AFL HANDOUTS by George on The Outer

September 19, 20169 yr

AFL HANDOUTS by George on The Outer

Are some more equal than others?

Between the clubs themselves and AFL House, it is difficult to get a true appreciation of the financial well-being of individual clubs. The annual reports take well into the New Year in some cases and the AFL doesn’t produce its own report until May the following year! Even then, it seems to be un-published for months afterward.

Perhaps it is planned that way, in the middle of the new football season, when no-one cares what happened last year.

Regardless, it is interesting to extract the information from all these data-bases and put them together.

It is worth noting the absolute financial support that the AFL is providing to the Northern state clubs, outside of draft picks, additional salary cap space and cost of living allowances.

Here are the results for the 2015 Year:

2015

Base

Bonus

Additional

Total

Profit/Loss

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS

7,890,840

1,200,000

11,490,642

20,581,482

-529,000

GOLD COAST

7,890,840

1,200,000

8,854,524

17,945,364

-300,000

ST KILDA

7,890,840

1,200,000

8,337,466

17,428,306

-848,000

BRISBANE LIONS

7,890,840

1,200,000

7,349,619

16,440,459

-681,000

WESTERN BULLDOGS

7,890,840

1,200,000

6,640,343

15,731,183

388,000

NORTH MELBOURNE

7,890,840

1,200,000

5,492,480

14,583,320

530,000

MELBOURNE

7,890,840

1,200,000

4,909,031

13,999,871

562,000

PORT ADELAIDE

7,890,840

1,200,000

3,795,418

12,886,258

211,000

RICHMOND

7,890,840

1,200,000

3,416,500

12,507,340

459,000

HAWTHORN

7,890,840

1,200,000

3,267,685

12,358,525

3,300,000

SYDNEY SWANS

7,890,840

1,200,000

3,144,805

12,235,645

300,000

ESSENDON

7,890,840

1,200,000

2,737,272

11,828,112

-1,300,000

FREMANTLE

7,890,840

1,200,000

2,570,346

11,661,186

763,000

CARLTON

7,890,840

1,200,000

2,495,684

11,586,524

-2,700,000

WEST COAST EAGLES

7,890,840

1,200,000

2,386,781

11,477,621

5,500,000

COLLINGWOOD

7,890,840

1,200,000

1,904,152

10,994,992

850,000

ADELAIDE CROWS

7,890,840

1,200,000

1,542,653

10,633,493

1,400,000

Some of the outcomes are explainable, such as Geelongs loss resulting from a building programme at Kardinia Park. Others such as Carlton seem to have arisen purely from spending more than they earn, particularly when the on-field results continue to be mediocre.

What is truly amazing is the extent of support provided to St.Kilda and the Western Bulldogs, when compared to clubs like our own. Similar membership bases, similar fixtures, similar ladder positions and yet St.Kilda were gifted an addition $3.5 million dollars more than Melbourne. The Bulldogs were given an extra $1.5M.

Worrying signs for the AFL is that despite all this additional money thrown their way, the Saints still lost nearly $850,000. Not all that can be as a result of a lousy fixture, Etihad stadium or a lowly finishing position.

The other point to note is despite these individual anomalies, the extent of support from the AFL is probably about right. Take away the outliers and 12 of the teams receive monies within a $4 million range.

What is galling for a many fans is that the likes of Richmond, Essendon, Carlton and Collingwood are receiving nearly as much support financially. Yet these same clubs demand priority in fixturing and TV slots. These are the clubs who claim others are held up by their largesse.

As Julius Sumner Miller used to say “Why is it so?”

Perhaps it’s because some clubs are more equal than others, in the socialist Animal Farm known as the AFL.