Suns say AFL punt paying dividends
GOLD Coast CEO Mark Evans says “the investment in Queensland is working” and he expects the AFL will continue contributing to the club once the code emerges from the coronavirus crisis.
The AFL contributed $27.5 million to the Suns last year, bringing its total investment to more than $250 million since founding the club in 2009.
Evans, speaking to Foxfooty.com.au, said the club would survive and continue to warrant investment in what is now its 10th season as an AFL club.
“Gil (AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan) has already said the AFL and the clubs are making tough changes to ensure the future viability of all 18 clubs,” Evans said.
“Then, when you consider that Queensland and NSW are where more than 50 per cent of Australians live, and that’s the biggest opportunity for AFL growth, the investment in Queensland is working.
“Last year (there were) 280,000 participants in Queensland – a 50 per cent growth over a five-year period, I think there were only 100,000 participants when we started as a club – second highest number of female participants in the country, huge growth in school competitions, now the secondbiggest in the country.
“So not only is the strategy working but it probably becomes even more important in the future.
“The other thing to contemplate is that the broadcast partnership is built on nine games per round, and the growth of TV audience in NSW and Queensland is critical now and well into the future.
“So with all of those things, we would say that that investment is paying dividends and should continue.”
Evans, who has worked as Hawthorn general manager of football and AFL general manager, was adamant the scale of the upcoming challenge was like nothing he had dealt with before.
“None of us have ever had to deal with something that has been so large and so wide impacting in the community,” he said.
“You probably have to talk to our grandparents, our great grandparents to really get an understanding on things that they would’ve seen, but we’ve never had this in our generation. From a footy perspective, this is difficult for everybody involved in the community.
“(Monday) was incredibly difficult because we were talking to our players and staff who we regard as our family, letting them know we were shutting the season down for a period, but they also know the best thing we can do for them is to get things going as soon as we possibly can.
The AFL have announced a code-wide shutdown until at least May 31, with players offering to take a 50 per cent pay cut until their return date.
It was revealed yesterday that Geelong coach Chris Scott would forego his salary during the shutdown, while continuing to work as part of the Cats’ skeleton staff.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT QUEENSLAND AND NSW ARE WHERE MORE THAN 50 PER CENT OF AUSTRALIANS LIVE, AND THAT’S THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY FOR AFL GROWTH, THE INVESTMENT IN QUEENSLAND IS WORKING. GOLD COAST SUNS CHIEF EXECUTIVE MARK EVANS