THE uncertain and unstable economic climate has prompted the AFL to defer issuing a licence for the Gold Coast consortium until the league has further explored the impact of a new team on the rest of the competition.
The AFL Commission remains confident that the Gold Coast team will join the AFL as planned in 2011 and the licence could yet be issued at the next commission meeting next month, but the league has held off doing so until it has re-examined the financial modelling in light of the changed economic circumstances.
The AFL has resolved one thorny issue for the new team on the Gold Coast by reaching an agreement with the Queensland Government to allow the contract involving the Gabba to be varied so that the new team will play all matches â except the local derby against the Brisbane Lions â on the Gold Coast. The local derby must be at the Gabba at least until 2015.
To sweeten the deal and persuade the Government to vary the contract â which had required any new team based in South-East Queensland to play half of its home-and-away matches at the Gabba â the AFL has agreed to schedule an Easter Thursday blockbuster at the Gabba until 2020.
While the AFL has toyed with sites for a new Gold Coast stadium, it is understood the league has agreed that it will instead opt for the heapest, most appropriate option and remodel Carrara.
AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said yesterday the GC17 consortium had satisfied everything asked of it when tendering for the licence in April, but the AFL was reluctant to commit to the licence until it had completed its own research.
"The commission did not make a final decision about the licence, but has instead asked the AFL executive to clarify several matters from today's discussion and provide a further analysis and financial modelling of the impact of the new club on the existing competition," Fitzpatrick said.
The commission did agree that in the interim the Gold Coast team would play, as planned, in the TAC Cup next year and that all playing and coaching contracts signed to date would be honoured and extended beyond next season.
Fitzpatrick said he hoped the licence could be issued at the next commission meeting and doubted the delay would affect the planned introduction of the team in 2011.
"This is a generational decision for Australian football and the AFL Commission," Fitzpatrick said.
"I think anyone in our position has to look at what's happening in the economic world and financial world and take that into account. I think the AFL is in excellent shape and financially probably the strongest it's ever been, but we nevertheless have to look at how we see the next few years going forward."
Fitzpatrick said that on Monday the commission had toured west Sydney, including the showgrounds stadium and the Blacktown area, and had been impressed.
"The commission came out of that investigation with a much more positive view ⦠so I thought it was a very worthwhile trip."
Last Modified on 20/04/2009 12:58