Originally Posted by
KTigers
What the AFL should do is go to the Vic Government and the MCG and say the arrangement to play the GF at the MCG forever is going
to hurt the growth the code nationally for decades and billions of dollars in future revenue are going to be lost as a result. That should be
the crux of their argument because that IS the centre of the problem with current deal. Let alone just how bad it looks to the rest
of the country and how incredibly unfair it is to the non Vic teams. Even before Covid, footy has been going absolutely nowhere in Australia
for years. If you don't believe me look at the crowd numbers on the AFL tables site and look at the population growth figures on the ABS
website. Covid aside TV ratings have been stagnant for years. The money in the game has plateaued. Poor old George Hewett is about
to sign a 4 year $1.8M deal to play for Carlton, but he won't be able to afford to buy a house there.
I'm not saying it will be easy for the AFL to change the MCG-GF deal but if they have the willpower to do it, they can. I think it's a bit
of a myth that all Victorians are going to slit their wrists if the GF isn't played at the MCG in perpetuity. I'm not aware of anyone
throwing themselves into the Yarra in despair during the last two GFs because they weren't at the MCG. Likewise, Sydney league
fans look they are going to pull through the experience of the RL GF tomorrow night being played up in Brisbane by doing precisely
what they always do. Which is watch it on TV.
It's inevitable that the AFL will seek to change the MCG GF deal eventually. They are not up to it at the moment, but it'll happen.
They can only afford to hold back the code nationally for so long. I think they already know the 40 year deal in 2017 was a
mistake. But right now, with last two GFs being played outside of Melbourne, they will stick with it.
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