TonyK
CibbuanoRoos released from final year of Gold Coast contract
May 20th 2008 23:34
THE AFL has released North Melbourne from the final year of their contract to play three matches each year on the Gold Coast.
North and the AFL signed a contract that decreed at least nine, and a maximum of 10, matches be played at Carrara in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Asked if North would be playing on the Gold Coast next year, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said: "No. They are saying to us they don't want to play there next year, they want to play as many games in Melbourne as possible, they want to be the North Melbourne Football Club, so we respect that." .
The Roos receive $400,000 for each match.
They have been trying to negotiate with the AFL as to how best to receive that money, which equates to $1.2 million in 2009, and yet play the three games in 2009 in Melbourne.
North Melbourne matches scheduled on the Gold Coast this season against St Kilda (round 14) and Brisbane Lions (round 18) will go ahead.
Demetriou said the AFL would work with the Kangaroos in the coming months renegotiating the Gold Coast contract.
"It will be interesting to see if that is what will happen (North receiving the full $1.2 million owed to them). They have requested for us to assist them with some issues around fixturing and scheduling, which I think we can accommodate them with," Demetriou said.
"We will work through those issues with them in coming months."
Demetriou said North Melbourne's decision not to play matches at Carrara next year would not affect the Gold Coast consortium GC17, which has until October to prove it can run a 17th team by the 2011 season.
"We are where we are, but it doesn't make any difference to us whatsoever as far as planning and our commitment to going forward with GC17," Demetriou said.
"They are doing great things with their bid at the moment, probably going a bit better than what even we expected.
"Corporate sales, the amount of people signing up, the amount of interest, all of it has been excellent.
"It doesn't make any difference. We understand what happened with the Kangaroos.
North and the AFL signed a contract that decreed at least nine, and a maximum of 10, matches be played at Carrara in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Asked if North would be playing on the Gold Coast next year, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said: "No. They are saying to us they don't want to play there next year, they want to play as many games in Melbourne as possible, they want to be the North Melbourne Football Club, so we respect that." .
The Roos receive $400,000 for each match.
They have been trying to negotiate with the AFL as to how best to receive that money, which equates to $1.2 million in 2009, and yet play the three games in 2009 in Melbourne.
North Melbourne matches scheduled on the Gold Coast this season against St Kilda (round 14) and Brisbane Lions (round 18) will go ahead.
Demetriou said the AFL would work with the Kangaroos in the coming months renegotiating the Gold Coast contract.
"It will be interesting to see if that is what will happen (North receiving the full $1.2 million owed to them). They have requested for us to assist them with some issues around fixturing and scheduling, which I think we can accommodate them with," Demetriou said.
"We will work through those issues with them in coming months."
Demetriou said North Melbourne's decision not to play matches at Carrara next year would not affect the Gold Coast consortium GC17, which has until October to prove it can run a 17th team by the 2011 season.
"We are where we are, but it doesn't make any difference to us whatsoever as far as planning and our commitment to going forward with GC17," Demetriou said.
"They are doing great things with their bid at the moment, probably going a bit better than what even we expected.
"Corporate sales, the amount of people signing up, the amount of interest, all of it has been excellent.
"It doesn't make any difference. We understand what happened with the Kangaroos.
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