By Jake Niall
The AFL is close to a landmark agreement with the Marvel Stadium tenants that would guarantee increased returns over the next five years.
Under the long-term deal, which has not been formally signed but is all but agreed, the AFL – as the owner of Marvel Stadium – will hand Essendon, Carlton, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne sizeable increases in their guaranteed payments, extra premium seats and a higher share of signage.
AFL clubs stand to collect a better return from their home games at Marvel Stadium.Credit: Joe Armao
One estimate from a club was that they would receive an extra $63,000 per home game in guaranteed money, including signage, and the increased revenue might be about $400,000-$500,000 per year assuming average crowds.
In terms of club fixtures, Carlton would have an even split between Marvel Stadium and MCG home games over six years, alternating between a five-six and six-five split of the venues. Next year, the Blues would have six at Marvel, having had six at the MCG this year.
Technically, the new deal is a six-year arrangement, counting 2025, even though this season is close to completion. It could boost income for clubs this year, depending on each club’s specific returns.
But clubs would still have to bear the higher costs as home tenant under the new deal, according to competition sources. This would offset the gains, but overall the clubs still stood to improve their returns significantly.
The new deal is standard for all five tenant clubs, including Carlton, and closes the gap between what teams earn for MCG games and the AFL-owned Marvel.
St Kilda, which has lobbied hard for extra games at the MCG, has been handed 10 games at Marvel Stadium for the next two years, then they would have a guarantee of nine at Docklands and one at the MCG from 2028 until 2030, with one home game left to be negotiated. The Saints confirmed to this masthead that their strong preference was for two home games at the MCG in those years.
Essendon, which had a four-seven split between the MCG and Marvel, has been allocated one more game at the MCG next year, to make it five-six, but it is unclear whether they would get the same division of games in 2027.
The extra premium seats will be on level two, in a prime position near the wing, and would be of value to the tenant clubs in selling packages, although the new allotment would be less than 1000 per game.
The AFL draws most of the revenue from signage at the Docklands stadium, whereas some non-Melbourne clubs, especially those in Perth and Geelong, have “clean stadiums”, meaning they keep all the revenue from signage and corporate boxes, making their home games far more profitable. The higher share from signage in this new deal is a recognition of that disparity.
St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena said the Saints, who have played more games at Marvel Stadium than any other team – North (Hobart, Perth/Bunbury) and the Bulldogs (Ballarat) having secondary bases for longer periods – wanted a second MCG home game from 2028.
“We see the G [MCG] as our secondary market in that sense, rather than shifting to another state or Marvel,” said Dilena of that game that has not been allocated to a venue. He said, if not the MCG, then that final, unallocated game (from 2028) could be fixtured at Marvel Stadium.
“We’ve been clear to the AFL in terms of that (preference),” he added.
Collingwood and Richmond, who each play two home games at Marvel Stadium and nine at the MCG, would benefit from the new deal as well.
The Saints have argued to the AFL that improved returns from Marvel Stadium – and extra games at the MCG – would reduce their need for variable funding, which is the additional money clubs who generate less revenue receive from the league.
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