64 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 THE SUN-HERALD Compiled by Wayne Covell, an entertainment lawyer SportsSunday THE 2011 RICH LIST and trademarks attorney with worthyofthename.com From a humble little footy club to Collingwood are on top in more ways than one. The Australia’s top 10 most valuable football clubs AFL ladder leaders are also Australia’s most valuable football club, writes Daniel Ramus. Collingwood Magpies (AFL) 1 $344m t was Eddie McGuire’smeeting ling Stones concerts a year, we’re the Geelong Cats (AFL) with the New England Patriots biggest restaurant in Australia with 2 $257m I five years ago that signalled 2500 or 3500 plates per week at our Collingwood had arrived as a games, we’re No.1 for ratings, and I Essendon Bombers (AFL) world sporting power. think last year we had four or five 3 $224m ‘‘They were basically paying us lip games over 90,000 people,’’ he said. service for the first 20 minutes and ‘‘From a humble little footy club St Kilda Saints (AFL) were being very nice and polite,’’ the that started off in the worst socio- 4 $209m Magpies president recalled. ‘‘Then economic area of Melbourne, it’s they said to me, ‘What’syour aver- been fantastic. On a world scale, it’s Carlton Blues (AFL) age crowd?’ and I said, ‘Just a tick big-time.’’ 5 $208m under 80,000,’ and they nearly fell Earlier this year, Forbes magazine over. Suddenly they sat down and we released a list of the world’stop 20 Fremantle Dockers (AFL) went for dinner and we had about most valuable soccer clubs. Ger- 6 $200m four hours with them.’’ The AFL premiers have been West Coast Eagles (AFL) named Australia’smost valuable 7 $192m football club by entertainment and trademark lawyer Wayne Covell, It’s been fantastic. Hawthorn Hawks (AFL) who compiled a table of the top 10 8 $187m across the four codes. Covell was On a world scale, it’s astonished at the comprehensive St George Illawarra Dragons (NRL) Eddie McGuire nature of Collingwood’sdominance. big-time. 9 $183m ‘‘For a team that was in doldrums just over a decade ago, they have Brisbane Broncos (NRL) really risen from the ashes,’’ Covell man club Hamburg SV (14th) were 10 $178m said. ‘‘It’sone thing to win a grand valued at $US340m, which is just final, but it is really another to turn below Collingwood, and Manches- that performance into brand value.’’ ter City (15th) were also less than Collingwood also finished first on the Pies at $US291m. How the list was compiled Covell’stable last year and were val- AFL’schief executive, Andrew 1. The top 10 list is based on six and the franchisee (the club). ued at $263million – their nearest Demetriou, was full of praise for key indicators – TV rights, 4. The AFL’s TV deal was sponsorship, merchandise, renegotiated in 2011 and is rivals Geelong at $238million. This McGuire and the Magpies for turn- hospitality, membership and year the Pies have surged to a valu- ing the tables on what looked to be a reported to be worth $1.25 ticket revenue projections for billion. The next NRL deal is ation of $344million – a whopping bleak future not so long ago. the next five years. being negotiated and is reported $87million ahead of the second- ‘‘Collingwood’ssuccess has come 2. Four football competitions to be worth at least $1b. placed Cats. about through more than a decade were considered: AFL, NRL, 5. The clubs’ proportionate The following factors have given of hard work, which is often forgot- Super Rugby and the A-League. share of TV deals is based on McGuire’sclub the edge over all ten by many sections of the football 3. Each valuation is based on the Television Audience Comparison others in the land: community,’’ Demetriou told The value of the sports team to the figures provided by Repucom ❏ The most-watched Australian Sun-Herald. ‘‘When Eddie McGuire trademark owners (AFL or NRL) International. football club on television in 2010, took over the club in the late 1990s, replacing the Brisbane Broncos in the club was in severe trouble with 2009 with a cumulative audience of its books and was also struggling on 27million; the field. Over the last decade, the ❏ A long list of ground-breaking Collingwood administration has Long-awaited premiership success propels sponsorship deals, including the worked extremely hard in building reported seven-year $14million its financial position and re- Daniel Ramus Kilda. Dragons chief executive Peter side in 31 years was crucial to their ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● jumper deal with insurance giant connecting with all sections