AFL exploring possibility of future in-season tournament

As the AFL hunts more marquee events during its season, a radical in-season tournament has been floated to run alongside the premiership season which would be reduced.

A multimillion-dollar in-season tournament would entice AFL broadcasters as a way to stave off growing concerns about a bevy of dead rubber games looming in this year’s fixture.

As the AFL hunts more “marquee moments’ in the fixture, a potential tournament to run during the winter months of the regular season would not require a rewriting of the lucrative broadcast agreement the league already holds.

An addition was made to the blockbuster seven-year TV deal when Gather Round was introduced, with Foxtel and Channel 7 dipping in more money when the extra round was added in Adelaide.

It would require the players to jump on board, with any change to season structure — in particular removal or addition of home and away games — needing agreement from the AFL Players’ Association as per the collective bargaining agreement.

The tournament idea was raised with chief executives in a Gold Coast summit last week

When Gather Round was added, clubs and players got a pay boost.

A mid-year tournament, which could run similar to the NBA Cup in the middle of the season culminating in a glitzy final, would be seen as a way to keep fans of clubs running out of finals hope engaged in the year.

Currently the AFL ladder is split, with the top nine three games clear of the rest, ending genuine finals hopes for half the teams with still seven weeks to go.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon says the idea is still in its infancy . Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The Milwaukee Bucks celebrate winning the NBA Cup. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

It is understood broadcasters would be intrigued by a new tournament if it meant more games of value in the middle of the year.

The current broadcast deal ends in 2031, and a successful mid-year tournament could be sold as its own package to a streamer.

Netflix bought certain NFL games aired last season, and Amazon owns the rights to the finals of the NBA Cup.

The continuing rampaging success of the NRL’s State of Origin has the AFL searching for more ways to add to the footy calendar, with discussions about a return of an AFL version underway.

It was suggested that the mid-season tournament could run alongside the premiership season, which under the scenario would be reduced to see every team play each other once plus rivalry round and Gather Round, or potentially played in the middle of the year with the premiership season paused to see the separate competition played in its entirety before the premiership season resumed.

Prize money of as much as $5 million for the winning club was suggested, with the tournament idea being considered by a committee of CEOs.

League boss Andrew Dillon said in a statement that while the notion of the tournament was still in its infancy, it was one of many undergoing “further exploratory work”.

“We had a really productive couple of days with all 19 club CEOs and the AFL executive on how we as an industry prepare for the next 5-10 year period, including continued discussions on developing a long-term sustainable competition structure, including accounting for the introduction of Tasmania from 2028,” he said in a statement obtained by this masthead on Monday.

“A committee of club CEOs and AFL representatives have been working through ideas, with a focus on creating more content and marquee moments across a season that are appealing for fans, players and clubs.

“At this stage they are just all ideas, with further exploratory work and discussions need to continue to be progressed with stakeholders across the industry.”