What they said ... `I think there's been some signs that [the AFL] are starting to lose sight of what it is that gives this game strength: its history, its tradition and its supporters' Victorian premier, Jeff Kennett
`The Australian Football League feels strongly that supporters of the game all around our country are equal and ... it is time to reward people in NSW' AFL's chief executive officer, Mr Wayne Jackson
On February 16, 1998, it was announced that the AFL chief executive, Mr Wayne Jackson, and the New South Wales premier , Mr Bob Carr, had discussed the AFL Grand Final possibly being held in Sydney in 2001. Such a relocation of the Grand Final, for at least one year, is still being considered.
A week later on February 25, Premier Carr announced that the Brownlow Medal count for 1999 would be held in Sydney. New South Wales was reported to have paid the AFL an undisclosed sum to stage the count.
Both these developments have met with an extremely mixed response. The New South Wales premier and the AFL appear eager to have major events held in states other than Victoria, while most Victorian clubs, supporters and some business representatives are strongly opposed to such moves.
Background
Australian Rules football was initially almost entirely a Victorian competition. The league was known as the VFL (Victorian Football League). The VFL dates from 1897. It was not until 1982 that the first VFL club was established interstate when South Melbourne moved to Sydney to become the Sydney Swans. Sydney has been joined in the competition by West Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide and, most recently, Fremantle. With these developments the League took the title Australian Football League or AFL.
As the game became established in other states and the number of clubs grew there has been pressure on Victorian clubs to merge.
Fitzroy merged with Brisbane at the end of the 1996 season to become the Brisbane Lions. In the same year there was considerable pressure on Melbourne and Hawthorn to merge. Both clubs have, to date, withstood the financial pressure to amalgamate and are actively seeking to increase their membership and sponsorship support.
1996 also saw only one qualifying finals played in Melbourne, with the other qualifying finals being played in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. This trend continued in 1997.
The AFL has also committed itself to playing home and away games at the Sydney Olympic Stadium at Homebush after 2000.
There are many Internet sites related to the AFL. Most of the AFL clubs have both official and unofficial home pages. Few of these have any obvious bearing on the question of whether major events in the AFL calendar should be staged in NSW.
The Sydney Swans official home page is, however, of interest on this score.
The site has a news section. On 20/3/98 the fourth item in this news update section dealt with Swans' profit for the 1997 season. It also detailed the club's membership figures by the end of the 1997 season. Total membership was reported as having increased by 111%, rising from 10,600 in 1996 to 22,400 in 1997. In addition it stated that sponsorship revenue increased by 75% in 1997 and that McDonalds, Coca Cola, Channel 7 and CUB had been signed as major sponsors.
Though this report makes no reference to the possible staging of major AFL events in Sydney, it does suggest that interest in and support for the AFL is growing in NSW. The report claims that average attendance for Swan's games at the SCG in 1997 increased by 43%, going from 24,987 to 35,818.
The Melbourne Football Club home page is also of interest. It has a yearbook section which contains reports from both the President, Joseph Gutnick, and the Chief Executive, Cameron Schwab.
Again neither refers to the possibility of major AFL events being staged in Sydney, however, each stresses the importance of necessary changes within the club not being at the expense of long-valued traditions.
Melbourne is the oldest club in the AFL and ended 1997 on the bottom of the league ladder. In recent years, as already noted, it has been staving off pressure from the AFL to amalgamate. Cameron Schwab's report is particularly interesting as a plea to respect club culture and tradition. It is not surprising that Melbourne Football Club has been particularly critical of the possibility that a grand final might be held at in Sydney.
Finally Magna Data Australia has a series of Internet news reports on Sydney's preparations for the 2000 Olympics. Most of these reports tend to focus on the impact these preparations are likely to have on the business community.
One report of particular interest is dated 22/5/97 and titled, `Sydney's Olympic Stadium and Australian Rules'.
The report announces that the AFL and the NSW Government will jointly fund design changes at Sydney's Olympic Stadium (Homebush) which will allow Australian Rules Football to be played there after the Olympic Games are over.
The AFL's Chief Executive, Mr Wayne Jackson, was reported as saying, `It is vital that AFL cement its place in NSW's sporting future ...' Mr Jackson also noted the success of the Sydney Swans and raised the possibility that a second AFL club might be established in Sydney by 2001.
Arguments in favour of the Grand Final and the Brownlow Medal count being held in Sydney
One of the main arguments in favour of the Grand Final and the Brownlow Medal count being held outside Victoria is that this would reflect the now national character of the AFL competition.
