The new stadium agreement, finalised yesterday will significantly boost Victorian club’s financial returns from matches at the venue.
As a result of the agreement, AFL clubs will share in an additional $5.5 million a year in income from 2010 until the expiration of the lease period in March 2025.
In return, the AFL has agreed that the minimum number of contracted ‘home and away’ games scheduled at Etihad Stadium will increase by at least 130.
Western Bulldogs President, David Smorgon OAM, who led the delegation of Victorian club Presidents who had been fighting for a better and fairer deal at the Stadium, has applauded the AFL and MSL on the outcome.
“This is a great result for Victorian based AFL clubs playing home games at Etihad and, after eight years of advocacy, finally puts us on a level playing field with all AFL clubs,” he said.
“We can now begin to compete on the same platform that other clubs have enjoyed for the last eight years and we congratulate the AFL and MSL, in particular the work of AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou, and the whole of the AFL Commission, led by Mike Fitzpatrick, for this outstanding achievement.”
“This agreement provides us with a major financial boost to underpin our financial stability and long term sustainability of this club. In particular for the Bulldogs, this boost will help towards reducing our long term debt,” Smorgon said.
