Edition
2/2000
Good Times Over?....
While the lawyers headed to court, and the various parties agreed to disagree, the issue
looks like taking a fair while before any resolution is nutted out.
At the heart of it though, is the ability of the "richer" sporting
clubs with a large membership base and superior "pulling" power, to take the
right to negotiate its own deals away from a centralised body - in this instance, the AFL.
Sport governing bodies have instituted several measures in recent times to
try to create level playing fields within their various competitions.
Football has seen the advent of the draft and the salary cap, essentially
designed to put the breaks on powerhouse clubs like Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton.
At the same time though, the AFL made significant funding concessions for
many seasons to the once battered and bruised Sydney Swans, in the quest to establish an
Aussie rules stronghold in the heartland of rugby league.
In an era of potentially
great rewards for television rights and attendant sponsorship revenues to be sourced, it
is no surprise that some individual clubs - in varying sporting codes - are exploring just
what the legal boundaries are.
Basketball has also seen
its fair share of commercial dispute. The NBL was required to take action against
member team the Brisbane Bullets over a sponsorship conflict.
Having signed an
agreement to anoint Qantas as the official carrier of the NBL, Brisbane incurred the wrath
of administrators by entering into a direct sponsorship with Ansett, including adding the
rival carrier's logo to it's playing uniform. |
|
In the WNBL, member club the Sydney Flames wished to take up a sponsorship with
the One Tel telecommunications group, bringing it into conflict with the then WNBL's major
sponsor, Link Telecommunications.
In both cases, the clubs were forced to retreat. But in this frenetic
period of legal activity, perhaps a breakthrough that would, in turn, break down the way
Australian professional sport is organised, is not far away.
Article written by Michelle Brown, Art of Words.
Email: artofwords@ozemail.com.au.
ATHLETE SELECTION POLICY
With the long awaited Sydney Olympic Games now only some 4
months away selection of teams is being finalised.
For the athlete, who has put in many years of preparation and sacrifice, often to
the detriment of their non sport career, selection or otherwise has an enormous impact on
their future.
Commercial opportunities for Olympians are substantial, particularly those who go
on to win a gold medal, therefore decisions made at the selection table can have extreme
repercussions.
Already we have
seen appeals being made by athletes who have missed out, and no doubt there will be more
in the coming months. Selection disputes are
not a new phenomenon, there are a number of cases which have gained publicity in the
past:-
·
Kathy Watt
and Cycling
·
Nova Peris
and Athletics Australia
·
Daley and
the New South Wales Rugby
League
·
Hughes and
the WA Cricket Association
·
Hall &
Pate and the Australian
Professional Cycling Council
·
Tonya
Harding and Nancy Kerrigan
to name a few.
....Continued page 3 |
