The AFL Fans Association (AFLFA) was formed in December 2013 by a group of grassroots supporters who felt that as the game’s largest stakeholder, AFL fans needed a collective voice. The AFLFA aims to give fans a strong and independent voice, ensuring they are not treated as consumers, but stakeholders who should be consulted. The AFLFA is an incorporated association run by a committee that is elected each year at an AGM. The committee is supported by state representatives around Australia. All AFLFA committee members are volunteers who juggle their commitments with professional and family lives. Our current AFLFA Patron is Sue Alberti AC and our Ambassador is Brett ‘Trout’ Beattie. Who do we represent? We represent the interests of everyday fans who love the game of Australian Rules. This includes club members, AFL and MCC members, grassroots supporters who turn up every week, casual fans, and those who passionately follow the game from home. To become an AFLFA member, membership is free and is open to anyone who is a fan of the AFL. The more members we have, the stronger the AFLFA’s voice will be. What does the AFLFA do? We liaise with the AFL, clubs, stadiums, and governments and monitor their decisions. We engage with various media outlets to provide a voice for fans. We are frequently quoted in the media, social media and interviewed on radio and television. What are the views of the AFLFA? The AFLFA seeks to provide a voice for fans. When an issue becomes topical, we ask fans for feedback, to assist us to settle on a position. Ongoing key issues:
Gambling advertising
AFLFA believes that gambling advertising saturates the football landscape. The issue of oversaturation of gambling advertising in the footy world needs to be addressed. However, the predominance of gambling in football is unhealthy and something which concerns many fans. The AFLFA recognises clubs that have reduced their reliance on gambling revenue and also those in the process of doing so. The AFLFA has partnered with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation and in particular the Love The Game Not The Odds Program. Grand Final tickets
The AFL continues to allocate thousands of seats to non-competing AFL clubs, which they funnel into expensive corporate packages and pass on to sponsors. The AFL does the same, selling Grand Final packages to those who can afford the exorbitant prices, well before the finals series even starts. Currently, the AFL allocates just 17,000 AFL Grand Final tickets to each competing club’s members. We believe it should increase that to at least 25,000 each. Fan Behaviour
The AFLFA strongly rejects behaviours that are racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist (prejudiced against people with a disability), or reflects any other prejudice based on a person’s identity. The AFLFA has joined the Australian Human Rights Commission’s – Racism. It Stops With Me Campaign. Social media
Making defamatory, insulting, or offensive comments via social media is unacceptable. The AFLFA supports efforts by the AFL and clubs to stamp out any forms of abuse and urges fans to call them out.
