Chief Supports Port
Andrew Demetriou says the AFL is committed to Port Adelaide and South Australian football
CHIEF Executive Andrew Demetriou has described concern over blowout results in the AFL this season as "a great overreaction".
Fears the gap between the best and the worst teams in the competition was growing were raised following Geelong's 186-point thrashing of Melbourne a fortnight ago.
The issue gathered more steam last weekend after the Cats disposed of newcomers Gold Coast by 150 points, and reigning premiers Collingwood handed Port Adelaide its worst-ever defeat (138 points).
Following the lopsided match at AAMI Stadium, Magpies coach Mick Malthouse expressed fears blowouts would turn people off watching AFL, saying, "We might murder our game in its present state".
Speaking in Adelaide on Wednesday, Demetriou said the recent results were a non-issue for the League.
"I think it's one of the great overreactions I've seen in a long time. It must be a slow news week," Demetriou said.
"I just think they [blowout results] are a very rare occurrence.
"We always knew the Gold Coast would have a couple of large results, but I think there were underlying reasons for each result that's happened, particularly when you consider the might of Collingwood or a fantastic team in Geelong.
"I think it's cyclical. I don't think it's a problem that requires a crisis meeting and hysteria. People must've forgotten Port Adelaide was playing Collingwood.
"The Port Adelaide football team is not a very good football team judging by where they are on the ladder. They've got a lot of young kids and they were playing one of the best teams in the competition.
"The reality is, Collingwood is a very good football team, who played [against] a bunch of kids who are learning, and the result wasn't that big a surprise."
Port Adelaide's disastrous performance last weekend also raised fresh concerns over the club's future, with former Port Magpies player and Fox Sports commentator Dwayne Russell expressing fears over the cash-strapped Power's viability beyond the next broadcast rights deal.
Demetriou reaffirmed the League's commitment to Port Adelaide going forward.
"Port Adelaide is a very important club in the 18-team competition. We've got 18 teams for the next five years for our broadcast rights agreement and I've got no doubt it will be the same in the future," he said.
"We have demonstrated our support in the two [South Australian] clubs by the financial package we negotiated with the SANFL.
"We believe in football in South Australia. People should start to really understand that the only way for this code is to go upwards.
"The code has never had more resources or more money … and we're going to keep supporting football in South Australia."
Under last year's rules the bottom-placed Power, who have won only two games this season, would qualify for a priority pick if they fail to win two-and-a-half more games.
Demetriou stated the AFL, which is reviewing the priority pick system, hadn't made a decision on the concessions moving forward, but said the Commission would take Port Adelaide's current plight into consideration.
"The AFL Commission has always been of the view that the priority draft pick is there to help perennial poor performers," he said.
"I've got no doubt Port Adelaide has got time over summer to go and chase players, trade, compete and select their new coaching staff and do things differently like other clubs … they’ll bounce back.
"I can remember this exact conversation about Richmond 18 months ago. Gold Coast was coming in and Richmond wasn't going to get the beneficiaries of the draft picks.
"All of a sudden, Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin appeared on the scene and we're having a different conversation. "
Demetriou was in Adelaide to speak to both the Power and the Crows about a range of issues, including the yet-to-be decided Collective Bargaining Agreement and the League's plans to level the playing field in terms of football department expenditure through an equalisation policy.
"We recognise that there is a gap between the clubs that have significant net football revenue and the clubs that's don’t," he said.
"Our challenge is to try and get more funds into the hands of clubs that need it, so they can re-invest in their football and give themselves an opportunity to compete.
"It's not a bail out. It's an equalisation tool. The best thing we can do for the competition is to give every club to compete and win."
Demetriou confirmed the AFL and AFL Players' Association were still at an impasse over the CBA, and denied speculation free agency would serve to widen the existing gap between the rich and poor clubs, saying the salary cap would prevent the well-off clubs from having claims to all the best available free agents.