According to this line of argument, now that there are a number of clubs from other states in the competition it is inappropriate to have the major events of the AFL sporting calendar conducted exclusively in Melbourne.
This position has been put by the AFL's chief executive officer, Mr Wayne Jackson, who has stated, `The Australian Football League feels strongly that supporters of the game all around our country are equal and ... it is time to reward people in NSW.'
Herald Sun commentator, Geoff Poulter has expressed a similar view. Mr Poulter has stated, `Once other states joined the expanded national competition, then Victoria ... signed away all exclusive rights to special events and functions. You simply have to wear it - and share it! It is a national game.'
Further, it has been claimed that opposition to the Grand Final being played in Sydney is both impractical and an overreaction.
It has been claimed that opposition is impractical because one of the reasons the proposal has been considered is that it is anticipated that the MCG will be partially out of commission while the Olympic stand is demolished and then replaced with an expanded facility. (Melbourne is hopeful of staging the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and increasing the seating capacity of the MCG is part of its plan to secure this event.)
According to some estimates, seating at the MCG could be reduced to a mere 70,000 or 80,000. Some claims put the seating capacity of the Sydney Olympic Stadium at 120,000. It has been suggested that this apparent difference of 40,000 to 50,000 in seating capacity makes Sydney Stadium a more suitable venue.
It has also been claimed that Docklands Stadium would not be a suitable Melbourne-based alternative to the MCG as its seating capacity is only said to be some 52,000.
In terms of Victorian criticisms being an overreaction, it has been claimed that the Grand Final would not be permanently removed from the MCG.
Some advocates of the shift have claimed it would only be for one year, while others have suggested that even if the Grand Final were occasionally held in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth or Brisbane, it would most commonly still take place in Melbourne.
It has also been claimed that it is inconsistent and perhaps hypocritical for Victorians to complain about the Grand Final being played outside Melbourne.
According to this line of argument, Victoria has been quite successful in attracting major sporting events from other states. Included in these have been the Motorcycle Grand Prix, the Formula One Grand Prix and the Bledisloe Cup (rugby).
According to this line of argument, if it is appropriate to lure sporting events traditionally held elsewhere to Victoria, then it is also appropriate for sporting events traditionally staged in Victoria, to take place in another state.
This point has been made by Age journalist Murray Mottram, who has claimed, `Every time Victoria poaches an event from them [other states] ... there is an outbreak of self-satisfied chest-beating in Melbourne. When Sydney makes an approach to showcase the AFL in a freshly built, world-class stadium there is hysteria at the very thought of it.'
With regard to the Brownlow Medal count it has also been claimed that the venue is almost irrelevant as it is a by-invitation-only event and the vast majority of those who view it do so on television.
According to this line of argument, the vast majority of Victorians who share in the Brownlow Medal count do so from their lounge rooms, watching it on TV. For these people, it has been claimed, it is a matter of indifference where the event is staged. It is claimed that all that is significant for the majority of Victorians is that television cameras have adequate access.
A similar claim has been made in relation to the Grand Final. According to this line of argument, again most of those who watch the Grand Final do so on television from their own homes. It has been suggested that for these people, too, the actual venue is unimportant as they will not be travelling there to see the game.
Murray Mottram has argued, ``... grand final day is no longer much of a "people's day". The vast majority of grand final tickets are now sewn up by sponsors, corporate entertainment, club coteries and others in the know ... For most of the Victorian population it has become a TV event. In that case you might as well have it in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, or Toronto for that matter.'
Finally it has been argued, it is necessary that the AFL become a truly national competition if it is going to survive. Murray Mottram has written, `... followers of Victorian clubs ... want the licence fees the new interstate teams pay and the big increases in television revenue the national competition delivers. In fact, if it weren't for these two sources of money, some of the weaker Victorian clubs would have gone the way Fitzroy did - into its own navel.'
Arguments against the Grand Final and the Brownlow Medal count being held in Sydney
One of the main arguments offered against either the Brownlow Medal count or the Grand Final being held in NSW is that this would disregard the tradition of Australian Rules. This point has been put by Herald Sun commentator Daryl Timms, who has written, `Football is about more than being a national game, it's also about tradition.'
It has further been claimed that moving either the Brownlow Medal count or the Grand Final to NSW would show a disregard for Victorian supporters who are still the mainstay of the game.
This position was the one initially put by the Victorian premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, who argued, `I think there's been some signs that they [the AFL] are starting to lose sight of what it is that gives this game strength: its history, its tradition and its supporters.'
It has further been argued that such moves may ultimately damage the game as they may alienate Victorian supporters upon whom most AFL clubs depend for their survival.
