The AFL are governed by the powers that be and most of them reside in Victoria.
They want the big bucks that come from a national competition but (just as importantly) they want to keep their hands on the levers of power.
NSW represents the biggest potential shift in that power structure. If the Academies are successful and AFL blossoms here, that creates a power inbalance that they are worried about.
Therefore the policy towards Sydney will always be conflicted. It's not about equity. It is about power and how to limit the reach of Sydney.
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