I’m glad Thursday night teams are coming back was bloody torcher especially if your team plays on a Sunday
Too flamin’ right.
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Sick burn.
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@Finding_Nino taking his views on team selection timelines to AFL headquarters
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Too hard logistically to pull it off this week? Really?
Why won’t someone think of the VFLW fans, waiting till ~1pm Friday?!?
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Ridiculous that they ever went away from it. Equally as silly that it’s going to take 2 weeks from announcing it would happen to it actually happening.
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The usual cause a problem, eventually undo it after the expected outcry, then pat themselves on the back for what a brave decision made that supposedly indicates listening to the fans…massive Lol
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A win for fans with latest brave decision
19 minutes ago - available via the app
Staff writer - 11 May 2021
Widely regarded for noble acts of selflessness, the AFL has continued to put fans first, taking a bold step in permitting Thursday night team announcements once again.
League headquarters have been working frantically to solve a problem they created.
The outcry from fans prompted the courageous decision.
An administrator could not hide his delight today, when asked for comment.
‘We are just so thrilled to deliver the fans what they ask for. It’s one way to show just how much we value your contribution to our game, especially the financial one.’
The announcement finally landed after yesterday’s annoucement about the announcement, and the announcement last week to announce that.
The reintroduction does however, require teams to name their entire roster on Thursday evenings, with the final team decided seven minutes before the start of the match.
‘Yeah look it will present a great challenge to teams, selecting a side so close to the bounce, but we encourage this, it really fits with the league’s theme of making rushed decisions on the fly.’
This comes after the league made an equally heroic decision to return full-length quarters in 2021, irrespective of the fact this was the case for 25 years prior.
‘It is fundamentally about showing the fans how important they are. Not quite as much as our corporate partners and key stakeholders, but trust me - your views count,’ the executive claimed.
‘You are critical in ensuring our fat bonuses are paid…errr I mean, that our game continues to thrive.’
The league pointed to the incredibly successful introduction of behavioural awareness officers at matches, spying on fans, purely to understand what they really want.
'That is the sole reason we have employed these people at our venues…they are listening to every word you say.
And it won’t be the last time we see the average fan honoured, either - season 2022 is set to include a raft of new introductions, and subsequent retractions shortly after, all in the best interests of football.
Sources say that ruckmen will be required to sign a permission slip before each contest, with this innovation to be scrapped by approximately Round 6.
Goal umpires shall be provided with a rocking chair to sleep in during pre-season matches, as they clearly cannot be trusted to make a decision anymore.
Field umpire instructions to ‘STAND’ shall be replaced with ‘FARKING STAND YOU ****’ for the opening two rounds.
And the ticketing process will again specify set times for fans to arrive at the entrance gates. However, this should be cancelled by June, as too many fans are allocated times after the match has already finished.
More to come…
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I’m so shallow… but this made me effin’ corpse.
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I’m sure the Collingwood supporters won’t be hypocritical after the Daniher/Howe situation and I’m sure the Richmond flogs will take it in a calm and rational manner
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FIXED
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That beat Bolton’s mark what’s wrong with people?
It’s not getting a lot of coverage, but there is an emerging shitfight coming over afl sponsorship deals. I can’t access the mick warner article due to pay wall, but it sounds like the afl wants to push long term eagles sponsor hungry jacks out of stadium signage and put afl sponsors McDonalds ads in. Clubs will lose millions in sponsorship revenue if afl sponsors can come in like this, and afl will make more $ as they raise sponsorship prices. Sounds like another move to weaken the clubs to make them financially dependent on the afl.
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Will they force Geelong to ditch Ford?
That would be incredibly bad optics - longest sports sponsorship in the world.
Optics… AFL… Hmmm.
The latest sponsorship issue yet another example of the league dictatorship removing revenues from the clubs. Ultimately the AFL wants to control all funds in the game so it can pick and choose who gets what. What the powerful clubs just tried in European soccer would not have been missed by the AFL.
