“In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and the impact it is likely to have on future salary caps, clubs are reportedly pushing to have a marquee player or two that they can pay outside of the normal cap.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/05/21/should-the-afl-allow-clubs-to-pay-a-marquee-player-outside-of-the-salary-cap/

So while all the AFL are trying to cut costs a player agent suggests marquees outside the cap.

This is why borrowing concepts from other sports is stupid

If the best AFL players aren't going to play in the AFL, where are they going to play? The AFL has the luxury of a monopoly on the best players and the salary cap literally regulates the player payment system. There is no issue for the AFL post COVID-19 because they set the price of the players. The salary cap works for the AFL


Football is different because we don't control the market so we are stupid for having a salary cap. The marquee concept is also a work around for the damage the salary cap does and it isn't that effective either. Football simply needs minimum wage and a 3+1 rule

Agree.
The very low revenues most clubs will be making in the next few years is basically your cap.
And that minimum wage may as well align with the Australian minimum wage, which the PFA will fight.

“The second focuses upon Victoria and the increasingly vulnerable North Melbourne, the debt-ridden Saints and even Melbourne.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-18-teams-future-of-the-afl-covid19-coronavirus-crisis-afl-financial-crisis-issues-debt/news-story/216fe7c6373c91d6a70c7dfb8a4a252a


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NRL to review screening process for cardboard fans after multiple crude jokes

Fox Sports and former NRL player Matthew Johns

Forgive me..but I think that is funny ...gees how PC have we become ? 

Australia is a PC nation.

For a bunch of convicts we are the sheer opposite these days

I appreciate the genius behind selecting the notorious Dr Shipman, a character that was unlikely to be filtered out by the NRL’s ‘cardboard fan’ monitors.

I also love the way the PC brigade demand apologies - as if Johns and the others who aired the Hitler thing found it funny before, but no longer do. As if they didn’t consider whether it was offensive and just go “nah, bugger it, it’s funny!”

I do to. Could probably do with losing the serial killer. 

“The NRL's next franchise could be named the "Firehawks", according to an Australian report.

Brisbane's Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Inc – one of four reported bids on the table to become the city's second team – has filed a trademark on the name "Brisbane Firehawks" this week, according to Fox Sports Australia.”
.....

"A second Brisbane team will generate even more value for the code in my eyes. But I want to make this very clear _ we are fully behind the Broncos and Titans and it is important we do not cannibalise those existing clubs in the southeast Queensland market.

"Ensuring the viability of the 16 clubs, and that includes the Broncos and Titans, is my priority.

"But in my eyes, expansion is on the agenda and I still think Brisbane needs a second team to dominate Queensland.

"The coronavirus pandemic hasn't ruined the expansion plans at all.”

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12337099
 
Firehawks is a gash name. But better than Tigers adopting an AL style name and calling themselves Brisbane Growl.

Most of my local mates are NRL fans, they don’t seem to think a second Brisbane side can or will work. 

Professional sports are about TV dollars, sponsorship and owner investment. Number of fans dont really come into it. Take a look at the AFL West Sydney team as an example

If the biggest backers of the NRL want another Brisbane team then it will happen

I think gws do alright now Gold Coast would of been a better example that team is dead 

I thought it was hilarious personally. 

Agree with what you’ve said (what’s driving this) but they don’t seem to think people will watch on tv, turn up at Suncorp, or sponsor them - sporting wise, Brisbane is really a one-horse town 

Breaking News: Fans will be allowed in to watch ALeague matches in large numbers ....provided they are protesting about something. 

“The Wellington Phoenix, who compete in Australian soccer's A-league, received NZ$950,000 while rugby league's New Zealand Warriors were given NZ$200,000.

 The government allocated NZ$265 million in last month's budget to help the entire sports industry get back on its feet after the pandemic badly affected broadcast, commercial and ticket revenues.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/rugby-union-super-newzealand/rugby-nz-super-rugby-teams-get-cash-boost-ahead-of-domestic-competition-idUSL4N2DH0MK

Strange that their gov is giving money to an Australian business.

They should give the FFA some money also.

“An article in the Herald Sun on Thursday morning claimed the NRL had left the AFL “for dead” because of their bold planning. Sheahan however doesn’t believe the two sports codes are even competing against each other.
 “It’s rubbish isn’t it?” he told SEN Breakfast. “We’re not even in competition (with the NRL). Someone was talking about the other day that the AFL should pay Peter Vlandys $30 million or something.
 “I don’t see the AFL in competition with the NRL.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/06/04/its-rubbish-isnt-it-sheahan-dismisses-notion-nrl-has-left-afl-for-dead/

[gif]https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/900/974/f73.gif[/gif]

Of course, their respective turf has been marked out for a century or more. The Sokkah though, they're the enemy.

Meanwhile in NSW...

LOL

“Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne has pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge, after a joyriding incident during the A-League team's coronavirus quarantine in Sydney in March. “

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2020/06/football-wellington-phoenix-defender-tim-payne-pleads-guilty-to-drink-driving-after-golf-cart-joyride.html

I sneezed and scratched my bum, off for 2 weeks isolation.

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/afl/afl-secures-revised-broadcast-deal-20200611-p551nc.html#comments

AFL secures revised broadcast deal with Seven and Foxtel

The AFL has secured a revised broadcast rights deal with its television partners and sealed a two-year extension with Seven West Media just moments ahead of the return of this year's season.

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan told clubs on Thursday night that he had agreed to a 12 per cent to 13 per cent discount between the parties over three years, in what is considered to be a good result for the league.

The deal has enormous ramifications for players and the 18 clubs since it provides more than 60 per cent of the game's revenue in normal circumstances and much more than that during the COVID-19 crisis. It is considered a better agreement for the sports code than the deal struck by the NRL two weeks ago, which included a 25-28 per cent discount for Nine Entertainment Co (owner of this masthead) and a reduction and five year extension with Foxtel.

Everyone is losing their minds over the low score last night never seen something so desperate for approval 

NRL made the VicFumbleKicky Chumps down south look like idiots.  

“Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has urged the AFL to introduce a strategy that would see struggling clubs relegated to the VFL, saying financial success should outweigh emotion.”


https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/jeff-kennett-urges-afl-to-consider-relegating-struggling-clubs-to-the-vfl-c-1097622

“The AFL has offloaded a prime piece of central Melbourne real estate, originally earmarked for the redevelopment around Marvel Stadium, for an estimated $60 million.
.....
The 4000-square-metre property at 685 La Trobe Street has proved to be a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down the competition for almost three months and led to the AFL securing a $500 million-$600 million line of credit with the NAB and ANZ banks on behalf of the 18 clubs.

.....”
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-sell-docklands-real-estate-20200616-p5537q.html

“The report suggested the forecasted turnover for the All Blacks-Kangaroos clash could be over $15 million, a crucial source of profit during the uncertain economic times due to the pandemic.”

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12343169