CHIEF executive Gillon McLachlan has declared the AFL will pay back its debt to fans in 2022 after emerging from the past two seasons in as strong a position as the game has ever been.
McLachlan used his speech at the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season launch to thank the fans for their loyalty, which drove the game through the COVID-19 pandemic and provided a $300m financial buffer for the competition.
>> Read Gillon McLachlan's full season launch speech below
He said it was now time to restore certainty and confidence in the game by forging on in 2022 to deliver the new season "as the fixture says, when the fixture says".
"It is now time for all in football to pay back that debt, ensuring we play on and play through," McLachlan said.
"We are going ahead and we are not stopping. We will provide certainty and continuity, restoring confidence at all levels of the game, I hope in many other parts of our life that are dwindling or withering.
"Our firm plan is to play as the fixture says. When the fixture says. The pandemic forced us inside and forced us apart, and now we must reconnect and get on with our lives. At both the elite level and at community."
McLachlan used Wednesday night's launch to announce an investment of $50m in community football to help re-establish a sense of belonging after two difficult years at grassroots level.
He said the competition was in an "enviable position", despite the challenges of the pandemic.
"We stand here tonight in as strong a position as we have been, frankly, in the game's history. An unimaginable thought in the abyss of [last year]," McLachlan said.
"The AFL balance sheet is strong and debt free. Our clubs have reduced debt and almost all clubs were profitable last year.
"Even more significant is the sense of belonging and connection our supporters have with the game.
"Two years ago I said, and I think I believed it, that footy would find a way. I'm proud that we did.
>> Read Gillon McLachlan's full season launch speech below
"Now is the time to stop focusing on the past two years and look forward to what is next."
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan's speech at the 2022 premiership season launch
LADIES and Gentlemen, welcome.
Before I begin, I would like to reiterate that the thoughts of all across the AFL industry are with all communities and families impacted by the flood disaster across Queensland and NSW.
Our teams at the AFL head office, AFL Queensland and AFL NSW will continue to work with the local clubs and we are working through the best way support the communities affected.
We are thinking of you all.
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I don’t often say this – In fact I have never said this… but it is nice to be able to actually deliver a speech.
To real football people. In a real football room. At a real football function.
In Melbourne. The last time it happened was on this night in 2020, about 730 days ago. This was the last time we were able to cross borders as a national football collective and come together.
The simple reality is it’s good to have our lives back.
It has been a long two years and Covid has taken a lot from so many of us.
You all know the story. You all know the impact on our game, our people, our players, our clubs, our supporters and our partners.
I have talked about it enough. We have all talked about it enough, but I want to reiterate how intensely proud and grateful I am of the way this industry – clubs, players, coaches, umpires, our broadcast and corporate partners, our members, our supporters – have all played their part to get us through the last two years.
For we stand here tonight in as strong a position as we have been in the game’s history, an unimaginable thought in the abyss of march, April and May of 2020.
The AFL balance sheet is strong and debt free, our clubs have reduced debt and almost all clubs were profitable last year. Even more significant, the sense of belonging and connection our supporters have with the game is deep, national and diverse, reflected in ratings and memberships at record levels.
Where we haven’t been able to play at the community level, the loss is palpable and our commitment is to invest more than $50 million dollars this year – including an extra $8 million dollars into community football to help them recover so they can continue their role in the heart of the community.
Our AFL and AFLW stars owe their success to community clubs and we need to get people back into clubs to re-build and re-connect our communities and re-build that sense of belonging at all levels of our game.
So, thank you to everyone in the room – your collective effort, cooperation and resilience has seen the best of our industry and put us in this enviable position.
Confident. Positive. Enthusiastic about the Toyota AFL Premiership season ahead and intensely proud of the NAB AFLW season that is drawing to an incredible finish after what has been – without doubt – our finest season Women’s season to date.
Despite the best efforts of covid, AFLW continues to gather energy and – with the remaining four clubs joining in season seven – it will only go from strength to strength.
To have 18 clubs with 18 supporter bases that can support 18 AFLW teams will make the competition complete.
Through the last two years, the conversation has too often been about what we don’t have or haven’t been able to do….
Which is why I am so excited about what we do have and what is coming back.
To build momentum around an AFL season.
To return to the footy rituals and routines that set the rhythms of our lives.
To continue to focus on getting back to football and going to football as we know it.
For our supporters, and specifically our 1.1 million members, whose tribal loyalty provided the emotional purpose for everyone to go forward as well as the $300m buffer to get us through financially.
And it is now time for all in football to pay back that debt, ensuring we play on and play through.
We are going ahead, and we are not stopping.
We will provide certainty and continuity, restoring confidence at all levels of the game and I hope in many other parts of our life that are dwindling or withering.
Our firm plan is to play as the fixture says. When the fixture says.
The pandemic forced us inside and forced us apart, and now we must re-connect and get on with our lives. At both the elite level and at community.
We know how important Football is in giving us a sense of belonging, a common thread and something that can bring people from all walks of life, all parts of the community together to experience a few hours away from the worries of the world. It unifies us and provides the structure we need as individuals and as communities.
Footy shapes our identity.
Our love of club can feel integral to who we are.
It connects us to family, friends and workmates,
It dictates the rhythms of our week,
Family viewing, Friday nights,
Saturday afternoon at your local community club,
Home games, favourite seats,
Sunday morning kids sport,
Even Premiership winning Senior Coaches and his players sharing a beer at the pub ……
We have the greatest game on earth.
There are strategic issues that need resolving this year.
A new partnership with our players, both women and men. A focus on diversifying our balance sheet and our revenue streams. Getting on the tools for growth in markets or pockets where we are less strong…working what the future looks like in Tasmania.
But in the short term it’s about AFLW finals and the men’s season.
Next week, I would love to sell out the MCG on Wednesday night to watch Melbourne unfurl its first Premiership flag in 57 years and to see the two grand finalists go head-to-head in front of 100,000 people.
I’m confident we will have more than 400,000 people come to our games during the opening round, something that hasn’t been done since 2017 and that we will break the all-time attendance record for a round. That will be some statement about the state of our game.
But it is more than one round, or even one game.
We are collectively – the AFL, AFLW, State Leagues, NAB Leagues, All-abilities, community clubs and AusKick – we are playing our part in getting our communities and our country back up and running. Because we need it.
And while people come and go, our game continues to endure and connect and stand the test of time.
Two years ago, I said that footy would find a way, and I’m proud that we did.
Now is the time to stop focusing on the past two years and look forward to what is next.
The superstars - Dusty, Petracca, Danger, The Bont
The moments including unbelievably Buddy’s 1000th goal.
The wins and losses,
The storylines all yet to be written,
And whatever the next chapter of our great game looks like – I think it will be our best yet.
Thanks for your role in getting us here, and I'll see you at the footy.
