous Australians.
McGuire, invited to a pre-match function at Saturday's AFL clash between Sydney and the Magpies at ANZ Stadium by counterpart Richard Colless, was quizzed about the on-air gaffe in May that hurt Goodes so much.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-new...811-2rppn.html