By Jake Niall, Michael Gleeson, Peter Ryan and Jon Pierik
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- AFL approves Gold Coast role for Hardwick’s partner
- Two star forwards have been ruled out of a premiership contender’s opening round side
- The AFL club captains’ annual survey has delivered some surprising results
Annual report outlines league funding for each club
Jake Niall and Michael Gleeson
St Kilda and North Melbourne received more AFL funding than any other Victorian clubs while the AFL’s two bottom teams – Richmond and West Coast – were among clubs to receive the lowest financial distribution from the league.
The 2024 AFL annual report also reveals the league is formulating plans for a trade period for the mid-season draft to come into effect next season. But it does not specify if that trade period will involve the exchange of players and/or national draft picks.
Ross Lyon’s St Kilda will travel to Adelaide for round one.Credit: AFL Photos
“In 2026, a mechanism for mid-season trading of picks will be applied,” AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said.
Dillon further revealed in the report the league was “developing a truth telling program, to address historical experiences of racism for First Nations players and staff”.
The AFL is set to defend itself in a racism class action brought forward by Indigenous former AFL/VFL players.
The 2024 annual report detailed the financial health of the league, which last year turned over a billion dollars – and spent almost the same amount – as they recorded an underlying profit of $45.4 million, up from $27m the previous year.
Collingwood had the highest membership in the AFL (110,628) compared to Gold Coast with the lowest (26,157). Albeit AFL membership figures are notoriously difficult to compare like-for-like given the variations in packages sold. A total of 13 clubs set membership records.
Collingwood, the then reigning premiers, were involved in all five of the most watched home and away matches for the season; both games against Essendon, Carlton in round eight, Geelong in round 18, and Melbourne on King’s Birthday. The Anzac Day game was the most watched of those matches with an average TV audience of 1.46m people.
All clubs received a base level of funding from the AFL of $12.2m with variable funding amounts of $83.1 million distributed, based on need. There were further differences in distributions for prizemoney, travel subsidies, payments to compensate for stadium and licensing deals, and AFL membership distributions – the latter which the clubs effectively self-generate.
Gold Coast ($34.8m) and GWS ($34.6m) once more received the highest AFL distribution, with last year’s premiers, the Brisbane Lions being awarded the third-highest amount ($30.4m). North Melbourne ($26.4m) and St Kilda ($26.1m) received the most of Victorian clubs and Hawthorn (with $18.4m) the lowest.
The AFL does not give a breakdown for the socialised variable funding.
The Eagles, who finished third bottom, got less than half ($16.9m) the distribution of the league’s two newest clubs, Gold Coast and GWS. Wooden spooners Richmond only received $18.5m in funding.
Previous AFL boss Gillon McLachlan challenged the Saints to improve their financial performance nearly seven years ago and repeated those warnings to them over the ensuing years. The Saints were two years ago overtaken by North as the Victorian club receiving the most funding of the Victorian clubs.
The financial report detailed that the AFL has net assets of close to half a billion dollars
and the AFLPA received close to $50m in funding, up $8.4m on the previous year, an increase agreed in the latest collective bargaining agreement.
The AFL’s statutory profit of $41.3m includes government grants for the redevelopment of Marvel Stadium of $6.5 million, $5.1million in depreciation from the Marvel Stadium Upgrade. The AFL’s cash balance at the end of the financial year was $186.7 million which was an increase of $22.7m.
For the first time the AFL earned more from commercial arrangements and AFL media ($466m) than from broadcast revenue ($459m).
Dillon confirmed that the unpopular compacted AFLW season in which 11 matches were played in 10 weeks and games played mid-week on short breaks had been too much and the season this year would begin earlier.
“Feedback from our players and clubs was that the compression period was extremely challenging and that will see the 2025 AFLW season begin earlier in August, crossing over for the latter part of the men’s home and away season,” Dillon said.
AFL approves Gold Coast role for Hardwick’s partner
Peter Ryan
The AFL has ticked off the Gold Coast Suns’ decision to appoint senior coach Damien Hardwick’s partner Alexandra Crow as a marketing consultant after seeking further information about her role last week.
Crow is advising the Queensland club on membership and marketing strategies, having worked in consumer and membership roles at both Richmond and West Coast.
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick and partner Alexandra Crow at last year’s Brownlow Medal.Credit: Getty Images
Suns CEO Mark Evans told this masthead the arrangement was valid and her work was at market rates.
“The scope of the role is small,” Evans said.
“We use her expertise strategically around consumer and commercial categories.”
A competition source, who was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, confirmed the league was comfortable with Crow’s role, which is only expected to be short-term.
Her experience and the club’s need for such expertise meant the Suns were always confident the AFL would support their decision.
Hardwick joined the Suns at the end of the 2023 season, with the pair moving to the Gold Coast where Crow has a consulting firm, Hutson Consulting.
