The Business and Management of Football
Scope
This chapter mainly contains works which examine the business, economic and administrative aspects of football. There are a few works which cover some of the legal aspects of football, especially in relation to the AFL’s racial vilification policies. Reading the Game (2005) contained a comprehensive listing of legal works and legal judgments relating to the administration of the game. This 2005 listing has been included here, but at this stage has not been updated.
Reading Australian Rules Football (2017) only contains works which contain some specific analysis of the commercial or financial aspects of the game, or a critical interpretation of Australian Rules football from a management perspective, have been included. Works which examine broader issues such as the decline or death of football, problems at the grass roots level or football’s place in a globalised environment can be found in other chapters, such as ‘Histories and General’ or ‘Fan Culture’. Books, chapters in books, journal articles and conference papers have been surveyed for this chapter.
More recent law reports and other legal works, published after 2005, on the Australasian Legal Information Institute website, Austlii.edu, or by searching for legal literature in scholarly articles using online databases widely available in major research libraries, including the National and State Libraries of Australia.
List
Australia, Parliament Senate, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, and Nash, Fiona, Matters Relating to the Establishment of an Australian Football League Team for Tasmania: Report, Senate Committee Report / Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee: Canberra, 2009. 26 p.
Available online from Parliament of Australia website: TH.
Australian Football League NSW/ACT Australian Football Task Force, Taking AFL into the Next Century: A Review of Australian Football in NSW/ACT, NSW/ACT Australian Football Task Force: Sydney, 1998.
Australian Sports Commission, National Australian Football Council, and Australian Football League, National Development Plan, 1994-1996: A Player Pathway, NAFC: Jolimont, Vic., 1991.
Booth, Ross, Comparing Competitive Balance in Australian Sports Leagues, the AFL, NBL and NRL: Does the AFL's Team Salary Cap and Player Draft Measure Up? Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University: Clayton, Vic., 2005.
Booth, Ross, The Economic Development of the Australian Football League, Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University: Clayton, Vic., 2005.
Booth, Ross ‘History of Player Recruitment, Transfer and Payment Rules in the Victorian and Australian Football League’, Bulletin (Australian Society for Sports History), No. 26 June, 1997, pp. 13-33.
An excellent historical overview of player payment, transfer and recruitment policies and regulations in the VFL from 1897 until 1996. TH.
Booth, Ross, Brooks, Robert and Diamond, Neil, Player Salaries and Revenues in the Australian Football League 2001-2009: Theory and Evidence, The Economic and Labour Relations Review, vol. 23, no. 2, June, 2012, pp. 39-54.
Booth, Ross, Labour Market Intervention, Revenue Sharing and Competitive Balance in the Australian Football League, 1897-2002, Monash University Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University, Dept. of Economics: Clayton, Vic., 2004.
Booth, Ross, Player Sales, Trade of Players and Draft Choices and Competitive Balance, Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University: Clayton, Vic., 2004.
Booth, Ross, Some Economic Effects of Changes to Gate-Sharing Arrangements in the Australian Football League, in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart, and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Moving the Goalposts, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2006, pp. 115-132.
Looks at the changes in gate revenue sharing arrangements introduced by the AFL in 2000. Booth is an authority in this area and presents some detailed analysis of the change from a 50-50 gate receipts arrangement to one in which the home club received 100% of the gate income. He then makes some observations and conclusions about this, such as the changing strategies by clubs about which stadia they prefer to play in. This paper appears to have been first published as a part of the Monash University Department of Economics Discussion Papers series in 2005.TH.
Borland, Jeff, Lye, J. N., Attendance at Australian Rules Football: A Panel Study, Research Paper, Dept. of Economics, University of Melbourne: Parkville, Vic, 1991.
Borland, Jeff, Chicu, Mark and Macdonald, R. D., ‘Do Teams Always Lose to Win? Performance Incentives and the Player Draft in the Australian Football League’, Journal of Sports Economics, vol.10, no.5, October 2009, pp. 451-484.
Have some VFL/AFL clubs ‘tanked’ i.e. deliberately lost matches to gain higher draft selections? This article examines the evidence since the introduction of the draft in 1986. TH.
Borland, Jeff, A Whole New Ball Game: Re-Estimating the Demand for Australian Rules Football, IAESR Working Paper, IAESR: Parkville, Vic., 1986.
