There’s nothing wrong with tradition, but if the NRL and AFL want to be national competitions they need to share their Big Dance with other cities.
In March 2010, NRL chief executive David Gallop took a call from the NSW minister for major events, Ian MacDonald, who had been in the role just six days.
Gallop visited MacDonald at his Northbridge home on Sydney’s north shore and, after very little negotiation, left feeling like he’d won Powerball: $50 million over 10 years., the offer was $20 million more than MacDonald’s department had imagined, which was staggering given Queensland hadn’t tabled an offer.
Taking the easy taxpayer loot might pay the bills, but it’s shortsighted when you’re “growing your brand” and “expanding your footprint” and all those other fancy-shmancy terms sporting codes use when discussing expansion.Gallop was a traditionalist when it came to growing the game. “Fish where the fish are,” he would regularly say during his time as NRL boss.The world is getting smaller for both the NRL and AFL.
The whole thing certainly feels short-sighted with the Melbourne Storm shortening favourites to win the NRL premiership and the Sydney Swans similarly placed in the AFL following their rousing victory over GWS Giants at the SCG on Saturday.to stir things up when asked last Thursday if it was time Sydney hosted the AFL grand final.Victoria’s assistant treasurer, Danny Pearson, channelled his inner Darryl Kerrigan from“Tell him he’s dreamin’,” he said.
The MCG is, indeed, a magical venue like no other in this wide, brown land. On grand final day, the atmosphere around and then inside the ground is palpable.It can also be horrifically unfair for teams who aren’t from Melbourne. The laughable imbalance between Richmond and GWS supporters for the 2019 grand final was there for all to see in the surging tide of yellow-and-black throughout the sporting monolith.
As it stands, the 2023 and 2024 grand finals have been secured year-to-year, mostly because the NSW government can’t commit long-term due to the state of its finances.
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