AFL’s relocation costs blow out past $60m

The extraordinary costs of keeping the AFL competition afloat have been unveiled.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan addresses the media at the home of the Southport Sharks on Thursday Picture: Michael Klein

The AFL’s season relocation to Queensland will cost the league in excess of $60m in 2020, a price at the outer end of the organisation’s budget.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said hub life was costing the competition up to $4m a week leading into the finals series which begins at the start of next month.

After the season shutdown in March, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire estimated the cost of relocating for the season would be at least $40m.

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The AFL was able to play some rounds in Victoria after the resumption in June. The bold gamble to outrun coronavirus and keep the season afloat began in earnest later that month.

But McLachlan confirmed the costs had blown out ahead of the final round this weekend, which began with West Coast’s clash with North Melbourne on Thursday night.

“(It is) certainly at the outer limits (of budgeting). That is, in part, because we have ended up having to use hubs for the vast majority of the season,” he said.

“I think, at the time, when people talked about (being away for) a maximum of 21 weeks, some players are going to get close to that.

“Certainly a number are at 15 now. We budgeted for extreme circumstances and we have got them.”

The price of completing the season has been massive. But the cost of not being able to play at all would have put the competition in a far more precarious position with the loss of broadcasting revenue.

The task of getting the competition to this stage has been complex. McLachlan, who was speaking at the Southport Football Club, said the AFL had already spent more than $5m on COVID-19 tests, with 51,000 tests completed on league-affiliated personnel to date.

Effectively, the AFL has paid for the equivalent of 101,000 bed nights in Queensland accommodation and more than 400,000 meals, with produce sourced locally.

In regards to transport, the league has arranged 120 charter flights in and out of Queensland, which includes travel by teams for matches.

There have also been 900 bus trips and almost 10,000 days of rental cars and trucks to shift people and equipment.

The AFL has also hired 18 sporting grounds, 10 gymnasiums and five recovery facilities for teams based in Queensland.

With the season ending for 10 clubs this weekend, the weekly costs will reduce over the next month leading into the grand final at the Gabba on October 24.

McLachlan, who thanked Queensland for hosting the competition, said the AFL would cover the costs of those in hubs for 36 hours after their season ends.

North Melbourne, for example, has been told it must be out of Sanctuary Cove by Sunday at the latest, although other clubs will have less time.

Players are allowed to remain in Queensland but no longer have to comply with the competition’s stricter COVID-19 protocols.

But they have been advised to be on their best behaviour given the recent storm created by Tigers Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued a stern rebuke to the competition after the Tigers duo broke protocols, with the pair sent home the following day.

McLachlan, meanwhile, said the competition would revert to a 22-round season in 2021, plus finals, despite speculation additional matches would be played to compensate for this year.

The AFL reduced the length of quarters to 16 minutes in 2020 to reduce the load on players competing regularly in a compressed fixture.

At this stage, it appears 2020 will be an outlier in this regard.

McLachlan said the AFL was also seeking to provide certainty to clubs in the near future about their salary cap and soft-cap spending for next season.

There is already uncertainty as clubs have been told that costs must be dramatically reduced in 2021 and beyond.

McLachlan is optimistic football will be played in Victoria in the opening round next season and is hopeful crowds will be in attendance.

“I see the numbers. I know the plans. I know the appetite for people in Victoria, who are making decisions, for life to get back to normal,” he said.

“If the numbers get down, we can do that. Sport, major events, hospitality, it is such a big part of Melbourne, and I know the government and everyone in the community is keen to get back to normal and get back to the MCG.”