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13. SYDNEY SWANS GOOSE TOTALLY OVERCOOKED
Crikey's sports editor Patrick Fitzgerald writes:
I duck away for a couple of days and everyone seems to be upset that monumental mismanagement at the Swans requiring huge AFL additional funding (loan, grant, subsidy call it what you like). But some Melbourne club presidents see this as an opportunity for placing new shackles on the financially wayward Swans.
As media buying heavyweight Harold Mitchell has so correctly stated, the Swans baggage is anything but a burden. What the club bring to the national competition is not simply measured by the ineptness of a footy club board promoting people out of their depth. Now as they are forced to eat crow, magpie or even a dog in their hour of need, rival clubs are all full of well-meaning advice.
Like now is a good opportunity as Sydney calls on even greater AFL largesse, to really clip their wings over preferential treatment.
The national competition is the greatest thing to ever happen to the game of Australian Rules. In line with that Sydney is a no-brainer as to whether it should be saved, propped up or even AFL-administered. To not have the Swans in the AFL is unthinkable. There is no monetary price too great to pay to keep them viable.
But Melbourne clubs wants their pound of flesh. While the poor ones slash budgets particularly in football operations, the Swans have been conspicuous spenders. Well hello?
If that means they get one or two million additional dollars in handouts, salary cap top up to help compensate it (and Brisbane) with their large contingent of interstate players to be encouraged to stay in these non-traditional AFL towns, that's the price you pay to keep the competition not only national but competitive. A dud Sydney team is totally unacceptable.
There are already various forms of rampant socialism and finance band-aids being selectively applied to any number of clubs. Sydney is far from alone when it comes to not playing on a level playing field.
While preserving the Swans is the easiest decision the AFL has to make, it also follows that unlike one two Melbourne club basket cases, Sydney will become financially buoyant and any league assistance is money well spent.
Meantime, read Patrick's assessment of the Wayne Jackson show:
Crikey's sports editor Patrick Fitzgerald writes:
I duck away for a couple of days and everyone seems to be upset that monumental mismanagement at the Swans requiring huge AFL additional funding (loan, grant, subsidy call it what you like). But some Melbourne club presidents see this as an opportunity for placing new shackles on the financially wayward Swans.
As media buying heavyweight Harold Mitchell has so correctly stated, the Swans baggage is anything but a burden. What the club bring to the national competition is not simply measured by the ineptness of a footy club board promoting people out of their depth. Now as they are forced to eat crow, magpie or even a dog in their hour of need, rival clubs are all full of well-meaning advice.
Like now is a good opportunity as Sydney calls on even greater AFL largesse, to really clip their wings over preferential treatment.
The national competition is the greatest thing to ever happen to the game of Australian Rules. In line with that Sydney is a no-brainer as to whether it should be saved, propped up or even AFL-administered. To not have the Swans in the AFL is unthinkable. There is no monetary price too great to pay to keep them viable.
But Melbourne clubs wants their pound of flesh. While the poor ones slash budgets particularly in football operations, the Swans have been conspicuous spenders. Well hello?
If that means they get one or two million additional dollars in handouts, salary cap top up to help compensate it (and Brisbane) with their large contingent of interstate players to be encouraged to stay in these non-traditional AFL towns, that's the price you pay to keep the competition not only national but competitive. A dud Sydney team is totally unacceptable.
There are already various forms of rampant socialism and finance band-aids being selectively applied to any number of clubs. Sydney is far from alone when it comes to not playing on a level playing field.
While preserving the Swans is the easiest decision the AFL has to make, it also follows that unlike one two Melbourne club basket cases, Sydney will become financially buoyant and any league assistance is money well spent.
Meantime, read Patrick's assessment of the Wayne Jackson show:
