2018 Financial Year Results

Investment in game development continued to grow while debt was again lowered in another year of careful fiscal management by SANFL, which released its 2018 Financial Year Results on Tuesday evening.

Investment in game development programs, participation and umpiring totalled $6.1 million, representing an increase of $1.8 million since 2013.

This is despite the fact that SANFL’s net stadium returns from Adelaide Oval have grown by only 6 per cent when compared with Football Park – from $11.1m in 2013 to a forecast $11.8m in 2019.

“We are doing more than ever before in terms of investing in game development,” said SA Football Commission Chairman John Olsen AO.

“Our participation numbers have just passed 200,000 for the first time, the number of boys and girls taking part in Auskick last year broke the 10,000 mark and we recorded a 92 per cent increase in female club registrations.

“We have never been doing more to fulfil our role as the organisation responsible for growing and protecting South Australian football – and we’re doing it with just 6 per cent more return from our stadium deal.”

Highlights of SANFL’s 2018 Financial Results include:

• Cash earnings remained relatively stable at $689,000 (down from $810,000 in 2017);
• Bank debt was reduced from $14.5m to $7.3m through dividends from the ongoing redevelopment of Football Park; and
• Further payments of $2.2m were made to the eight member SANFL clubs, the third instalment of the $16m being distributed to clubs over seven years from the Football Park redevelopment. This has helped reduce combined SANFL club debt to approximately $10m.

SANFL’s statutory profit excluding non-cash adjustments fell by $616,000 to $6.02m, from which it then paid the SANFL club Game Development Grants ($4.3m), repaid debt ($0.9m) and incurred capital expenditure of $130,000, leaving a Cash Earnings result of $689,000. Net assets remained stable at $99.2m representing the value of SANFL’s lease at Adelaide Oval and its retention of the Tavern site at Football Park.

“The redeveloped Adelaide Oval has been a success and achieved what was set out to be achieved for football. The model has delivered revenues to the AFL clubs well beyond what was forecast, whilst for its part, SANFL has been able to protect its revenue streams, decrease debt and grow its investment in game development,” Mr Olsen said.