NRL
- Melbourne v Brisbane at Aami Park – Crowd TBA (16,334 being reported on the League Unlimited forums)
- Australian rugby league team Wests Tigers have agreed a major sponsorship deal with CrownBet. The bookmaker’s logo will appear on the upper back of the Sydney-based National Rugby League (NRL) team’s playing jerseys in 2017.
AFL
- The Courier Mail reports that THE LIONS are set to emerge victorious from The Gabba turf war, avoiding a million dollar brawl between football and Stadiums Queensland. Also of note: Brisbane wants it current rental agreement of about $35,000 per game to be discounted.
- Six AFL players earned more than $1 million in 2016 as average salary increased.
- The Age reports that In a year where average player salaries grew to $309,208 and the total wage bill for the 718 players was $204.3 million, the number of players who went past the magical million-dollar mark was the highest for four years.
- AFL chief Gillon McLachlan says there is no obstacle to a twilight Grand Final.
- It is understood the WA AFL clubs were close to signing a heads of agreement with venue operator Venues Live before the State government went into election caretaker mode. However, an impasse between the WA Football Commission and the State government meant the two clubs could not commit to playing at the $1.3 billion stadium in Burswood. It rejected a compensation package of more than $100 million over 10 years to surrender its lease on Subiaco Oval. The parties also disagreed on where the WAFC would be housed if it surrendered the lease. Despite the sticking points, Mr Goyder is convinced the Eagles and Dockers would play home games at Perth Stadium for next year’s AFL season.
- The Western Bulldogs have announced that People’s Choice Credit Union has signed on as a new Platinum Partner. Among other advertising activity, People’s Choice’s distinctive lime green and red logo will feature on the media backdrops of pre and post game interviews, and in the change rooms of the Bulldogs.
- Construction software developer Progressclaim.com has expanded its sponsorship deal with Australian rules football team Richmond Tigers. The company’s logo will now appear on the back of the Tigers’ matchday jerseys in the Victoria Football League (VFL), as well as on coaches’ polo shirts.
- The AFL’s respected head of partnerships, Blair Crouch, will step down at the end of the month to take up a senior commercial role with Moonee Valley Racing Club.
- The AFL have launched their 2017 AFL ad campaign which stars none other than Thor himself Chris Hemsworth.
Local Footy
- WEST Footscray president Steve Lane has offered a grim forecast for struggling Western Region Football League clubs, declaring he expects more to succumb to financial pressures in coming years. Glen Orden will not take to the field in 2017, while Parkside and the Roosters have confronted similar issues in the past two years.
A-league
- SOCCER’S record TV deal isn’t actually worth $346 million at all, with consultancy fees, contra and other performance-related bonuses eating away at the base value of the contract. A Herald Sun investigation has found that the true cash value of the deal currently stands at less than $300m. FFA also owes $500,000 of that figure to consultants whose brief was to bring as many bidding parties as it could to the table. (In the end, Fox Sports was the only bidder.) $5m of the deal hinges on A-League expansion. A total of $10 million is allocated to marketing and $18 million to the marquee fund. There is about $16.5 million in total hinging on “bonuses” — expansion included — while $36 million is contra, which brings its real value thus far to about $267 million. There is also a $4m buyback option for Fox Sports if FFA can’t sell the Saturday night free-to-air rights by June 30. If not taken up, the rights would then be Fox’s to onsell.
- The FFA is fighting to keep lid on reform as demands come from all quarters for a say in running of the game
- The FFA won’t force Sydney FC to move A-League grand final from Allianz to ANZ Stadium
Super Rugby
- The Courier Mail notes that IT is ludicrous that the ACT Brumbies have been dragged into the numbing chatter about Super Rugby’s chop-and-change for a better future. The Brumbies have won two titles, set trends with their playing style, been the launching pad for Test coaches and moulded more than 50 players for the Wallabies.
- BRUMBIES legend Stephen Larkham has hit back at suggestions of a Super Rugby merger with the Melbourne Rebels, saying the club will only ever play out of Canberra.
- Georgina Robinson reports that An 18-team Super Rugby should never have gone ahead and needs to be blown up and rebuilt – on Australia’s terms.
