How the small Melbourne clubs saved footy

[Del191229]

Week after week St Kilda, the Dogs and North have occupied the crappy slots in the fixture.

4.40PM Sunday at Docklands. 1.10PM Sunday at Docklands. Usually against an interstate team. The graveyard slot.

For many years we even paid for the privilege, such was the shocking nature of the stadium deals we got.

But every game we played there chipped away at the future where the AFL would own the stadium.

Finally the AFL was in a position to buy the stadium early.

And now COVID-19 has thrown the competition off track, the AFL has been forced to seek a line of credit of hundreds of millions.

Using the stadium as security, the loan was secured. And yes, a few clubs are individually wealthy enough to have seen out the shutdown, but they would have no league to play in. Collingwood and Richmond and Hawthorn and West Coast isn't a league.

So, remember what saved footy - the poor little Melbourne clubs paying off Docklands Stadium provided the league with the security it needed to get through this.

ANZAC Day "blockbusters" didn't save footy, North v Freo at 4.40PM on a Sunday did.

Richmond's endless MCG primetime runs didn't save footy, St Kilda vs Port at 1.10PM on a Sunday did.

No Showdown or Derby or Q Clash or Battle of the Bridge put a single cent toward saving footy, but the Dogs playing Gold Coast on a shitful Sunday arvo did.

Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon was thrilled at the announcement capping a big and successful month for the club.

He said the tenant clubs had largely paid off the venue for the AFL over the past 15 years due to their stadium arrangements.

"Both the affected clubs and all clubs as a whole have a joint interest in making sure that the stadium tenancy agreements do not create unfairness," Gordon said.

AFL agrees to purchase Etihad Stadium

The AFL has agreed to purchase Etihad Stadium in a deal reported to be worth about $200 million.

www.theage.com.au

 

[BF Tiger]

Cool story bro.

 

[00Stinger]

lol

That is like saying a dole bludger helped stimulate the economy by spending their government cheque on piss

North basically paid with a cheque signed by the AFL for each game they played in front of 11,000 fans at Marvel. Not sure how they deserve credit for the stadium being bought early

 

[Del191229]

lol

That is like saying a dole bludger helped stimulate the economy by spending their government cheque on piss

North basically paid with a cheque signed by the AFL for each game they played in front of 11,000 fans at Marvel. Not sure how they deserve credit for the stadium being bought early

No, that's not what happened at all.

We paid it off.

Also, you barrack for Melbourne, bailed out by the AFL, coaches paid for by the AFL.

And haven't put anything back into the mix like North, the Dogs or Saints.

 

[Del191229]

Cool story bro.

Shame you don't understand how the competition actually works.

 

[BF Tiger]

For your next thread..

How North developed a vaccine for CV-19 and saved the world.

 

[Del191229]

For your next thread..

How North developed a vaccine for CV-19 and saved the world.

No, we haven't done that.

But we, along with the Dogs and Saints, paid off the asset that is now saving the entire competition.

It is fact, you may not like it, you may wish otherwise, but that's how it is.

 

[Kwality]

Often claimed, got anything factual to support your claim. How much did your club pay or is it an ambit claim?

I have no doubt the stadiums in Melbourne cherry picked the Melbourne clubs with the clubs taking an 'every club for itself' approach and there was doubt who was running footy in Victoria. Clubs acting alone or the AFL?
When was the deal on Docklands signed by the AFL? Were the AFL picking up the pieces, i.e the clubs with no stadiums deals.

Just another example of too many teams in Melbourne?

 

[BF Tiger]

No, we haven't done that.

But we, along with the Dogs and Saints, paid off the asset that is now saving the entire competition.

It is fact, you may not like it, you may wish otherwise, but that's how it is.

A link to the financials backing this up would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[Del191229]

Often claimed, got anything factual to support your claim. How much did your club pay or is it an ambit claim?

I have no doubt the stadiums in Melbourne cherry picked the Melbourne clubs with the clubs taking an 'every club for itself' approach and there was doubt who was running footy in Victoria. Clubs acting alone or the AFL?
When was the deal on Docklands signed by the AFL? Were the AFL picking up the pieces, i.e the clubs with no stadiums deals.

Just another example of too many teams in Melbourne?

Refer to Peter Gordon above.

Or maybe the AFL itself:

THE AFL has bought Etihad Stadium.

The deal is a major breakthrough for tenant clubs North Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda, who will be freed from the restraints of cash-draining contracts with the outgoing owners.

Done deal: AFL signs off on Etihad Stadium purchase

Clubs set to benefit as League takes control of Docklands venue

www.afl.com.au

Look, it is cool, I know this goes against the prevailing narrative in footyland, and especially on here.

It is fine.

The reality is the Dogs, Saints and North did the lions share of the work to pay off the stadium.

The stadium is now being used as security for the $600 million line of credit keeping the league afloat.

You don't have to like it or even accept it, but it is the reality.

 

[Del191229]

A link to the financials backing this up would be great. Thanks in advance.

Ahhhhh, the tenant clubs played the games there, that we all got shitty stadium deals is matter of public record.

Although the fans will benefit, the biggest winners will be tenant clubs St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Carlton, Essendon and North Melbourne.

The Saints, Dogs and Blues in particular have long complained of the poor deals they claim to have.

Clubs have to hit an attendance figure of between 25,000 and 26,000 to break even which is far less favourable than grounds such as the MCG and interstate venues.

