The expert upon whom the the Hon. Warwick Smith relied in his analysis of football finances, Mr Braham Dabscheck has released a further, detailed response to the report Building Australia’s Football Community: A Review into the Sustainability of Football.
Mr Dabscheck’s analysis examines the share of revenue which accrues to Australia’s professional footballers by considering the entire revenue which is part of the game in Australia, rather than a narrow focus on A-League player payments. Mr Dabscheck considers this share by reference to other sporting codes in Australia and concludes that the share of total revenue received by footballers in Australia is broadly consistent with the revenue received by players in other sporting codes.
Importantly, Mr Dabscheck’s analysis concludes that the current share of football revenue by players in Australia is sustainable when the revenue in the game is considered properly. Nonetheless, Mr Dabscheck notes that one of the key elements to assist the A-League would be to see a higher distribution from the FFA to A-League clubs. A higher distribution would also be consistent with the distributions which are provided by governing bodies to other clubs in Australia’s football codes.
Mr Dabscheck’s analysis suggests that a focus on reducing player payments through cuts to minimum wages or the salary cap would be misplaced and that instead the correct approach is to note that player payments in football are sustainable and that the focus for all parties should be on increasing revenue.
To view Mr Dabscheck’s analysis in full please click here
