The Fyles Government has announced a new three-year deal with Gold Coast and Melbourne to play three AFL games a year in the Territory, but has refused to say how much Territorians are paying the clubs, while the Tasmanian government has revealed it will pay Hawthorn nearly $1.7 million per game in Launceston from next year.
Chief Minister and Major Events Minister Natasha Fyles issued a press release over the weekend stating that Paramatta would be playing the Dolphins in an NRL game in Darwin in April next year, which also had no cost attached to it.
Ms Fyles said her government had signed a deal with Gold Coast to play two games a year in Darwin over the next three years, with the club playing both Geelong and North Melbourne in May next year.
She said Melbourne will play one game a year in Alice Springs for three years, with the team to play Fremantle in June next year.
Earlier this year, the AFL published an article on its website explaining that the Tasmanian government would pay Hawthorn $13.5 million for three regular games and a pre-season game each year over the next two years.
That is a cost of $1,687,500 per game.
However neither the AFL, nor North Melbourne seem to have publicly disclosed how much that club is paid by the same government to play four games a year in Hobart, with Fox Footy reporting that figure was unclear but is understood to be slightly less than Hawthorn is paid.
The NT Independent asked Ms Fyles and the AFL how much the deal would cost and why it was not made public.
“These footy games not only bring elite sportspeople to the Territory, they support our local businesses, from accommodation to restaurants,” Ms Fyles said in her statement.
“Hosting the Darwin Territory AFL games earlier than usual also has economic benefits, supporting the shoulder season and a strong start to the Top End’s major events season.
“Many fans will travel interstate to watch their team play. There are more reasons than ever for Suns fans to head to Darwin, with Bass in the grass [festival] taking place just after their second game here.”
In 2016, the CLP Giles Government announced a new two year deal where it would pay a total of $1.6 million each year to play one AFL game in Darwin, and one game in Alice Springs, in a deal covering 2017 and 2018, for a total cost of $3.2 million.
In a press release in 2018, then-chief minister Michael Gunner said the government had a $1.7 million per year, five-year partnership agreement with Melbourne. The team was playing one game in Darwin and one in Alice Springs at the time. That agreement was to end in 2023.
But the next year the government announced a new un-costed four-year deal that would see Gold Cost play one game in Darwin from 2020, meaning Melbourne would no longer play in the Top End. Over the last two years Gold Coast has actually played two games a year in Darwin but the details of the deal have not been made public. There were also no details of the reconfigured contract with Melbourne playing only one game.
Richmond also played Essendon in Darwin in 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne meant the blockbuster game could not be held at the MCG. It was never disclosed if the NT Government paid money to host the game.
In November 2022, then-major events minister Paul Kirby said the government had a deal with Paramatta that would end in 2025, but he did not say how much it would cost Territorians. However in a Budget press release in May 2016, then-Chief Minister Adam Giles said the rugby league premiership game plus a pre-season game in Alice Springs would cost taxpayers $1 million annually.
The Labor Government also did not disclose the cost of a two-year extension with the Eels for 2018 and 2019.
Labor came to power campaigning on a platform of restoring trust and integrity in government after a chaotic CLP term of government, and released a 2016 campaign document called, Restoring Integrity to Government: Trust and integrity reform discussion paper, written by Mr Gunner.
Ms Fyles would not answer how keeping the cost of the games secret fit with the transparency pledges Labor came to power promoting.
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“That is a cost of $1,687,500 per game”
Per Game Thats
19.5 AO4 Government Jobs Annual Salary
OR
17 Government Class Room Teachers Annual Salary
OR
16 Social Workers (Professional 2) Annual Salary
OR
22 PCA’s (Orderly) Annual Salary
This Government has its Labor values messed up!