Its a bluff, but a damn exciting one. The confidence and swagger in the code at the moment is just amazing.
There are many problems with this, that main being the simple idea that we cannot have a decrease in revenue without serious problems.
In fact, we cant even really have a stagnation...we HAVE to increase the amount of cash that we bring in, or else we will have players leaving the code in big numbers, and poor clubs pushed to the brink and over the edge.
We have to increase support for the clubs, and unless we give the players a big pay bump then more are going to go overseas.
We could sell a game or two exclusively to BigPond. But expansion would be put on hold while this plays out too. Hmmmmm
The problem is, will Foxtel care that much? Yes we are their number one factor driving subscriptions, but realistically we are one of many, many properties that they have. I personally wont be dropping Foxtel because of the golf, and there are many others who are into their rugger, soccer, cricket or AFL. For them its hardly a knockout blow, its just a dropoff in subscriptions. And one that has a long leadoff time, as most people are locked into long contracts, and people are just used to having it there. It would seriously take 3 years for the full effect.
But.... it might be possible.
THE GAMBLE
Lets say we try it for 3 years.
If we can get from the FTA networks a similar or slightly higher figure per annum than we get now (which seems possible but i cant be sure), and restructure payments so that rep players get the big increase (thereby protecting our top tier), and we guarantee all clubs currently existing that they are underwritten for the duration of the gamble, then we can possibly wait foxtel out.
The players will complain that they arent getting the cash they deserve, and a greater number of second tier players will head off to Europe and the AFL, but we can grit our teeth and be confident that they will be back once things normalise. As long as we retain our clubs, we will retain our supporter base.
Now for the time being there is less money for grassroots, for promotion, and none at all for expansion.
One thing that will probably suffer is coverage outside the heartland... while NSW and QLD will get all the games its unlikely it will be shown anywhere else. This will be done to get the maximum value out of our FTA component.
On the positive side, the game is much cheaper to promote because its going to be on all the time. Its going to be ubiquitous. Talk about shoring up the heartland, we will be back into everyones faces for the duration, and its unlikely that AFL will get a look in when we are on around the clock on weekends.
Its very interesting stuff anyway.
