AFL in debt crisis

[ZANZIBAR]

EXCLUSIVE: AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has revealed the debt of the 18 clubs - understood to be more than $40 million - is the worst it has been in the competition's history.

Demetriou admitted the level of collective debt at club level had to be addressed as a matter of urgency, saying Port Adelaide was the club that worried him most.

"It is a real concern," he said this week in an exclusive interview with Sunday Herald Sun columnist Shane Crawford.

"The total debt of the clubs in the competition today is the highest it has ever been.

"We have flagged that this is a year of consolidation. We have brought in two new clubs, we have a CBA, we have done the broadcast deal, we have re-signed all our sponsors. We have done all our big deals.

"Now we have to look after the existing clubs and help them get some control over their debt."


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The AFL will relay the actual figure to its clubs within the next week, but it is understood to be between $40 million and $50 million.

Demetriou said the AFL had worked through each club's finances and had offered a range of assistance, so long as clubs committed to reducing liabilities. That will include extra policing to ensure prudence is exercised to make sure debts are tackled.

"Part of what we did last year with our five-year distribution plan is that every club that is getting additional funds has got a debt reduction plan," he said.

"The clubs have all bought into disequalised distribution. But they expect policing; they expect conditions and they expect a rigid adherence. We have given them an undertaking that is what we will do."

Demetriou said some clubs, such as Geelong with its new grandstand, could afford to carry some debt because they had the capability of paying it back.

But he said: "There are some clubs carrying debt that they are not making inroads into."

He said Melbourne had done "an incredible" job of erasing $5 million of debt under former president Jim Stynes, as Hawthorn had done much earlier.

"There are some clubs, including Richmond and North Melbourne, who are trying to make inroads now," he said. "They have debt demolitions, and I congratulate them for that.

"St Kilda has got some debt now. Our preference is to have less debt in the competition."

Demetriou said Port Adelaide had been a serious concern in recent years, and would face more challenges before heading to the Adelaide Oval in two years.

"They are making a real effort," he said. "I think the CEO, Keith Thomas, is very capable and they have added value to their board.

"But they have got two really difficult years ahead. Port Adelaide is the club that we have spent a lot of time trying to help out over the past couple of years, along with the SANFL."

[ZANZIBAR]

where are the articles from rebecca wilson, graham cornes and rucci and the million other nrl afl reporters? (i refuse to call them sports reporters because they only understand 1 or 2 sports at best)

so many claims and articles written about the a-league being in crisis and on life support and the afl and nrl are in the same boat.

[shinAUFC]

I really dont want to see the afl struggle or fail. Its a game i think we should all be proud of as very few nations have their own unique sport let alone one that is so professional.

Although i love the fact that it puts alot of journos back in their box!!!

[ZANZIBAR]

agreed, i don't mind watching afl, but it's just the fact they kick football down at every chance....glass houses

[Interloper]

where are the articles from rebecca wilson, graham cornes and rucci and the million other nrl afl reporters? (i refuse to call them sports reporters because they only understand 1 or 2 sports at best)

so many claims and articles written about the a-league being in crisis and on life support and the afl and nrl are in the same boat.

Port Adelaide is in deep financial shit and it has been a major news story for at least 2 years. The 2 SA clubs are outliers in their recent financial performance, born largely out of terrible boardroom management and contempt for fans (in Adelaide's case, it's literally a case of fans growing old and dying.) This makes the competition as a whole look much worse if you are viewing it from within Adelaide.

[shinAUFC]

where are the articles from rebecca wilson, graham cornes and rucci and the million other nrl afl reporters? (i refuse to call them sports reporters because they only understand 1 or 2 sports at best)

so many claims and articles written about the a-league being in crisis and on life support and the afl and nrl are in the same boat.

Port Adelaide is in deep financial shit and it has been a major news story for at least 2 years. The 2 SA clubs are outliers in their recent financial performance, born largely out of terrible boardroom management and contempt for fans (in Adelaide's case, it's literally a case of fans growing old and dying.) This makes the competition as a whole look much worse if you are viewing it from within Adelaide.

So true about the bulk of the crows crowd being old,

Compare that to au, its such a young crowd generally...very interesting

[Stuckey]

where are the articles from rebecca wilson, graham cornes and rucci and the million other nrl afl reporters? (i refuse to call them sports reporters because they only understand 1 or 2 sports at best)

so many claims and articles written about the a-league being in crisis and on life support and the afl and nrl are in the same boat.

Port Adelaide is in deep financial shit and it has been a major news story for at least 2 years. The 2 SA clubs are outliers in their recent financial performance, born largely out of terrible boardroom management and contempt for fans (in Adelaide's case, it's literally a case of fans growing old and dying.) This makes the competition as a whole look much worse if you are viewing it from within Adelaide.

So true about the bulk of the crows crowd being old,

Compare that to au, its such a young crowd generally...very interesting

This always reminds me of a chat I had at Adelaide Oval during a HAL match with one of the bar staff in the scoreboard.
She was saying how the crowds for Adelaide United games are so much quieter as far as crowd trouble goes then the cricket fans generally because so many of us are younger. Its so often the older late twenty year olds that get drunk and cause trouble. The AU crowds according to her experience are great!