JohnM wrote:
It's a tangled web.
When the Collins-led board did the deal (with Collo out of the room of course) the word was that we wanted to play a majority of our games at the MCG, but the AFL was insistent that we play the majority of our games at the Telstra Dome (the stadium the AFL has a financial interest in).
At the time we were flat broke, led by the bloke who runs Telstra Dome, and in absolutely no position to push our case for more MCG games.
So the Telstra Dome it is, and I'm pretty sure it's a 10 year deal.
Personally, I think Collingwood has the best stadium deal in the AFL for both their fans, their sponsors and their bottom line. While I'm glad I wasn't born a collingwood supporter, I do envy them their 16 (or thereabouts) games at the G.
Very close JohnM, the above added with the fact the AFL blackmailed us by refusing to help payout our contracted partners at PP (a couple of million from memory) unless we went to the Dome pretty much confirmed the decision.
We were broke, we had to be good boys and girls to get our pocket money from the Puppa Spew. In essence at the end of the day we didn't have a choice.
I'm of the understanding the deal at the dome finishes in 2010 (i think it has a couple of years option as part of the contract but not too sure who has the option, us or the dome

) so hopefully when that time comes both stadium will be falling over themselves to get us to sign a long term deal. And then we can give the right royal 1 finger salute to the biggest prick in AFL football.