Someone’s making a killing at Oval — but not the clubs

The Crows v Collingwood match at Adelaide Oval attracted more than 50,000 people. But who made all the money? Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: News Corp Australia

ANDREW Demetriou came to hate the red tags on files in his in-tray at AFL House. They signalled to the AFL chief executive a series of recurring problems in SA football.

As a South Australian - and a well-connected South Australian - new AFL boss Gillon McLachlan will develop the same headache.

This is despite the two SA-based AFL clubs having "independent" licences and supposed freedom from the SANFL.

The reality is the Power and Crows are now dependent on the SANFL in another form - the Stadium Management Authority that has become the new layer of bureaucracy in SA football. This government-endorsed authority is not only an SANFL beast, but also contains the SA Cricket Association.

McLachlan will have had his feet under his new desk at AFL House in Melbourne for less than a month before he comes to Adelaide to deal with the finer (and ugly) points of the Stadium Management Authority.

Adelaide Oval is not - repeat not - the "pots of gold" that SMA chairman and SANFL president John Olsen proclaims. There certainly is more money to be made by the AFL clubs at the Oval. But the costs associated with this new revenue - costs dictated by the SMA - are extraordinary.

Here is a prime example.

Traffic management around the MCG costs the host AFL club $1000 a game.

At Subiaco, the Eagles and Dockers pay $800. What are the Crows are Power charged at the Oval. Get ready for this .... $18,000.

Cleaning bills are said to be four times greater at the Oval than at Football Park. How can this be? Each stadium catered for 50,000 fans. There are a few more rooms at the Oval, but not four times as many.

Another fascinating question posed since Olsen presented the "pots of gold" theme of an extra $12m for the Crows and Power at the Oval is: How much are the AFL clubs collecting on game day at the Oval?

Port opened the Oval with a sold-out Showdown on March 29.

How much did the Power collect? At least $500,000? When McLachlan arrives for the stadium deal review in early July the figure he will see on the agenda is not even with six figures. Again, how can this be?

Clearly, the AFL clubs need to have a clear picture on how much money is being made at the Oval and how this money is being carved up. For now, all they are getting are bills with some concerning figures - and very thin cheques. Hardly gold.

And how much will the Crows get from the SMA for the Thursday night extravaganza against Collingwood?

If that figure is not six figures, expect the Adelaide Football Club's "wait and see" theme on the Oval to turn into a much more aggressive tone.

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Someone’s making a killing at Oval — but not the clubs