AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan (center) during the AFLX season launch promotional event. GETTY IMAGES
Sports marketing expert and Australian Football League fan Con Stavros is "much anticipating the AFLX experiment," according to Steve Larkin of the AAP. As an associate professor at RMIT University's School of Economics, Finance & Marketing with research interests in sport and sports marketing, Stavros is "doubly intrigued" about the launch of AFLX in Adelaide on Thursday. From a marketer's viewpoint, Stavros said that the AFL has "shrewdly crafted a format which could answer long-term questions." He said, "Any sport going outside its realm is really, really challenging. But the great thing with this product is, because it's brand new, you can do whatever you want with it in the name of experimentation." He added, "The criticism the AFL often have from their real brand loyals has always been, 'Don't tinker with the rules.' They have now got a platform where they can actually start tinkering a little bit more." Stavros "doubted expansion into overseas markets was a prime motivation behind AFLX." He said, "I know there's some talk about going international and I guess there is that exhibition potential. But I'm not sure it's going to be a game changer to take off internationally" (AAP, 2/14).
