SANFL CEO Jake Parkinson confident clubs will survive financial impact of coronavirus
SANFL clubs face a plenty of financial headaches after the season was delayed until May 31, but CEO Jake Parkinson said all the clubs were united in the fight.
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SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson is confident all eight member clubs will survive the financial nightmare they must confront following the decision to delay the start of the season until May 31.
But he admits the clubs face a massive challenge and it won’t be an easy path to recovery.
Parkinson said the league was already working through the financial issues with clubs and he stressed they would need to review their cost lines.
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“We will work hard to ensure every club is there at the end of the year,” Parkinson told SEN. “What steps need to be taken, they may be difficult steps, we will do everything we possibly can to ensure all the clubs are there on an ongoing basis.
“We are all in this together and if one club is susceptible it impacts on the whole league, and all the clubs are aligned to come through this. We rely on each other.”
Parkinson noted the state league did not have the benefit of a revenue stream from broadcasts and the clubs relied heavily on people being at the games.
“We now have to look at what can we possibly do to ensure each club is there at the end of 2020, that has to be our focus,” he said.
The SANFL had had constant discussions with the AFL and state league before announcing the delay in the start to the season.
The state clash between the SANFL and WAFL at Adelaide Oval on May 9 has already been scrapped, while the league will now discuss the shape of the season should it go ahead from May 31.
While the state contest has already been called off, the league can also forgo the two byes.
“Clearly, this needed to be a decision across the country and it is not a time or disunity,” Parkinson said. “It is having a big impact within the community across the country and football is part of that.
“It was important we gave a start date so clubs can plan. We will now work through what the season looks like, what the finals will look like.”