The AFL CEOs meeting concluded without any firm resolutions on Wednesday, though several key football topics were broached.
The day-and-a-half get-together was never intended to solve some of the biggest issues facing the game. Rather, the league saw it as an opportunity to get all club chiefs in the one building to connect and talk about a multitude of football matters.
Andrew Dillon led the conference and CEOs present noted how collaborative and interactive the incoming AFL boss’ methods were.
There was a roughly 30-minute discussion around issues concerning the game.
A much-discussed wildcard weekend was raised. While the concept has some support, it does not have the unanimous backing of clubs.
If it was to be implemented for 2024, the AFL still has plenty of work to do.
The fixture was also raised and the possibility of playing all teams once across 17 rounds, then re-doing the draw based on ladder positions.
This concept is not new, but is yet to be executed. Smaller clubs with fewer marquee matches are likely to be more in favour of this than larger clubs.
Fixture certainty for fans is also a consideration for the AFL.
The prospect of representative football – such as a State of Origin competition – did not garner much support. However, a State of Origin AFLW match did have more merit.
There was also a discussion around byes and whether spreading them over several weeks is the right model. This led into a chat about Tasmania and how the bye will work when the new team comes into the competition in 2028.
The Tasmania update was brief and included a chat around the stadium and the non-negotiable elements of the AFL’s deal with the state government.
The league reiterated the 'no stadium, no team' mantra.
Gather Round was also a talking point, as was the AFLW fixture and length of the season.
How to capitalise on Gather Round and make it bigger and better was a collaborative chat. The league is keen to build on year one and make the occasion even larger in 2024 and beyond.
The soft cap was discussed too and the guiding principles of what it actually means. There is no unanimous feeling among clubs on how much more money they want.
The AFL told CEOs that their priority is acknowledging different market forces and costs that impact clubs differently, while also ensuring that the competitive balance impacts created through the soft cap are not diluted.
Potential recognition for senior coaches and potential opportunities to provide more professional and personal development for coaches and staff was raised.
It's understood the AFL has undertaken to work with all CEOs to explore the best way forward for the soft cap and report back to clubs later in the year.
As reported on SEN.com.au, the soft cap has been a source of significant frustration among football staff ever since the pandemic.
First, a resolution on the collective bargaining agreement is needed.