It’s money time as clubs seek a greater share of TV riches

Ray Gunston, the AFL’s general manager of finance, corporate and major projects, has been meeting with clubs to gauge opinion on what a new financial deal could look like. Some clubs believe the AFL may prefer holding back large amounts of money and instead dole out funds for particular projects, such as infrastructure improvements or major commercial plans.

Geelong president Colin Carter said the equalisation tax had been “poorly designed” and that, if the league compensated for fixture and stadium cost disadvantages, the issue would be mostly solved.

“The AFL’s equalisation tax is problematic in that it excessively hits the ‘middle class’ rather than the wealthiest,” he said.

“We aren’t that far off – about $3 to 4 million per annum to a few clubs would do the trick. Remember, if a club receives a cheque for $3 million, that substitutes for them having to find a business that delivers $30 million or more in revenue and which may leave them [with luck] around $3 million in profit.”