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Sherman’s ideas are what so many of us have been saying for years. I’m particularly drawn to the financial implications of folding state feds into FFA & streamlining registration fees: it could produce a new revenue stream relatively immune from unstable market forces. https://twitter.com/VinceRugari/status/1247337959612747776
the “Fox problem” is a problem of over-dependence on a single income stream. according to FFA’s 2019 report, almost half of their revenue came from the broadcaster while a quarter came from sponsorships. the current crisis is a predictable outcome of that over-dependence.
for context, FFA’s total revenue for the 2019 financial year was $132.2m. if we went with Sherman’s model, where each of Australia’s 2m registered participants paid a $100 flat rate, FFA would have $200m in their pocket *before* broadcasters or sponsorships came to the table.
the amount of money that gets lost in the space between grassroots and FFA needs to be addressed. the middle-management level of Aus football is an unnecessarily complicated black hole for the most part. there are so many other ways we could make it more efficient and productive.
diversifying income streams while anchoring them in a solid base (registered players) that is not going to fluctuate as badly as what we’re seeing seems a much safer & more sustainable foundation upon which to redesign broadcast & sponsor relationships.
there are a lot of other questions that need to be asked on this topic as well as many other points Sherman makes (does the NSD need to be independent to make pro-rel work, for example?) but we need to start SOMEWHERE and what he’s written opens up these conversations.
