The AFL is planning legal action against SOL, claiming it has breached the user agreement between the parties signed back in 1997. A preliminary hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday gave the League access to some sensitive documents but denied it the right to see SOL’s agreement with the Melbourne Victory soccer team, which plays at Docklands.
Demetriou said he and SOL chief executive Ian Collins had found some common ground on the dispute but was concerned about the attitude of the shareholders.
“I think there is a will on (Collins’) part to try and resolve the matter,” Demetriou said.
“I am not sure whether his views reflect the views of his shareholders and that’s why I say to them: ‘Really take a good hard look at this decision and what is going forward’.
“You don’t want to have tenants who are dissatisfied tenants, it is in no-one’s interests and it is certainly not in the public’s interests.”
Demetriou confirmed the League would press on with legal action despite being denied access to Melbourne Victory’s deal with the stadium, which could be critical to their case.
Demetriou said the League would get to see that agreement anyway as the case dragged on.
“We are going to go to court to pursue the whole matter and we will get discovery. All today’s decision was about was getting discovery before the court case. If we can’t get it until the court case that’s fine by us, we’ll wait,” Demetriou said.
While the Victory agreement remains confidential for now, the court did order SOL to hand over its agreements with naming sponsor, Etihad, and some of its agreements with beverage suppliers at the stadium.
Demetriou said the legal action against SOL had become the League’s No.1 priority.
“We just want what is fair for our Victorian clubs,” he said.
“The clubs are generating a significant economy for this stadium, they are generating a significant economy for this state and as I’ve said repeatedly, the beneficiaries seem to just be the shareholders. At a point in time that just becomes intolerable.
“At the moment [it is] the clubs who are generating this income that allow the stadium to invest in other projects, that allows it to bring other acts to this stadium, that allows them to underwrite other sports playing at this stadium. The clubs deserve better.
“That is what it’s all about and we are going to pursue it to the end.”
