Why? In places like Italy where it is out of control and the whole of society is locked down, fine. But places like Aus where you are still able to go out, schools are operating, workplaces are still functioning and Crown Casino is operating as an essential service, why shouldnt sport (like other businesses) continue to operate if they comply with health dept guidelines?

but "we unique"...
 - novel ffa 2020

No sport should be played at all, almost every continent they have their sporting events suspended.

But why loan?

couldnt the gov buy the stadium from them instead? And give concessions on match day fees 

If they get a loan like it’s said, fine but free cash is messed up.

Jesus Christ I hate this country sometimes. 

i'm doing tipping and i don't follow it much 

I met a girl in Stockholm a few years ago from Melbourne. She said she liked it but missed the footy. I said they have football here you can go and watch. She said no she missed talking about at work and stuff just as much as going to the games. So I guess it is a social glue that strangers can talk about if nothing else, 

Wildcats NBL champions...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-19/nbl-hands-perth-wildcats-gand-final-title/12071416

Yep.  With you there 100%.

Not much makes me mad but this kind of shit makes me steaming angry.  

Many of the NRL clubs have their own leagues clubs that generate huge revenue from their restaurants and pokie machines. I know they say its a separate entity and that money from the leagues clubs don't go into the NRL club and players wages. But I don't see why they can't change that rule if they really had to?  They're just waiting for government money first.   (someone from NSW, QLD please correct me if I'm wrong)

AFL would definitely come back at some point and in some form. There are just too many people in Victoria that would pour money into the sport to get it back. If you look at the membership numbers of the Vic clubs alone, it is 540K combined. Those fans don't just disappear and move onto something else. If AFL (as we know it) goes down, another aussie rules competition would return, even if it returns to being the VFL comp like it was in pre-1990 and grows from there. Whether we like it or not, AFL is too big of an institution on Victoria for it to disappear.

:(

what are they?

The AFL's assets are in the main gifts from the government. Once they got their foot in the door they haven't stopped demanding help. Time the Vic government woke up. 

doesn't sound like it will affect any broad govt bailout, but the 'line of credit' from banks sounds pretty smart.  Banks should be stepping up in times like this.

And the AFL has the ability to borrow against assets like docklands stadium.  Does the NRL have like-assets it can offer as security?  from the sound of V'Landys, no.

Imagine paying taxes in Victoria for 40 years, you lose you job and read the government bails out Gold Coast Suns and Greater Sydney Falafels

The AFL is safe

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/afl/governments-multi-million-afl-lifeline-revealed/ar-BB11m61g

If things went really bad, can’t see it happening, and all leagues fail football will recover.

if AFL and NRL go now they won’t come back. End of the day football is a global game. WC will be played in the future. Even starting from scratch again would see foreign investment. I think no matter how the league looks. 

No foreign money will be put in to reestablish NRL or AFL leagues 

ABC with an analysis here:

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-18/coronavirus-shutdown-may-change-sport-as-we-know-it-afl-nrl/12062522

“Teams who struggle to cope financially with the shortened AFL season could be helped by the state government in order to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.Despite AFL boss Gillon McLachlan's announcement that the season would get underway as scheduled, a number of clubs are already feeling the heat.According to Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, while the state government will not hand out money to the the AFL, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is in discussions with league power-brokers to find a way to assist clubs that are at risk financially, with a secure loan that could be worth "hundreds of millions of dollars"."I spoke with the premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews who is well aware of the economic impact on Victoria if clubs were to fold or to have to sack so many people," McGuire told 

"The football industry feeds a lot of people in this town and right around the country. He is talking with Gil McLachlan at the moment as well as (AFL GM of Finance) Ray Gunston and Richard Goyder, the chairman of the AFL commission, about how they can help football survive.

"There won't be a handout because the state of Victoria has to look after itself. The state government will not be giving out a handout, but there are other machinations that can come into play where there might be a line of credit to help save the AFL and get through.

