AFL CHIEF executive Gillon McLachlan won't guarantee that the NAB AFL Draft will remain on the Gold Coast after this year's event.
A rumoured meeting between the AFL and Queensland tourism minister Jann Stuckey will not be taking place this week to discuss extending the agreement, which expires this year, to hold the draft on the Gold Coast.
"We have an unbelievable partnership with the Queensland government," McLachlan said at Metricon Stadium ahead of a meeting with club chief executives on Wednesday.
"I'd like it to stay here but we're not wedded to it. If the government up here doesn't want to pursue it, there are other good things we could do with it."
McLachlan said key aspects of the draft will be reviewed as usual once it was completed.
"Our industry loves coming up here, and the numbers suggest for Tourism Queensland and Gold Coast tourism it is a success and it has been a great fillip for footy in this state."
He said there had been unofficial nibbles from other states about staging the draft, but there were no concrete proposals at this stage.
"There's been a little bit of chat, but nothing major. If I had my choice we'd be here, otherwise we'll do something else exciting with it," he said.
Gold Coast first hosted the draft in 2010 and has remained there since, with the exception of 2011 when it was staged in western Sydney.
It is an appropriate time for the AFL to convene in Queensland, with
the Brisbane Lions announcing an operating loss of $3.5 million on Tuesday.
But McLachlan said he held no concerns for the club's future, despite sustained financial losses over several seasons, citing the arrival of veteran football administrator Greg Swann as chief executive, improved form throughout 2014 and the arrival of talented duo Dayne Beams and Allen Christensen in the trade period.
"I have said this repeatedly; it's never as far from the top to the bottom as you think it is, and Brisbane is a good example of that when it was the most profitable and successful club in the League for a sustained period.
"And it is never that far from the bottom to the top and Port Adelaide is an example of that."
McLachlan said the issue for the clubs was not their revenues but their costs. Financial losses can quickly blow out if teams are struggling on the field.
"When you have slow periods, instead of losing $200,000 you lose $2 million," he said.
The Lions are receiving assistance from the League, with recent equalisation measures starting to take effect.
"We have great confidence they will get there, but it is a two or three year journey for them and some other clubs," he said.
