bornadog
02-10-2008, 11:04 PM
We may sponsor Sydney side: Barr
BY PETER FITZGERALD
2/10/2008 12:00:00 AM
The AFL's new western Sydney team could have a similar relationship with the ACT to the one Hawthorn has with Tasmania, if Labor wins this month's ACT election.
The Tasmanian Government effectively sponsors Hawthorn to the tune of $15 million over five years, guaranteeing at least four games a season are played in the state.
Barr met with AFL heavyweights in Melbourne last weekend to discuss the future of AFL in the ACT.
Currently, the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demons play one premiership game each in Canberra a season.
The capital is also guaranteed two pre-season fixtures a season.
The existing contract between the ACT Government and the AFL expires at the end of 2009.
Barr guaranteed that if Labor was re-elected, AFL games would continue to be played in Canberra and that a semi-ownership deal with the western Sydney club wasn't out of reach.
''It would be silly to invest $3million a year in Melbourne or the Western Bulldogs knowing that arrangement is only for a couple more years, but with the new Sydney team it's definitely something that could be on the table as part of our future discussions,'' Barr said.
''From my recent discussions with the AFL it's fair to say they are looking for Canberra to play a role with the new western Sydney team.
''That team would ideally play a number of games in Canberra so instead of Melbourne clubs selling games to us, this could be more of a permanent, long-term thing with a bit more ownership of the club for Canberrans.''
The ACT Government paid $828,000 plus organised corporate support to secure the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs to three-year contracts.
Barr said that if re-elected, he would monitor the success of Tasmania's deal with Hawthorn before making any official move on a western Sydney franchise but pledged his commitment to AFL in the national capital in some aspect.
''There is no doubt there will be AFL games in the ACT for years to come, it's just a matter of how many and to what possible extent of ownership we have over a team.
''What Tasmania has done, it's a big commitment and it's something we certainly wouldn't consider in the next [AFL contractual] arrangement, given it's only a two-year gap before the western Sydney team comes into contention.
''But I'm sure the Tasmanian Government will have some public data available around how their deal with Hawthorn worked or didn't work for them and we'll definitely keep an eye on that.''
Shadow sports minister Brendan Smyth and the Liberal Party were in power in Canberra when the ACT first became the Kangaroos' second home during the AFL season in 2000.
Smyth accused the Labor Government yesterday of not doing enough when the Kangaroos' ended their relationship with Canberra after the 2006 season but vowed to secure more games to the capital should the Liberals be elected.
''I was extremely disappointed the Government didn't keep the Kangaroos because we'd done a lot of hard work in getting them in the first place and they'd built up a solid following in the ACT,'' Smyth said.
''We would definitely negotiate serious deals with the new western Sydney team.''
BY PETER FITZGERALD
2/10/2008 12:00:00 AM
The AFL's new western Sydney team could have a similar relationship with the ACT to the one Hawthorn has with Tasmania, if Labor wins this month's ACT election.
The Tasmanian Government effectively sponsors Hawthorn to the tune of $15 million over five years, guaranteeing at least four games a season are played in the state.
Barr met with AFL heavyweights in Melbourne last weekend to discuss the future of AFL in the ACT.
Currently, the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demons play one premiership game each in Canberra a season.
The capital is also guaranteed two pre-season fixtures a season.
The existing contract between the ACT Government and the AFL expires at the end of 2009.
Barr guaranteed that if Labor was re-elected, AFL games would continue to be played in Canberra and that a semi-ownership deal with the western Sydney club wasn't out of reach.
''It would be silly to invest $3million a year in Melbourne or the Western Bulldogs knowing that arrangement is only for a couple more years, but with the new Sydney team it's definitely something that could be on the table as part of our future discussions,'' Barr said.
''From my recent discussions with the AFL it's fair to say they are looking for Canberra to play a role with the new western Sydney team.
''That team would ideally play a number of games in Canberra so instead of Melbourne clubs selling games to us, this could be more of a permanent, long-term thing with a bit more ownership of the club for Canberrans.''
The ACT Government paid $828,000 plus organised corporate support to secure the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs to three-year contracts.
Barr said that if re-elected, he would monitor the success of Tasmania's deal with Hawthorn before making any official move on a western Sydney franchise but pledged his commitment to AFL in the national capital in some aspect.
''There is no doubt there will be AFL games in the ACT for years to come, it's just a matter of how many and to what possible extent of ownership we have over a team.
''What Tasmania has done, it's a big commitment and it's something we certainly wouldn't consider in the next [AFL contractual] arrangement, given it's only a two-year gap before the western Sydney team comes into contention.
''But I'm sure the Tasmanian Government will have some public data available around how their deal with Hawthorn worked or didn't work for them and we'll definitely keep an eye on that.''
Shadow sports minister Brendan Smyth and the Liberal Party were in power in Canberra when the ACT first became the Kangaroos' second home during the AFL season in 2000.
Smyth accused the Labor Government yesterday of not doing enough when the Kangaroos' ended their relationship with Canberra after the 2006 season but vowed to secure more games to the capital should the Liberals be elected.
''I was extremely disappointed the Government didn't keep the Kangaroos because we'd done a lot of hard work in getting them in the first place and they'd built up a solid following in the ACT,'' Smyth said.
''We would definitely negotiate serious deals with the new western Sydney team.''