The Australian Football League has told club presidents it "intends to divide the broadcasting rights bonanza" up in more of a group-coordinated manner rather than "dealing with parties such as the players and clubs separately," according to Jon Pierik of THE AGE. In a sign league brass is "trying to appease all parties," AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan outlined his plan while fronting club bosses on Monday at their traditional gathering on the day of the Brownlow Medal count. The league's "stunning" A$2.5B ($1.75B) TV rights deal has prompted the players to "renew their bid for a set percentage of revenue" as part of a new collective bargaining agreement, with negotiations to begin soon. Clubs also insist they need a "fair cut to balance their books," as only six reportedly made profits last year without "substantial help from the league's governing body." There have "also been calls for the AFL to finally purchase Etihad Stadium, ahead of effectively getting it for nothing" in '25. One club president said, "Gillon went through the numbers and they outlined a process where there are a variety of demands, ranging from clubs, players to infrastructure and fans, and a way of working their way through that" (THE AGE, 9/28).