Collingwood, Hawthorn, Brisbane and Richmond lose out over AFL-McDonald’s partnership
The official ball sponsor of Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn and Brisbane will walk away from the game because of the AFL’s contentious new sponsorship rules.
Michael Warner
3 min read
May 14, 2021 - 8:47AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
A major sponsor of four AFL clubs will walk away from the game because of the league’s contentious new sponsorship rules.
Australian-owned United Petroleum – official ball sponsor of Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn and Brisbane – says it has been blindsided by an AFL plan that will see global burger giant McDonald’s take over the naming rights of all match-day balls.
The Herald Sun last week revealed growing anger in club ranks over “alarming” new rules that favour the AFL’s “protected partners” including Toyota, McDonald’s, Telstra and Coca-Cola.
The AFL is under fire from clubs over a McDonald’s sponsorship deal.
United, whose sponsorship arrangements include more than $1 million a season in fuel discounts to club members, said it “began hearing rumours” about ball sponsorships being taken away from the clubs earlier this year.
“In late April 2021, after getting no clarity from club level, we were forced to ask for a meeting directly with the AFL,” a United spokesman said.
“At this point we were advised that the AFL was indeed taking over the ball sponsorship and that clubs were aware.
“In fact clubs were not aware and still to this day, no official memo has been provided to clubs from the AFL as far as we are aware.
“The AFL seemed to dismiss the fact that our sponsorship strategy had been built over years, with very strong relationships with clubs, supporting them financially as well as their members through activations and fuel discounts.
Richmond star Dustin Martin holds a match day ball with the United logo on it. Picture: Michael Klein
“They also seemed to dismiss our strategy that our commitment to football went past just AFL level, but through VFL all the way to regional grassroot football clubs.”
Asked about United’s concerns on Wednesday an AFL spokesman said: “Since its inception the AFL ball sponsorship has been an AFL asset that annually clubs have had the ability to commercialise themselves.
“We informed clubs last year that in 2022 the AFL would enter a new agreement with a single partner.
“This new partnership will deliver an overall improved benefit for both the clubs and fans.
“The AFL will continue to work with all club commercial managers to provide and identify new revenue opportunities and deliver ongoing value for partners, members and supporters.
“Our role is to assist clubs in building their revenue base while also supporting our overall investment in clubs, AFLW and community football, all while ensuring our game remains as accessible and affordable as possible for supporters.”
But United said its association with the game would now end.
“The AFL has since approached our current sponsored clubs and asked them to come back with a proposal, however, we do not seek another asset that we have spent years building nor do we wish to lose our relationship with our clubs and especially their members,” the spokesman said.
“From the local Doncaster to Mt Gambier football clubs to the VFL Box Hill Hawks, Queensland’s South Port Sharks, our four AFL clubs, to the many more clubs, our commitment to Australian rules football, the clubs, and most importantly the supporters has always been about giving back to the communities we serve.
Nathan Buckley with a United ball during a Collingwood press conference. Picture: Michael Klein
“We are in an unfortunate position in that we have spent many, many years supporting these communities and now we will need to cease our football sponsorship and look to other leagues and codes instead due to the AFL’s decision and lack of consultation with us or our clubs.”
All 18 clubs, still reeling from last year’s COVID financial crisis, fired a letter to head office last month seeking an urgent redress of measures they say are causing an “erosion of club commercial rights”.
The clubs believe would-be sponsors are being frozen out by “exclusivity or a form of protection” given to AFL partners.
Is it time for another breakaway competition threat?
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If that is a recent photo of Dill then he needs to step down. He should not be presenting himself unshaven messy hair with grey flowing through it.
Ridiculous that the AFL can even come up with an idea to control the revenue streams of the clubs.
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Grounds would be the only issue. WH wouldn’t be fit to host a game, neither would many other local grounds.
Who owns Optus Oval?
Would it be in the contracts that no other league can play af MCG and SCG?