2011 REPORT AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE FOOTBALL AUSTRALIAN ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE 115TH ANNUAL REPORT 2011 115TH ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Highlights of 2011 ................................................4 6/ Legal & Business Affairs.........................64 Broadcasting ...............................................................................66 Major sponsorship renegotiations ...........................................66 1/ Chairman’s Report ............................................12 Broadcast rights ......................................................................... 14 Financial strategy ....................................................................... 14 Corporate Affairs Competition integrity .................................................................17 & Communications .........................................68 AFL Commission ......................................................................... 18 NAB AFL Draft in Sydney ......................................................... 68 International Cup ....................................................................... 69 CEO’s Report ..........................................................20 Greater Western Sydney Giants ...............................................24 Human Resources ........................................... 70 Collective Bargaining Agreement .............................................25 Employment for People with a Disability Program................70 Key measures, AFL clubs ...........................................................26 Indigenous Employment Strategy ........................................... 71 Management changes................................................................28 7/ National & International 2/ Broadcasting & Infrastructure ........30 Development...........................................................72 Coverage by market ....................................................................32 NAB AFL Auskick ........................................................................74 AFL Media....................................................................................35 Female participation ..................................................................78 Stadium infrastructure ..............................................................36 Community Engagement - Indigenous ................................... 83 Community Engagement - Multicultural ................................85 Umpiring development ............................................................. 88 3/ Strategic Planning & Marketing ... 40 Club Future Fund ........................................................................42 8/ Awards, Results & Farewells ............98 Other major projects ..................................................................43 The Premiers .............................................................................100 International Rules Series ....................................................... 107 4/ Football Operations ......................................46 Vale Bob Davis ...........................................................................114 Vale Allan Jeans..........................................................................115 AFL Integrity Rules .................................................................. 48 AFL Anti-Doping Code .............................................................. 49 Injury survey ............................................................................... 50 9/ Financial Report ................................................116 Cultural Strategy and Education .............................................. 51 AFL clubs' financial results ...................................................... 117 Key financial indicators .............................................................119 5/ Commercial Operations ........................... 56 Toyota Motor Corporation Australia ....................................... 58 Concise Financial Report .......................121 Events and hospitality .............................................................. 60 Directors' Report .......................................................................121 Attendance .................................................................................. 61 Corporate Governance..............................................................129 FRONT COVER: Geelong Cats captain OPPOSITE: First-year Cats coach Chris Scott BACK COVER: A young Cats fan Cameron Ling looks like the Cat who brought a fresh voice to the club in 2011, helping rises above the crowd to cheer got the cream as he holds the 2011 his ageing team defy widespread predictions his team on to its 2011 Toyota Toyota AFL Premiership Cup. that its premiership window had closed. AFL Grand Final win. 2011 HIGHLIGHTS 7,488,198 Record for total attendances at NAB Cup, NAB Regional Challenge, Toyota AFL Premiership Season and Toyota AFL Finals series in 2011, beating the previous record of 7,470,606 set in 2010. 6,525,071 34,893 3,571,262 Record total attendance for the Toyota The average attendance a game during Average national Network 10 AFL Premiership Season. the Toyota AFL Premiership Season, audience for the Toyota AFL Grand Final which puts the AFL competition in the between Geelong and Collingwood, top four in average attendance a game retaining the Grand Final’s position in world professional sport, behind the as the most watched annual sporting National Football League in the United event in Australia. States (66,690), Bundesliga soccer in Germany (42,673) and Premier League soccer in England (35,283). FLYING HIGH: West Coast Eagle Nic Naitanui showcases one of the most exhilarating aspects of Australian Football, clutching a 'speccy' over teammate Jack Darling and Carlton's Zach Tuohy in round 14, as Blue Bret Thornton tries in vain to spoil. High marking was a feature of the 2011 AFL season, helping attract a record overall attendance of 7,488,198. PIE HIGH: Collingwood's Andrew Krakouer holds on to a spectacular mark in round nine at Etihad Stadium, which was subsequently named 2011's Panasonic Mark of the Year. Krakouer flew over Adelaide's Luke Thompson and teammate Dayne Beams, as Crow James Sellar and Magpie Chris Dawes waited in vain for crumbs. Australian Football's appeal continued in 2011, with total participation numbers reaching 791,178. AFL CLUBS AND PLAYERS 650,373 The membership record established by AFL clubs in 2011, the 11th consecutive season the clubs have created a new mark. With the Gold Coast Suns’ inaugural membership excluded, a record of 639,232 club members was still established. Attendance growth Richmond recorded the biggest increase in home game attendances 61,488 53,212 49,267 compared with 2010, Collingwood Carlton Essendon attracting 470,624 fans – a 14.2 per cent increase. The top clubs in terms of average attendance a home 42,784 37,436 36,363 game were: Richmond West Coast Eagles Hawthorn Major awards Brownlow Medal Norm Smith Medal Coleman Medal NAB AFL Rising Star Michael Tuck Medal Jim Stynes Medal Dane Swan Jimmy Bartel Lance Franklin Dyson Heppell Heath Shaw James Kelly Collingwood Geelong Hawthorn Essendon Collingwood Geelong AFL payments Total Collective to clubs player Bargaining AFL payments to clubs in 2011 earnings Agreement totalled $159 million. Taking into account the The Collective Bargaining $153.7 million in gross Agreement secured with the player payments, $9.2 AFL Players’ Association million in additional services totalled $1.144 billion in agreements and $1.93 million player payments and related from employment and benefits for the period marketing arrangements with 2012-16. By 2016, the average associates of the clubs, the salary for an AFL player will total earned by players in 2011 be $300,000. was $164.83 million. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT Metricon Adelaide Perth Royal Agricultural Stadium Oval Stadium Society Opened on time and on budget Legislation passed by South On June 28, 2011, the Premier Showground ($140 million) for the Gold Australian Parliament for the of Western Australia, Colin Work is on schedule and Coast Suns-Geelong match Adelaide Oval redevelopment Barnett, and Sports Minister budget for the $60 million on May 28, 2011. In market to proceed at a cost of $535 Terry Waldron announced a redevelopment of the RAS research conducted by the AFL million. Adelaide Oval will be new stadium would be built, Showground at Sydney during the season, supporters the home-game venue for at a cost of $700 million, Olympic Park as the primary attending Suns games at Adelaide and Port Adelaide at a site near Burswood. home-game venue for the Metricon Stadium rated from 2014. Fremantle and the West Coast Greater Western Sydney the venue the highest Eagles will be the primary Giants. The redevelopment among all AFL venues tenants of the new venue, will increase the capacity of in terms of the stadium which will have a capacity the stadium to 25,000 seats and match-day experience. of 60,000 with provision from 14,000 and the Giants for future expansion to will play their first home game 70,000 seats. at the ground on May 26, 2012, against Essendon. MCG SCG Community Worked started on stage one The SCG Trust finalised facilities of the $55 million upgrade of a master plan for the In 2011, the AFL partnered the Great Southern Stand. redevelopment of the SCG, with various state and local Stage one is to be completed which will include new training governments to secure 94 for the 2012