Industry News – Wednesday, May 10th, 2017

AFL

• THE AFL has shut down plans for immediate expansion of its national women’s league, but has foreshadowed at least two teams will be added in 2019. The five clubs who unsuccessfully sought a licence last year will receive “priority weighting” when the AFL considers additions to the foundation eight-team competition. But the door has been opened to the five clubs who originally did not seek a women’s team to now leapfrog the “priority” candidates. See also [The Australian]
  
• Geelong and St Kilda are unhappy that the AFL has put the brakes on their push for an AFL Women’s team, with Cats chief executive Brian Cook declaring: “We are probably more ready to join the competition than some teams already in [it].”
• AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan will meet with State Government ministers on Wednesday to push the case for a boutique stadium at Springfield. The AFL want the Government to contribute $15 million towards the stadium, which would incorporate the Brisbane Lions new training and administration base. It is understood Brisbane have secured a funding package from the AFL and Ipswich City Council worth $15 million for their new headquarters and have been offered a peppercorn lease on the land from the Springfield Land Corporation.
• AFL chief executive Gill McLachlan is confident the historic clash between Gold Coast and Port Adelaide in Shanghai will go ahead successfully, despite concerns about poor air quality.
• The Financial Review writes that The AFL has big plans for the biggest asset on its books, Etihad Stadium in Melbourne.
• Coca-Cola South Pacific has announced the next phase of LIFT Hard Hitting Lemon’s marketing campaign in Australia, centred around the evolution of its partnership with the AFL. The integrated marketing campaign spans the entire AFL season and includes broadcast radio, out-of-home, sampling and digital, with online integration across the AFL website and app. The overarching campaign theme is about real strength and mateship, with LIFT Hard Hitting Lemon positioned as the reward for Aussie blokes who turn up every day and give it their all.
• Social change organisation DrinkWise Australia has announced a new three-year partnership with the Australian Football League (AFL) that will see the league support the message of responsible consumption of alcohol to all Aussies. A centrepiece of the partnership will see the result of the Score Review System displayed on the big screen at AFL matches.
• Grill’d Healthy Burgers is to become the official healthy burger of Australian Football League (AFL) team Adelaide Crows. For the rest of the 2017 season, fans of the Australian rules football side will have the opportunity to win prizes and Grill’d burgers on matchdays. In addition, the company will be granted exposure throughout the Adelaide Oval, and across the team’s digital platforms. As part of the agreement, Grill’d products will be added to the players’ post-match menu.
• Essendon reports that 39% of the EssendonFC membership base is from country and regional areas
• Michelangelo Rucci writes in the Advertiser that critics of Port Adelaide’s China adventure highlight just how isolated Australian football is from the real world
• PORT Adelaide will decide later this year whether it will push for a spot in the 2019 national women’s league after the AFL yesterday announced it would expand the AFLW after next season.

A-league and Soccer

• 2017 ACL – Adelaide v Jiangsu – 6,797 at Coopers Stadium
• The A-league Grand Final topped Nielsons social content ratings for sport on the weekend
• SUNDAY’S ‘Big Blue’ A-League grand final has delivered a bumper day of ratings for FOX SPORTS, becoming the highest rating A-League match of all time. 367,000 football fans tuned in to see Graham Arnold’s Sydney FC claim a thrilling victory to cap off a record breaking season. 553,000 fans tuned in to see Milos Ninkovic seal the deal for the Sky Blues 4 – 2 on penalties.
• MOYA Dodd, perhaps the most active and outspoken women involved in FIFA, has lost an election this week to FIFA’s 37-member council, which is FIFA’s decision-making body.

NRL

• The already-damaged relationship between the NRL and players union has dramatically worsened after the governing body became aware of clandestine plans for the Rugby League Players Association to hold talks with a select group of chairs over the proposed pay deal for next season.

Rugby Union

• The Melbourne Rebels are set to launch a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Australian Rugby Union as the national body tries to forestall the Rebels’ owners by trying to buy back the Super Rugby ­licence from them.

General

• Following on from the announcement of changes to the media ownership laws over the weekend, the rumours of News Corp’s desire to buy the embattled Ten Network are again growing stronger. News already has an eight per cent stake in Ten and Lachlan Murdoch sits on Ten’s board. Foxtel – half owned by News – also has a 15 per cent share in Ten.
• English pop phenomenon Ed Sheeran is the first artist announced to play Perth Stadium. The stadium is on track to open early next year ahead of the AFL season in March.