The MCC will hand clubs a reduced games payment to help safeguard their financial future in 2020
The six MCG tenant clubs have been delivered a significant boost by the MCC and the AFL. And Collingwood will be the club who benefits most from the multi-million dollar deal in the short term.
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The Melbourne Cricket Club and AFL are set to close a deal to deliver match payments totalling up to $1 million to each of its tenant clubs.
Richmond, Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn, Melbourne and Essendon are set to receive up to $180,000 per home game from the MCC this season to help boost their crippled finances in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
While the payments are an unexpected bonus for clubs and a goodwill gesture from the MCG as the home of Australian rules football, they are a reduced amount from what clubs normally receive for games in front of crowds.
The MCG is scheduled to host eight games in Rounds 2-5 with Collingwood (three matches), Essendon (two), Richmond, Melbourne and Carlton (one each) to be the home team.
It means the Magpies will receive an unexpected boost of more than $500,000 within the first month of footy’s return.
MCC chief executive Stuart Fox is in the finals stages of negotiating the deal with AFL broadcast and clubs’ boss Travis Auld.
Fox said the MCC had held productive talks with the league and its clubs in recent weeks about a deal.
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“It is an extremely challenging environment for everyone at the moment and it is important that we help where we can to make sure the game and the MCG can come out of this stronger the other side,” Fox said on Thursday night.
“Yes, they are tough times, but the MCC — as the ground manager of the MCG — has an important role in this.
“We want to really maintain our strong relationships with the AFL and the clubs long into the future.”
The MCG is contracted to host the AFL Grand Final until 2057.
Clubs could receive up to $1.2 million per home game with a capacity crowd, but the two-month isolation period and prospect of limited crowds will cost clubs millions of dollars in 2020.
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Originally published as The MCC will hand clubs a reduced games payment to help safeguard their financial future in 2020
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