Gold Coast received nearly $14 million more in AFL funding than Collingwood last season
GOLD Coast received nearly $14 million more in AFL funding than financial heavyweight Collingwood the league’s club funding distribution records reveal with St Kilda Victoria’s biggest charity case.
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GOLD Coast was handed nearly $14 million more than financial heavyweight Collingwood under the AFL’s club funding distributions last year.
The AFL’s exact distributions for 2017 can be revealed, with the Suns receiving $24.16 million from the AFL given its financial issues.
The Giants received the second-biggest amount ($22.59 million), followed by Brisbane ($20.01 million) and St Kilda ($19.44 million).
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Collingwood and West Coast received the least money from the AFL - both were distributed $10.61 million by the AFL last year.
Premiers Richmond were awarded $12.36 million, with an extra payout from the league of $3.62 million for prize money and licensing royalties.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan recently told the Saints it was time for them to lift their financial performance.
A new Etihad Stadium deal revealed by the Herald Sun should hand them as much as $2 million a season more.
Asked if there were no excuses for the Saints last week, McLachlan said: “They’ve got to get their business to work now, yep.’’
“All I’d say to you is in the end, St Kilda have turned around, they’ve dealt with a whole series of challenges but it’s incumbent on them now to get their P and L (profit and loss) to work.’’
Clubs were last year handed money under the AFL’s new “enhanced club funding model”.
The AFL says it hands out money based on “structural differences, different supporter based and history, differing commercial arrangements at stadia, the financial impact of the fixture”.
The league says 11 of its 18 clubs made money last year compared to only seven in 2016.
But some clubs still carry significant debt, with Brisbane carrying $14 of debt and St Kilda more than $10 million.
St Kilda chief executive Matt Finnis said recently the club had aggressive plans to reduce its debt and reliance on the AFL.
“I can’t think of anything that could impede the financial health of the footy club more than a stadium deal which doesn’t stack up,” Finnis said.
“We kind of feel like for 17 years we’ve been paying the rent and the mortgage on Etihad Stadium.
The Saints recorded an operating profit of nearly $800,000 last year and have a favourable fixture that should increase that figure this year.
AFL clubs are also handed money in addition to their club distributions for AFL prize money, travel subsidies, stadium distributions, and Next Generation Academy Funding.
GWS received $4.04 million of that funding, Essendon $3.6 million and Collingwood $3.4 million.
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