Canberra oh Canberra: AFL smashes football
Canberra Government has poured $23 million dollars into the Greater Western Sydney AFL team over the next four years.
Don't the AFL need $23million dollars - think one billion TV deal and all those huge crowds and just 16 or 18 clubs. Wealth!
This wonderful gift to the AFL from Canberra taxpayers will provide just four home games each year in Canberra for the new franchise and some shirt sponsorship.
While the Raiders and Brumbies will be spewing, not to mention many members of non-sporting groups, it also shows the absolute pathetic lobbying and business skills of the Canberra football community, not just Capital Football, but our whole community.
Having been heavily involved in the A-League4Canberra bid we were able to "get", like the Raiders and Brumbies we were told just $800,000 per year absolute maximum, no if's no buts. And not a dollar before the team entered the league.
and not a dollar of start-up fees to assist with plans.
Makes you wonder long-term how Canberra can't support an A-League team. Just $6 million over three years from the ACT Government would probably have secured our place, financially, last time we put in oour bid.
Oh to be an AFL fan in Canberra.
Canberra Football needs a injection of ideas, leadership and vigour, or else we'll remain where we are.
The positive?
AFL, Union and League in Canberra will compete with each other.
Football can STILL fill the male sporting void in Summer. So nothing changes.
Time to get by Canberra AFL, Brumbies and Raiders winter season tickets!
4 comments:
Pathetic isn't it Eamonn! We've got the same thing in Tas - today the AFL announced an offer of 8 matches a year (up from 4). Front page of our newspaper of course.
Looking forward to Canberra and Tasmania joining the A-League in the near future!
Why not?
Canberra, Tassie even Wollongong in a 3 way split. Sure it would take some marketing nous to pull the thing together at a community level but...
With each Government putting in $1 million and the rest from TV, Sponsors, Community and Investors.
How hard would it be to get teh dollars, sell the thing to the FFA, get a professional team for each region in a growing league at least 5 home games each, plus FFA Cup plus Pre-season and three Youth teams!
the Eastern Rovers - you guys are dreaming ...
nice to dream though sometimes ...
Have a look at how much the Qld state have put to the new Gold Coast AFL stadium.
Of course the AFL have then manipulated player contracts to ensure that the Suns will have plenty of early flags to build a fan base.
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