IN THE fear next month's club presidents' meeting with the AFL Commission could turn into a 'bunfight', Collingwood's Eddie McGuire has written to his colleagues and the league regarding the proposed two new licences for clubs on the Gold Coast and in western Sydney.
"With such a huge decision to be made, we need to get as much detail before we waste any further time or get distracted from the main discussion," the Magpie president wrote, according to Thursday's The Age newspaper.
"This seismic issue is no longer hypothetical, it's a reality.
"This is not about grandstanding or diminishing the power and responsibility of the commission, rather it is a course to expedite answers, allay fear, and to use our collective know-how to avert the costly mistakes that were a blight on our competition for nearly 25 years after the last expansion into these two states took place," the letter stated.
"No doubt all of us will individually talk with the AFL but in a matter with such wide-ranging ramifications for all current clubs, I believe it is essential we move, from this moment forward, to have a transparent exchange of information so that everyone is clear as to what the competition, indeed each of our clubs, faces in the next 10 years," McGuire said in the communique.
McGuire's questions included:
- Where do the players come from? Will we receive compensation? Will the (new clubs) be privately owned? Will they warehouse players in the next number of drafts?
- What are the licences worth? Who gets that money? How many rounds of football? What days will they be played?
- Will the extra Total Player Payments continue to be fully funded by the AFL?
- Is there a stadium deal available now? Will zones be reintroduced for the new clubs?
- Will free agency be introduced as a result? What will happen to the competitive balance fund? Will there be money available for the development of current clubs?
- What data is available to show these zones will support a full-time team? How much will it all cost?
- Should we build up these markets before risking everything on the big play? Are 18 teams viable and will other clubs be induced to seek mergers?
McGuire had the chance to personally deliver some of his queries on Wednesday when he sat next to AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and his deputy Gillon McLachlan on a flight to Sydney.
The Collingwood president said all clubs had different concerns so it was appropriate to co-ordinate the questions.
According to Melbourne tabloid, the Herald Sun, Adelaide chairman Bill Sanders has snubbed McGuire's idea, writing back saying he would not attend a presidents-only meeting nor would he supply any questions for McGuire to collate.
"I've never supported private meetings, even if the AFL is aware of them," Sanders is quoted as saying on Wednesday night. "I will not support this one planned by Eddie. I certainly will not attend it."
The Herald Sun's article went on to say McGuire wasn't concerned about Sanders' comments and the meeting wasn't compulsory.
"I sat on a plane today [Wednesday] with Andrew Demetriou and Gill McLachlan and showed them the letter and they said it was a great idea," McGuire said.
McGuire said he thought every club, including Adelaide, would want to know what was going on. "If the Adelaide Crows don't want to find out what's going until the meeting, that's up to them," he said.
McGuire said Demetriou had indicated the AFL would send a briefing document to the presidents a week before the March 13 meeting.