"This is going to take 10 years to get through. Certainly the next three years will be an impost because there will be a massive line of credit, i.e. a secured loan, to get us over the line."

According to respected AFL columnist Caroline Wilson, with teams set to play with no fans for the foreseeable future, there are fears that several clubs could go under.

"St Kilda, Melbourne, Gold Coast, GWS, Brisbane, North Melbourne. These clubs could do quite worse than just struggle now," she said.

"There is a genuine fear that these clubs could go under."

With the AFL already giving up five rounds of the season, the estimated financial loss for the league already sits in the vicinity of $70 million, and McGuire added that clubs are looking at losses of as much as $15 million each.

"The TV money will flow, but the money that keeps the clubs alive are the people walking in the door and there's none," he said.

"Six months of a lockout is what we've got today, that's the season. This is crucial that we are able to find the money to keep the game going the way we have.

"The finances of the football clubs and the AFL are absolutely extremely parlous at the moment. Never have we faced anything like this. This has been a nuclear bomb going off for the AFL.

"They are the best credentialled, they are the best run and they have the best finance and the best deals, but if you don't play football, then you don't make the money."

While not all clubs will fight to stay alive, McGuire said that the AFL was hell-bent on ensuring the financial health of all 18 clubs during this trying period.

"This is crucial that we are able to find the money to keep the game going the way we have. At the moment we are doing it collectively. We don't want anyone to fall," he said.

"We don't want anyone to fail. Every club is a major part of the AFL. No one club is greater than the other as far as it's importance to the tapestry of the game.

"Pull the string of the tapestry and sometimes the whole thing goes."With the league now set to proceed with the season, the focus shifts to how the matches will be fit into what is sure to be an interrupted season.According to Nine's AFL reporter Sam McClure, the league will not accelerate any of the fixtures in the first two rounds of the season, with Rounds 3-6 to be compacted.However, McClure revealed that the government may not fund games that are scheduled to be played away from "regular areas"."The only time the AFL will look to accelerate games, that is to cram more games into less days, would be from Rounds 3 and 4," McClure told Footy Classified."There is concern having spoken to multiple club CEOs and at AFL level that government money may not be forthcoming for games that have been sold away from regular areas, games in Ballarat, Tasmania and the ACT."They are sold there specifically so local governments can bring in crowds. With that now not happening, the questions are being raised whether there will be the money."

AFL boss announces start of season

https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/state-government-line-of-credit-to-assist-struggling-teams-in-shortened-season/b2f0cf0b-2ffa-4df6-9434-dd3102df80c4

”it’s not a hand out. It’s a 0% interest loan we don’t have to pay back”

I expect I won’t be able to travel overseas in summer. Even within Europe. 14 days quarantine at best when it’s back.

will be old school. Cabin on the lake in the wood. What could go wrong....

Eurovision cancelled, was to be in mid-May.

As a former AFL fan I sincerely think they deserve this potential financial hardship- the last 20 years they have just been too TV revenue greedy-  and neglected members and players/clubs financially. Hope the HAL outshines AFL during this virus mess 👍

AFL gets a bit of action in Asian betting markets. It's more about the score than any love for the game.

so a league should have a chance to shine overseas? 

In such times of desparation yes some will watch anything whilst top football leagues are on hold now around the world but once they are back on deck they wouldn't give a toss for afl for starters.......
Some euro will relate and get into NRL for Union despite its small euro footprint (compared to other leading sports) has been around for ages and I'm sure they know of their WC but afl ? not much hope imo.
All the euro's I know from travelling and the USA only know of it when coming here, otherwise wouldn't give a toss about it.
Competing against traditional sports other than football, Basketball huge, Handball, Volleyball, Water polo for starters.
afl would have to spend a shed load to even be noticed.

for once we agree.

it is unbelievable that during a time where people are getting sick and dying, the NRL actually came out and said "we need a govt bailout".

fark me