of its Doust said his club might have fared off-field success. “It’s no surprise, I CGU. The club also enjoys long- fan base. THE mantle of the NRL’s most val- even better if the AFL teams had not suppose, that we have been judged a term partnerships with Westpac ‘‘On the field, the coaching staff uable club has been taken by St squared off in a second title decider. lot on our lack of achievement on the (five years), adidas (10 years) Emir- led by Michael Malthouse has built a George Illawarra. “If they hadn’t have played two field over three decades,” Doust said. ates (since 1999) and McDonald’s side over a six to seven year period The Dragons were listed ninth on grand finals it might have been a “To put that one down on the on- (since 2006). that is now as strong as any team in trademark lawyer Wayne Covell’s different score,” he said. field scoreboard was a significant ❏ Significant members’ discounts the recent history of the game.’’ table of Australia’s most valuable St George Illawarra’s merchandise achievement for the club and it does with sponsors, including on flights, A major factor that allowed football clubs, overtaking last year’s revenue was particularly strong – drive business, there’s no doubt clothing, mobile phones, theme Collingwood to increase their lead NRL top dogs, Brisbane. superior to that of Geelong, Essen- about it, success on the field.’’ parks, movies, retail stores and fast- at the top of Covell’stable was their According to figures from Rep- don, St Kilda and Carlton. Its 2010 Doust believes the Dragons have a food outlets. premiership last year, which ucom International, the Dragons sponsorship revenue was slightly national reach unrivalled in the McGuire said the club was not just included the dramatic sub-plot of had the third-highest television above Hawthorn’s at $6.1 million. NRL. “The tradition of St George, a giant on the Australian sporting having a drawn grand final against audience share of any football club Their first premiership as a joint where there’s a lot of people around landscape. ‘‘We run basically 11 Rol- St Kilda that was replayed. last year, behind Collingwood and St venture and the first by a Dragons Australia and internationally that do TENNIS Stosur edges Petrova in her own New York marathon Gillian Tan The 24-year-old Russian trails Stosur big names, too,” Stosur said. “Even women’s tennis at the moment. ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 2-3 in their career meetings. Jarmila stung by abuse though Maria’s gone doesn’t mean it’s There’s a lot of good players out NEW YORK: In-form Australian Stosur’s coach Dave Taylor New York: She’s ranked 31 in the a walk in the park and that’s the same there that, I think, aren’t scared any Samantha Stosur believes she has acknowledged his charge would be world and has amassed $1.5 million when any big seed loses.” more and no one has that aura of what it takes to win her maiden the favourite. “I think she has to in prizemoney but Australia’s “As Sam has said, it’sreally invincibility like you used to see.’’ grand slam title at the US Open. really play her style of tennis, a lot of second-highest ranked tennis player a waste of energy to look Taylor said he was impressed with Brimming with confidence after big serving, setting her forehand up Jarmila Gajdosova is far from happy. anywhere beyond your Stosur’s ability to maintain her grinding out a gutsy three-set win in off her serve, staying in points with The 24-year-old — who was upset in next match because you position in the top 10. the longest women’s US Open her backhand, all the things she the second round of the US Open by don’t control anything “I think the great thing is that Sam’s match in the open era against 24th does well and the reason why she’s a American Vania King — announced other than that,” Tay- made huge steps forward to being a seed Nadia Petrova, the ninth seed top player,” he said. she would be shutting her Twitter lor said. “When legitimate contender at grand slams said she was keen to keep the Having bowed out in the third account after receiving offensive you’re really to then not living up to her own momentum rolling. round of the Australian Open and tweets, which she shared with her winning a big expectations, but then, at the end of “Now I think I’m really playing well, French Open, and the first round of 7000 followers. The worst volume of the day, she’s still No.10 in the world,’’ I’ve got this great belief and confid- Wimbledon, Stosur was glad to be sledge said: “You’re a matches you do he said.