AFL Commission Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick today said the AFL had achieved steady growth through 2014 while appointing new leadership for the game and developing a revised approach to revenue sharing for the competition.
The AFL Commission has forwarded the game’s official financial figures, which will appear in the 2014 Annual Report, to the AFL Club Presidents in the lead-up to the AFL annual general meeting, to be held on Wednesday March 25.
“The industry can be very proud of our financial results and investments over the 2014 year,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said.
“We had a challenging year in 2014, but our results are very sound,' Mr Fitzpatrick said.
The key financial highlights were as follows:
▪ Revenue increased by $12 million to $458 million
▪ Expenditure increased by $6 million to $142 million due to revenue related increases
▪ The operating surplus before grants and distributions increased to $316 million
▪ The AFL provided $216 million to AFL clubs compared to $209 million in 2013
▪ After grants and distributions, the AFL’s net profit decreased by $4 million in 2014 to $12.5 million which will be reinvested in the AFL’s Future Fund
In 2014, the AFL Commission introduced a revised competitive balance policy designed to ensure supporters and members of each AFL club have the belief that their club was a genuine chance to win each week.
"The AFL continued our investment in our clubs and expansion, as well as making key decisions regarding revenue sharing' Mr Fitzpatrick said.
'The revised competitive balance policy is a good example of maximum competition between AFL clubs on field and maximum co-operation between AFL clubs and the AFL off field.
‘It was at times a hotly debated issue – as it should be – but I would like to thank and acknowledge the contribution of all clubs and for the consensus which was reached in 2014,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said.
The AFL's key metrics in 2014 were:
- 99,454 - The attendance at the 2014 Toyota AFL Grand Final
- 2,828,139- The Seven Network audience for the 2014 Toyota AFL Grand Final which was the most watched program on metropolitan television in 2014 in Australia’s five biggest capital cities
- 3,733,409 - The national metropolitan and regional audience for the 2014 Toyota AFL Grand Final
- 6,384,742 - Total attendance for the 2014 Toyota AFL Premiership Season
- 32,246 - The average attendance per game for the 2014 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, the fourth highest average attendance per game in the world for professional sport.
- 4,727,623 - The total average aggregate television audience for each week of the 2014 Toyota AFL Premiership Season
- 804,480 - The total number of AFL club members in 2014, a record established by the clubs for the 14th successive season.
As part of the financial figures, the Commission released the details of the executive packages for 2014.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the package for the AFL CEO Position comprised Andrew Demetriou (7 months) and Gillon McLachlan (5 months) as one total in 2014 of $3.3 million, a decrease on the 2013 figure of $3.8 million.
The salary schedule for the AFL total executive’s salaries was $5.9 million in 2014 versus $6.7 million in 2013. Gillon McLachlan’s salary in 2014 AFL financial year was approximately $1.3million.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the AFL, through the work of the AFL Executive and the Commission, had achieved impressive results in each of its key indicators on the health of the game.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank our clubs and our supporters, and in particular club members, who are the lifeblood of our game,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said.