Former VFL player, Gary Dempsey, warned that the harm caused the rugby league last year should act as a warning to the AFL of the damage that could be done when grassroots supporters of any sporting code became disillusioned.
Historian, Professor Geoffrey Blainey has put a similar argument, `Mr Jackson ... sometimes gives the impression that he is running a supermarket and that the football followers, especially in Victoria, are dutiful customers whose task is to subsidise new customers elsewhere.'
Professor Blainey has further suggested that the AFL may be `in danger of forgetting the popular enthusiasm, the loyalty, the pride and the sense of ownership that created and nurtured this wonderful game ...'
The Age in its editorial of February 27, 1998, also noted, `The AFL is playing a dangerous game with the loyalty and the passion of Victoria's football tribes. The grand final is an annual public event in this city, where 100,000 people, mostly Victorians, gather in the greatest sporting stadium in the land not just to cheer on their heroes but to celebrate the game invented in Victoria.'
This point was summed up by Jeff Kennett when he declared, `The seeds of discontent can flourish and ultimately destroy.'
It has also been claimed that from a more purely practical point of view it is not reasonable to hold the Brownlow Medal count outside Victoria. All clubs send their teams along for the count. It has been noted that given that ten of the league's 16 clubs are based in Victoria, this means when the count is held in Melbourne, six clubs have to travel significant distances.
Critics claim that holding the count in Sydney will mean that only Sydney swans will not have to travel.
It has also been claimed that it is inappropriate to move either event to Sydney as there is comparatively far less interest in the AFL in NSW than in Victoria.
Those who hold this view note for instance that NSW did not show the Brownlow count live last year and that when it did telecast it, it telecast an edited version. They also note that the televised Grand Final ranked 30th in NSW last year among most watched programs in the week in which it occurred.
It has been claimed that these facts indicate that there is still a lack of significant support for the AFL in NSW.
With regard to the proposal that the Grand Final might be moved to Sydney's Olympic Stadium in 2001 it has been argued that there is likely to be no practical necessity for this.
Managers of the MCG have noted that no time frame has yet been established for work on replacing the current Olympic Stand. It has also been noted that when such work does begin it can be done in stages so that a significant number of seats are not removed at any given time.
It has further been argued that claims that the Sydney Olympic Stadium will be able to accommodate between 110,000 and 120,000 people are exaggerated. It has been suggested that these figures indicate seating capacity including special seating that was to be removed after the Olympic Games. Critics further maintain that permanent seating at the stadium will only be for some 75,000 to 80,000 people and that this figure is not significantly different from what a temporarily reduced MCG would be able to offer.
Finally, the Melbourne cricket Club has maintained that the AFL has a contract which requires that all grand finals be held at the MCG through to 2032.
Further implications
It is all but certain that the AFL will go ahead and stage the Brownlow Medal count in Sydney in 1999. After that it is highly likely that the count will be taken to Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. What impact this will have either in any of the host cities or in Victoria it is difficult to say.
It may be, as many commentators have suggested, that the count is a television event and that viewers will not care where it is staged. It may also be that it will attract relatively little attention among viewers in any state, other than Victoria, no matter where it is staged.
It seems probable that the significance of moving the Brownlow count to Sydney and any other state capital where it is subsequently held is symbolic. That is, the moving of the medal count is merely a gesture of inclusion made by the AFL toward the other states fielding teams in the AFL.
Where the Grand Final is held is a far more significant issue. The AFL is maintaining that it would only be staged in Sydney in exceptional circumstances, such as were the MCG to have reduced seating capacity because of reconstruction.
This seems an understatement of the AFL's probable intentions. It is obvious that the AFL is extremely keen to establish Australian Rules more securely in New South Wales. Sydney is Australia's largest city. Projections suggest that by the turn of the century the Sydney Stadium will have a hinterland of 6 million potential supporters. This would seem to be far too big a prize to ignore.
The AFL is already talking about the desirability of having at least another Sydney club. Staging at least one, and probably more, grand finals in NSW seems a logical step toward developing a stronger supporter base in NSW.
The AFL's primary difficulty will be in not alienating Victorian supporters in the process. The more the game moves interstate the less the sense of ownership Victorian supporters are likely to have. This may not matter and a spirit of interstate competition may replace previous club loyalties. Something will need to, because if Australian Rules does ultimately succeed on a significant scale in NSW this will have an enormous impact on Victorian clubs. Amalgamations and the formation of new `super clubs' would seem inevitable. How those Victorian supporters with loyalties to clubs either transformed or made redundant will cope remains to be seen.
