THE threat of moving games interstate or to Carlton's Visy Park to force a better deal for clubs was discussed at yesterday's meeting between club presidents and the AFL.
Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon, raised the prospect of clubs playing a game each interstate in the course of the meeting with AFL bosses Andrew Demetriou and Mike Fitzpatrick.
As the clubs strive to force the MCG trust and Etihad Stadium to provide a better return for clubs, the prospect of shifting games back to the old Carlton ground, which is in the midst of a redevelopment and has a reduced capacity, also received strong support, but  like the interstate option  only in the event that a fairer deal could not be struck. The Carlton ground now holds about 22,000, compared to its former capacity of 35,000.
But at the meeting, which was mainly focused on the MCG deal, the clubs stressed that they did not want to resort to these options. "We've talked about such things as writing to all of our fans, all of our members, explaining it to them, so they get a full understanding of it, about the seriousness of the situation," Smorgon said.
"We've talked about maybe Victorian clubs have to play a game or two interstate, but these are just a range of options that we do have. But we want to back in the Government again, to go back and see whether they can have another go at getting a fairer deal."
The clubs have called on the Victorian Government to intervene on behalf of the AFL and broker a deal in which they receive a fairer return; Smorgon said the interstate teams receive an average of 75 per cent of stadium returns, compared to just 30 per cent from the MCG and the Docklands stadium, which is involved in a legal dispute with the AFL, its eventual owner.
Smorgon said the Victorian Government was "the only authority that can resolve this issue", adding that the MCG was "the worst stadium to attend (financially) for our footy fans. We want to change that."
The State Government also dug in its heels yesterday. Sports Minister James Merlino said: "No code gets better support in either the grassroots or the elite from the Government than AFL football." He said that his Government had ploughed $176 million into the game and pointed out that the contractual dispute between the MCG and the AFL was not a Government dispute.
An external view of the Melbourne Cricket GroundAustralian Football League clubs in Melbourne have threatened to move their matches interstate after a breakdown in negotiations over poor stadium deals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon, who was acting as the delegate for the league's sixteen clubs, said that Victorian teams would consider moving matches interstate or to Visy Park in Carlton.

"It's an idea, nothing threatening," Smorgon said. "But we're not going to sit back and do nothing. We've got other options and they include engaging our fans and briefing the 360,000 members we have".

Both options - playing at Visy Park and interstate - were conditional on a fairer deal for clubs not being struck. Clubs stressed, at a meeting with the AFL, that they did not want to resort to those measure.

"We've talked about such things as writing to all of our fans, all of our members, explaining it to them, so they get a full understanding of it, about the seriousness of the situation," Smorgon said. "We've talked about maybe Victorian clubs have to play a game or two interstate, but these are just a range of options that we do have. But we want to back in the Government again, to go back and see whether they can have another go at getting a fairer deal".

James Merlino, the Victorian state Sports Minister, responded by stating that the government had already spent $176 million on AFL football, and that "no code gets better support in either the grassroots or the elite from the Government than AFL football".

The AFL and its clubs are asking the Victorian government for AU$8 million a year in additional funding.