Demetriou's absence is timely rather than misguided

REMEMBER when David Koch had to contend with the question of how he could be the Power's president while based in Sydney?

REMEMBER when television host David Koch had to contend with the question of how he could be the Port Adelaide Football Club's president while based in Sydney?

It did appear a fair point considering Alberton hardly seemed a branch of Club Med in need of a figurehead president standing at the entrance full of smiles, a song-and-dance act and drink vouchers.

But Koch's response - that the world and business communicates by video-conferencing, email and mobile phones - resonates even more today.

From afar, Koch has led the Power without any major crisis at Alberton testing the internet connection to Sydney.

Clearly, the long weekends in Adelaide in summer, the refit of the Power administration that began before Koch's arrival and putting the right people in place in the once-failing football department have made it much easier for Koch to sit back and (pardon the pun) watch the sun rise again over the LeFevre Peninsula.

All this is relevant again as the AFL critics paint a target on the back of league chief executive Andrew Demetriou. It is, the jibes continue, in the bright red to match the carnation Demetriou is asked to wear at headquarters so everyone can recognise him between trips to Sydney, Cyprus and now New York.

Demetriou, his No. 2 Gillon McLachlan and a hand-picked crew of AFL club presidents and chief executives, including the Power's Keith Thomas, are in the US meeting owners of NFL clubs and other leading identities in American professional sport to understand how rich men are prepared to give up profits for the betterment of their codes.

This is that difficult challenge of "equalisation" that threatens to split the AFL into the "haves" and the "have nots" and put the premiership race into the hands of the big, rich clubs (ala the English Premier League).

It is far more threatening to the long-term future of the AFL competition than the immediate question of how the drug scandal at Essendon is to turn on the release of the ASADA-AFL investigation at Windy Hill on Monday.

The criticism of Demetriou being away from his desk today is an all-too-easy hit on the league boss that brings back the mocking of Koch when he accepted being Port Adelaide's president on a long-distance trunk call.

It also ignores how there can be more faith in what is unfolding at AFL House in Melbourne while Demetriou is under the shadow of Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Considering the misguided campaign against Demetriou by Essendon coach James Hird, it is reassuring to the neutral observer that Demetriou is away while the final summary is being written to the ASADA-AFL investigation.

This issue is for the AFL Commission, chaired by Mike Fitzpatrick, to consider on the advice of the league's lawyers - without commissioner Bill Kelty, who has conceded his strong ties to the Bombers, and without more insinuations of an agenda from Demetriou towards Hird.

It is for the commission to then direct Demetriou.

Demetriou's absence today is more re-assuring of justice being seen to be done at AFL House.

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