In 2013 the Saints were handed a bill of almost $100,000 for a home and away game at Etihad Stadium.

In 2014, St Kilda made as much revenue playing one game in New Zealand or two games at the MCG as it did playing eight games at Etihad Stadium.

And last year North Melbourne Chairman James Brayshaw labelled the arrangement the “worst stadium deal in the history of world sport”.

AFL Purchases Etihad, what now? - Turfmate

AFL purchases Etihad Stadium from Docklands, helping several tenant clubs financially.

turfmate.com.au

I don't get why you are so het up about this.

The reality is some clubs did the lions share to get that asset in AFL hands, and that asset is now the competition's lifeline.

 

[BF Tiger]

Geez, instead of #LOL*insert club namf* signatures and comments maybe we all should have had #SOS*insert club namf* signatures and comments.

 

[HTT]

The big clubs did the bulk of the work to secure the massive TV and sponsorship deals that put the league in a position where the small clubs could help pay for a stadium. Well done.

 

[Del191229]

Geez, instead of #LOL*insert club namf* signatures and comments maybe we all should have had #SOS*insert club namf* signatures and comments.

This is poor posting, but I won't report it as a troll, even though it clearly is.

Why can't you just discuss the matter at hand - the tenant clubs at Docklands disproportionately paid to get an asset in AFL hands that's now saved the comp?

 

[Del191229]

The big clubs did the bulk of the work to secure the massive TV and sponsorship deals that put the league in a position where the small clubs could help pay for a stadium. Well done.

Is the league borrowing $600 million against the TV rights? Or sponsorship deals?

No.

There's a strong argument that the interstate clubs have helped create the TV rights environment you discuss sure, I'll accept that.

Big the big MCG tenant Victorian clubs, no.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

Cool story bro.

Richmond were regarded as a small Vic Club before 2017, remember that.

 

[HTT]

Is the league borrowing $600 million against the TV rights? Or sponsorship deals?

No.

Would the league have been anywhere near buying a stadium without those though?

No ****ing way.

 

[Del191229]

Richmond were regarded as a small Vic Club before 2017, remember that.

Exactly, and the Blues have also had their fair share of crappy Docklands games.

 

[Kwality]

Refer to Peter Gordon above.

Or maybe the AFL itself:

Done deal: AFL signs off on Etihad Stadium purchase

Clubs set to benefit as League takes control of Docklands venue

www.afl.com.au

Look, it is cool, I know this goes against the prevailing narrative in footyland, and especially on here.

It is fine.

The reality is the Dogs, Saints and North did the lions share of the work to pay off the stadium.

The stadium is now being used as security for the $600 million line of credit keeping the league afloat.

You don't have to like it or even accept it, but it is the reality.

The lions share, what %, why only motherhood statements, you've been conned by the belief that the AFL was going to run Docklands at a loss: didnt happen.

Its no different to what is coming out of the AFL now over clubs surviving?

Yes the stadium is collateral for the loan to be repaid with interest, & the AFL borrowed $180 mil on settlement.

 

[Del191229]

Would the league have been anywhere near buying a stadium without those though?

No ******* way.

Well, the league started the process of buying the stadium in 2000, before the TV rights bonanza came along.

The Dogs, Saints and North were pliughing away, FORCED to play games there, for many years, before the TV righst goldmine hit.

So actually, yes ****ing way.

I don't know why Richmond supporters are so aggressively angry on this thread.

It is quite strange.

 

[Del191229]

The lions share, what %, why only motherhood statements, you've been conned by the belief that the AFL was going to run Docklands at a loss: didnt happen.

Its no different to what is coming out of the AFL now over clubs surviving?

Yes the stadium is collateral for the loan to be repaid with interest & the AFL borrowed $180 mil on settlement.

Sorry, I can't understand this post.

Are you suggesting that the Saints, North and the Dogs have NOT been tenant clubs at Docklands since 2000?

 

[HTT]

Well, the league started the process of buying the stadium in 2000, before the TV rights bonanza came along.

The Dogs, Saints and North were pliughing away, FORCED to play games there, for many years, before the TV righst goldmine hit.

So actually, yes ******* way.

I don't know why Richmond supporters are so aggressively angry on this thread.

It is quite strange.

It's kind of like the guy painting the lines on the ground saying 'without me you couldn't have played today'

You're not wrong

But it devalues the guy that built the ground in the first place.

 

[ShriekingShack]

How North Saved the League

 

[Del191229]

It's kind of like the guy painting the lines on the ground saying 'without me you couldn't have played today'

You're not wrong

But it devalues the guy that built the ground in the first place.

No, the reality is that the Dogs, Saints and North made a far greater financial contribution to paying off the stadium - that's now an AFL owned asset - than any others clubs.

Carlton paod a lot off, Essendon too although they had the best deal.

Richmond, Geelong and Collingwood all have played home games there.

The reality is - and it is a FACT - that the three small Melbourne clubs did more than any other to pay off the asset that now saves the entire competition.

I get you're struggling to accept this because you have a "Big Club" mentality.

But the reality is the AFL couldn't borrow $600 million against 7 Richmond home games in a row at the MCG.

That's just a fact.

 

[Del191229]

How North Saved the League


View attachment 854936

No, that's not what happened.

And I haven't said North saved the AFL (I mean, we did do more create the modern AFL than any club, but that's another story)

I believe the Saints have actually paid the most towards Docklands of any club.