The AFL will also encounter difficulties with the Melbourne Cricket Club. The Club shows no sign of relaxing its contractual hold on the AFL to stage all grand finals at the MCG through to 2032. It is also putting pressure on the AFL for a share of the television rights.
Sources The Age
17/2/98 page 3 news item by Sushila Das, `Kennett's views on a premier footy event'
17/2/98 page 12 editorial, `It's ours, and that's final'
19/2/98 page 1 analysis by Patrick Smith, `AFL is seeking a final solution'
22/2/98 page 22 (Inside Story section) comment by Murray Mottram, `Moving the goals'
27/2/98 page 18 editorial, `AFL meddle'
1/3/98 page 4 comment by Caroline Overington, `It's travelling north but barely a soul will greet it'
1/3/98 page 4 comment by Simon Hughes, `Footy's big night's just a big yawn'
The Australian
17/2/98 page 5 news item by Tim Pegler and Rachel Hawes, `Kennett defends his grand final turf'
26/2/98 page 3 news item by Sid Marris and Tracy Sutherland, `Carr takes Brownlow mark"
26/2/98 page 16 letter by Kevin Rugg, `Think about it'
The Herald Sun
16/2/98 page 1 news item by Daryl Timms and Gerard Healy, `Bid to poach Grand Final'
17/2/98 page 1 news item by John Ferguson and Tom Salom, `Footy split'
17/2/98 page 6 comment by Terry Brown, `No contest if loyalty counts at all'
17/2/98 page 7 news item by Tom Salom and John Ferguson, `Sydney grand on glitz and hype'
17/2/98 page 18 editorial, `The great game robber'
17/2/98 page 19 comment by NSW premier, Mr Bob Carr, `Sydney Grand Final would be truly national'
17/2/98 page 78 news item by Daryl Timms, `Keep away, that's final'
20/2/98 page 20 letter, `AFL contempt for fans'
26/2/98 page 1 news item, `Hijacked - Sydney buys the Brownlow'
26/2/98 page 4 news item by John Ferguson, `Olympic venue for big night'
26/2/98 page 5 news item by Michelle Coffey, John Ferguson and Damon Johnston, `Shock move out of bounds'
26/2/98 page 7 news item by Michelle Coffey, John Ferguson and Ben Hart, `Footy greats spilt'
26/2/98 page 18 editorial, `Worst and unfairest'
26/2/98 page 18 cartoon by Knight
26/2/98 page 19 comment by Professor Geoffrey Blainey, `An insult from the AFL'
26/2/98 page 94 comment by Geoff Poulter and Daryl Timms, `Should Brownlow night stay in Melbourne?'
27/2/98 page 3 news item by Ross Brundrett, `AFL takes firm stand on moving Brownlow'
27/2/98 page 19 comment by Ron Evans, `We must keep spreading'
4/3/98 page 20 letter from Mary, Watsonia North, `Out of bounds on Brownlow'
Internet
* It appears that the English Board of Studies may be refining its guidelines on the use of Internet sources for CAT I.
* Currently it is probably preferable for students to restrict their use of Internet sources to Part 2 of CAT I.
* Please consult your teacher for direction on this matter.
There are many Internet sites related to the AFL. Most of the AFL clubs have both official and unofficial home pages. Few of these have any obvious bearing on the question of whether major events in the AFL calendar should be staged in NSW.
The Sydney Swans official home page is, however, of interest on this score.
The site has a news section which can be found at http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/html/news.html On 20/3/98 the fourth item in this news update section dealt with Swans' profit for the 1997 season. It also detailed the club's membership figures by the end of the 1997 season and the average attendance at games played at the SCG.
The Melbourne Football Club home page is also of interest. It has a yearbook section which contains reports from both the President, Joseph Gutnick, and the Chief Executive, Cameron Schwab.
Again neither refers to the possibility of major AFL events being staged in Sydney, however, each stresses the importance of necessary changes within the club not being at the expense of long-valued traditions.
Cameron Schwab's report is particularly interesting and can be found at http://www.demons.com.au/news/yearbook3.htm
Finally Magna Data Australia has a series of Internet news reports on Sydney's preparations for the 2000 Olympics. Most of these reports tend to focus on the impact these preparations are likely to have on the business community.
One report of particular interest is dated 22/5/97 and titled, `Sydney's Olympic Stadium and Australian Rules'. This report can be found at http://www.magna.com.au/~knight/970522.html
The report announces that the AFL and the NSW Government will jointly fund design changes at Sydney's Olympic Stadium (Homebush) which will allow Australian Rules Football to be played there after the Olympic Games are over.
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