AFL MEMBERS ASSOCIATION VIEWS 2002 MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE AS 'A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION'

Friday November 30, 2001

Media Statement 11/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Stephen Teleki, AFLMA Media Spokesman: 0412 125 533

The AFL Members Association sees the 2002 Members Package released today as

step in the right direction, but feels the AFL has some way to go to before

overcoming the deep level of disenchantment that exists among members.

At the inaugural meeting between the AFL and the AFL Members Association in

early October, AFL chief executive Wayne Jackson invited the AFLMA to

comment on the draft 2002 Membership Package.

Since then, representatives of the AFL Members Association have held

several meetings with AFL Membership Manager Shaun Welch, putting forward

the views of the association's members.

"The key concerns AFL Members have identified are the Grand Final access

and so-called 'Blockbuster' games", said AFLMA President Michael Agrotis.

"Unfortunately, the 2002 Package still assumes that there will not be

enough tickets to go round for the Grand Final."

For the first time, the AFL has presented members with a detailed breakdown

of ticketing practices for the Grand Final, and has stated that it is

committed to ratio of 6 seats for every 10 members from 2005 (after the MCG

redevelopment is completed).

Unfortunately, using this ratio, at least half of the last ten Grand Finals

would have been 'lock outs' for AFL Members.

"While no one disputes that AFL members of the competing clubs should get

to go to the Grand Final, the AFLMA contends that ALL full members should

have an equal opportunity," said Mr Agrotis. "After all, this was marketed

as the key benefit of AFL Membership for many years."

The AFLMA presented the AFL with a detailed analysis demonstrating if there

were sufficient tickets for 75% of members to attend the Grand Final,

ticketing problems would become a non-issue.

"We've got 3 years to convince the AFL our ratio - 7.5:10 - is the right

one," said Mr Agrotis.

The AFLMA welcomes the AFL's proposed 'Members Monitor Group', as announced

in the Membership package. However that support is conditional on the

group being directly elected by the members - rather than hand-picked at

the AFL's discretion. "97% of AFLMA members want the body to be elected",

said Mr Agrotis referring to a survey of members carried out in September.

"In fact, the AFLMA are more than happy to take on this role and be used by

the AFL as resource to communicate with the members."

The AFLMA believes there is some support within the AFL for this to be the

case.

"A handpicked group would just be seen as nothing more than a mouthpiece

for the AFL," said Mr Agrotis. "Only a duly elected body would be

transparent, accountable and credible in the eyes of members."

Changes in the 2002 package that AFLMA see as positive include the greater

choice offered when booking seats (including walk-up opportunities to

non-'Blockbuster' games), the further reduction in charges for reserving

finals seats, the dropping of the telephone ballot, and the restoration of

the junior membership age back to 7.

The AFLMA welcomes the AFL's stated commitment to communicate clearly and

consistently with the membership than in the past. "However, there are

still many issues which we clearly need to debate", said Mr Agrotis. "But

the mere fact that the AFL were prepared to hear our case is something. It

took the AFL Players Association 10 years to get the AFL to join them at

the table in the same way."

The Minister of Sport, the Hon. Justin Madden MLC - a former President of

the AFL Players Association - recently gave the AFL Members Association

official recognition, naming it as the appropriate lobbying body to

represent members who have concerns about how the AFL is looking after

membership entitlements.

The AFLMA web page is located at: http://www.aflma.com/

Contact the AFLMA on 0412 125 533 or email mailto:media@aflma.com