Crows, Power united as Adelaide Oval review nears completion
SA clubs want more stadium revenue as review nears completion
THE REVIEW of the stadium deal at Adelaide Oval is nearing completion, with Power CEO Keith Thomas expecting a result in the next two weeks.
The two South Australian clubs began the review with the SANFL and AFL in July amid claims of poor earnings by the Crows and Power despite record attendances.
Although insisting the move to Adelaide Oval from AAMI Stadium had delivered financially and proved an outstanding success, Thomas and his then-Crows counterpart Steven Trigg both raised issues around the carve up of stadium revenue.
The Power's average home crowd of 44,364 easily eclipsed their anticipated average crowd of 32,000 in 2014 and subsequently Thomas has sought a greater slice of the stadium revenue pie.
Adelaide also exceeded expectations prior to the stadium's opening, averaging the highest home crowd in the League (48,046).
"We got our budgeted uplift … [but that] was based on a performance significantly lower than we delivered at the oval in regards to attendances and all those sorts of things," Thomas said.
"So there was a lot of additional revenue that the AFL clubs haven't necessarily shared in.
"It's really talking about that; where does the whole pie go?"
Newly appointed Adelaide CEO Andrew Fagan has only recently taken over from Trigg at the negotiation table and echoed the sentiment of his Port Adelaide counterpart.
Apart from the Australian cricket team, in 2014 the Crows averaged the highest home crowd of any side, in any sport, in the country.
The club would like to see its share of revenue at Adelaide Oval reflect that status.
"The review is certainly not complete, the result of the move to Adelaide Oval hasn't delivered what we'd expect … it's not an acceptable outcome as it is," he said.
"Those negotiations will continue.
"They're being held in the appropriate spirit but there's a bit of work to do."