My colleague, Eamonn Flanagan (together with another person) got into a "Facebook" exchange with the Mr Barr, The ACT Government Minister responsible for handing over $26 million dollars to the AFL start up team Greater Western Sydney. Nothing like this sort of money has come to Football , nor was it on offer when the A League For Canberra bid was underway, and in spite of the fact that the FFA were doing their bubbling best to smash three separate bid for an A League franchise in Western Sydney.
This exchange, in particular Mr Barr's responses, simply illustrate how far Football is away from substantial funding by our Government for the highest participation sport in the ACT region, Australia and the World. Mr Barr appears unable to distinguish between the Football and AFL, which probably explains the quality of his answers. Again, a delightful piece of obfuscation by Mr Barr. Look closely, we are getting NOTHING!
And Mr Barr may have a point when it comes to Football in the ACT Region.
Mr Barr has talked to Mr Slavich - so what? Capital Football speaks for our game, not Mr Slavich. Is no one on the Capital Football Board aggrieved by the passage of a very considerable amount of public funds to a professional AFL club, yet to pay a game, but which Mr Barr advises will see substantial local development of the game at community and talents levels.
Isn't that what we want for our young Football players in the ACT. Didn't we get that point across to Mr Barr? The price for AFL is $26 million. Perhaps we should regard that as the benchmark for Government support, after all, we have the vast majority of participation in the ACT region. Gotta be worth something.
Capital Football should demand nothing less and now! Anyone hear anyone shouting form the roof tops? Honestly, what are we to do when we seem to value ourselves so cheaply? Why would the ACT Government and the AFL besotted Mr Barr take Football seriously?
We just don't seem to get it right when it comes to leveraging off our massive constituency in the ACT region. As a result, we get nothing. Nothing begets nothing!
This is the exchange for those that can stomach it:
Eamonn Flanagan
And Canberra football community couldn't have this?
More kids playing football than AFL by miles - not a thing against the aFL Andrew - but one wonders when the Canberra Community in it's broadest sense will support and initiate/lead some re...al development for Canberra. How many boys and girls do we have to get playing the sport to get football really on the map? 40,000?Still like that fact you are in talks with Ivan - but broader models need to be developed. The community can develop them - Capital Football can't, the FFA can't - others can. Government support for a think tank might enlighten a few - from within local sporting community and outside. opportunities for Canberra and football are there - but will we ever grab them - Government may be able to assist with this. Still we're only getting bigger - our time will come. Government has wasted money on football in the past, Mariners games, wrongly targeted, leaving no legacy for football community - or for the Government.
Andrew Barr
The AFL deal involves MUCH more than just the 40 elite games. The funding establishes 5 Canberra clubs in the North East Australian Football League, provides support for a Talent Academy, Community Camps, full and part time positions in Ca...nberra to run community programs (eg schools, junior development etc). There is also considerable sponsorship exposure on Free to Air Television and many tourism development opportunities.The Giants recruitment and development zone includes the ACT. We aren't big enough to exclusively support an AFL team so this was the best model for us. If we had let it slip by then it would not have come around again for many decades.Also, the AFL were really behind the proposal. I didn't get that same feeling from FFA about the A-League bid. Western Sydney was always in the box seat.
Mick Logue
2.35/year guaranteed for 10 years may have been an offer FFA couldn't refuse. Even if it wasn't, surely an A.C.T team playing 4 X the matches GWS is in Canberra deserved (and I'm being generous here) an equal amount of public funds being thrown at them. How is it right that an interstate team gets more of our dosh than the teams that legitimately represent us?
Andrew Barr Overall, I think Canberra doesn't get it's fair share of cricket and football (soccer) matches. There is room for some more elite sport in the city in the summer months. I am open to innovative ideas in this space but there has to be clear social and economic benefit to Canberra before the Government can invest.
Andrew Barr
The A-League support package was significant - the same deal as Raiders and Brumbies. Canberra Stadium is one of the best football venues in the country. Sadly not enough corporate support was raised to get the bid up. The youth league ...team can be progressed but there has to be a long term business model and more than just Government support. We can contribute to these teams but we aren't in the business of being football club owners.A possible way forward with A-League is to look at a shared model. Perhaps Canberra and Wollongong could put in a joint bid for a future team? That way the costs could be shared across a larger corporate and population base. Ivan Slavich and I have discussed this already.
Eamonn Flanagan
Got to give a bit more $$$$ support to the football community Andrew...not just grassroots...grounds etc AFL, Football, League all get that - what real $$$$ support has your Government given to professional football compared to AFL and loc...al Union/Leagues sides -W-League, Youth team and long-term plan for A-League team - surely the football community can have a bit of what an out of town AFL got - Kids need a pathway - Canberra kids and you guys can actually assist the 20,000 taxpayers. We're not seeing much $$$ for professional W-League team, A-League Youth team or to assist the A-League plan - not a cent!
Andrew Barr
$2.5m start up capital + ongoing national league team support along similar lines to raiders and brumbies. Also a hiring arrangement at Canberra Stadium. Canberra Stadium is at a much higher standard than Manuka Oval. The same crowd at b...oth venues (say 13,500 people) will return three times as much to the hirer at Canberra Stadium because of the corporate facilities and the number of undercover (higher priced) seats.
Mick Logue
Oh yeah, we were robbed by FFA to be sure. Trying to put my personal preferences to one side as best I can, I just question why the A.C.T government didn't throw in more cash if we have enough in the bank to subsidise Sydney in the A.F.L for 4 matches year. Care to remind me what the A.C.T gov's commitment to A League 4 Canberra was/is? (not being a smartarse this time, I don't actually remember)
Andrew Barr
FFA passed over us for the A-League. Canberra didn't raise enough money to get to the starting gate and Western Sydney were in the box seat all along . It will be years before the opportunity comes up again I fear.
Mick Logue
How much is this GWS business gonna end up costing us? Surely the money would be better spent by providing additional funding to ensure a CANBERRA team in the A League which would play all its home matches in Canberra and offer international exposure through one-off matches with international teams and possibly participating in the Asian Champions League. I bet they would even put Canberra on the Jersey at no additional cost.
Andrew Barr
Canberra Stadium doesn't need more seats and already has lights. Over a 10-15 year period the grandstands will need rebuilding. Manuka needs work in the next few years.
Blah , Blah , Blah Mr Barr .................................. Where is the money for Football..... Just answer the question! Groan.