Football department employees are agitated that the football department soft cap has only been marginally readjusted since it was dramatically cut at the start of COVID. It is the only part of the industry that has not seen a bounce back to pre-COVID levels.
Club and AFL administrators’ wages have returned to market rates, while player wages received a huge boost in the latest collective bargaining agreement.
Clubs did not raise the issue at the CEOs meeting held in Sydney on Tuesday. The AFL were contacted for comment.
Freak injury sidelines Giants spearhead
AAP
Greater Western Sydney will be without Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer after both star forwards picked up injuries in the lead up to their AFL season-opener.
Reigning Coleman medallist Hogan broke his thumb after accidentally jamming it in a door, while off-season recruit Stringer has been sidelined with a low-grade hamstring strain.
Swans star Will Hayward with Giant Jesse Hogan in Sydney recently.Credit: Steven Siewert
The duo are expected to miss at least two weeks, though Hogan could miss up to three.
Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer will both miss our Opening Round clash with Collingwood this weekend.
It is a major blow to the Giants ahead of their Sunday clash against Collingwood at Engie Stadium, already without star midfielder Tom Green (calf).
The Magpies are dealing with an injury concern of their own, with star Jordan De Goey ruled out of facing the Giants due to knee bruising.
Even though he has been training fully for the last three weeks, the Collingwood premiership hero suffered a setback during the pre-season and has not progressed enough to be considered for selection.
The Magpies remain hopeful De Goey could be available for their second match of the season against Port Adelaide on March 15.
Stringer, who already has a sordid history of soft-tissue injuries, had complained of hamstring tightness in a VFL practice match on Saturday, leaving the field after one quarter.
Hogan broke his thumb after their final pre-season hit-out against Carlton.
GWS coach Adam Kingsley was already mulling the make-up of his squad after the departures of mainstays Harry Perryman, Isaac Cumming and James Peatling.
Jake Riccardi, Harvey Thomas, Toby McMullin and Joe Fonti will also have to serve two-match bans for their involvement in a post-season function last year, with fringe Giants player Josh Fahey out for four.
The surprising results from the club captains poll
Jon Pierik
The Brisbane Lions are favourites to claim back-to-back flags, and the Showdown between Adelaide and Port is the most anticipated match of the season, according to a poll of the 18 AFL club captains.
Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos, who finished second in last season’s Brownlow count and third a year earlier, is favoured to be crowned this year’s medallist. Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli was also heavily tipped, but the poll was conducted before his ankle injury last Thursday, which has ruled him out of the start of the season.
Tipped for success: Brownlow favourite Nick Daicos.Credit: Getty Images
Geelong spearhead Jeremy Cameron has been backed to win this year’s Coleman Medal ahead of defending champion Jesse Hogan and Carlton star Charlie Curnow, a dual winner.
Captains were largely split on who will win the Rising Star award. Sam Lalor, the No.1 draft pick and the man Richmond hope will eventually play a key role in their rebirth, had four votes. However, a dozen different players were also tipped to claim the prestigious award. Carlton’s Jagga Smith also had support with three votes, but the No.3 draft pick has since been ruled out for the entire season with an ACL injury.
There was a surprise result when it came to picking the game the captains were most looking forward to. Five captains plumped for the South Australian Showdown as their preferred clash, while the potentially spicy preliminary final rematch between Hawthorn and Port Adelaide, the traditional Anzac Day blockbuster between Essendon and Collingwood, and the NSW derby each had three votes.
Bruce McAvaney, the legendary Seven commentator, was voted by six captains as their preferred caller, ahead of a season where McAvaney makes a regular return to AFL action. Former Carlton and Collingwood player Dale Thomas was second (two votes).
There were mixed responses when it came to the ideal grand final pre-game entertainment, with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard earning two votes, and the rest one vote each. That list included Tame Impala and Dua Lipa, AC/DC, Robbie Williams, Dido, Charli XCX, Led Zeppelin, Mumford & Sons, SZA, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyoncé, Zach Bryan, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Kings of Leon and Chris Stussy.
Lance Franklin (three) was the favoured past player in their prime the current generation would like to have played with. Some interesting names were thrown up, including Geelong great Billy Goggin, St Kilda and Sydney goalkicking champion Tony Lockett and Robert DiPierdomenico, the five-time Hawthorn premiership player and joint 1986 Brownlow medallist.
The list of players to get a vote for best haircut comprised Bailey Smith, Mabior Chol, Brandon Walker, Harry McKay, Kamdyn McIntosh, Lachie Jones, Aaron Naughton, Bayley Fritsch, Zak Jones, Dane Rampe, Gryan Miers’ old dreadlocks style, Griffin Logue (in 2019), Luke Davies-Uniacke, Sam Draper, Taylor Walker and Hugo Ralphsmith. But the winner with two votes was Max Gawn.
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