Bremner, Ian, The Economics of Australian Rules Football and Cricket, Middle School Economics Project, Victorian Commercial Teachers Association in conjunction with the Education Department of Victoria: Fitzroy, Vic., 1980.
Business Studies Team, Tasmanian Football, It’s Future, Business Studies Team: Hobart, Tas., 1978.
A report produced for K. J. Burke, Lecturer in Organisation Science, Tasmanian College of Advanced Education. TH.
Cazaly, Ciannon, ‘A Year in the Life of the Australian Football League’s Vilification Policies’, Sporting Traditions, vol.29, no.1, May, 2012, pp.37-57.
Crawford, D. A., AFL Administrative Structure Review - Findings, March 1993, Peat Marwick: Melbourne, 1993.
A significant report commissioned by the AFL in 1992 and presented to the AFL in March 1993. Commonly referred to as the ‘Crawford Report’. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Abolishing Transfer Fees: The Victorian Football League's New Employment Rules’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 6, no. 1, November 1989, pp. 63-87.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘The Australian Football League's Swansong?’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 10, no. 1, November 1993, pp. 136-139.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘The Imperfect Market for Footballers’, National Bank Monthly Summary, May 1973, pp.5-10.
Article which assesses if the VFL’s player transfer and zoning regulations created a more equal football competition. Dabscheck has written about regulatory and employment conditions for Australian Rules football players for more than 40 years. This article is one of his earliest published pieces on the topic. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Industrial Relations and Team Sports in Australia’, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 18, March 1976, pp. 28-44.
A detailed examination of the formation and early years of the VFL Players Association. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Sport, Human Rights and Industrial Relations’, Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 6, no. 2, 2000, pp. 129-160.
Important article which examines the human rights dimensions of industrial relations in a range of professional team sports, including Australian Rules football. In particular it looks at how the courts have responded to competition rules and contracts which have restricted the mobility and freedom of players. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Sporting Equality: Labor Market versus Product Market Control’, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 17, June 1975, pp. 174-190.
Article which examines the VFL transfer and zoning system, the nature of VFL clubs and their financial base, whether a ‘sporting equality’ has been achieved in the VFL competition, and concludes with some recommendations to improve the sporting labor market. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Sporting Labour Markets and the Courts’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 12, no. 1, November 1985, pp. 2-24.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Silvio Foschini and the Sydney Swans’, Australian Quarterly, Autumn 1984, pp. 65-73.
Important article about a landmark legal case involving VFL footballer Silvio Foschini which found that the VFL’s transfer rules were an unreasonable restraint of trade. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Tom McNeil and the 1955 Australian Football Players' Union’ Sporting Traditions, vol.28, no.1, May 2011, pp.39-61.
An article which describes an attempt by a former St Kilda player Tom McNeil
to form a VFL and VFA players union in 1955. Comparisons with similar attempts in other team sports are presented, and McNeil's life as a player, coach, administrator, and member of the Parliament of Western Australia are also explored. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘The Wage Determination Process for Sportsmen’, Economic Record, vol. 51, 1975, pp. 52-65.
Gardiner, Greg, Football and Racism: The AFL's Racial and Religious Vilification Rule, Discussion Paper, Monash University Koorie Research Centre, Monash University Koorie Research Centre: Clayton, Vic., 1997.
Gardiner, Greg, ‘Racial Abuse and Football: The Australian Football League's Racial Vilification Rule in Review’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 14, no. 1, November 1997, pp. 3-25.
Fight for Football (Victoria), AFL Out of Bounds, Fight for Football (Victoria) Inc.: Boronia, Vic., 1992.
This study sought to find the average football's supporter's attitudes towards the AFL’s administration policies. The report presents results from questionnaires distributed at AFL matches during the 1992 season, with an analysis and a series of recommendations for the AFL hierarchy. The study was put together by the Fight For Football group, which came together in the aftermath of the near demise of the Footscray Football Club. TH.
Foreman, Julie, ‘Corporate Governance Issues in Global Sport: A Comparison of Governance Issues in the Australian Football League and the English Premier League’, in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Crossing Boundaries, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2005, pp. 89-103.
This chapter is an ‘examination of the corporatisation of sport’, and in particular the corporate governance structures of Australian Rules football clubs in comparison with football clubs in the English Premier League. TH.
Frost, Lionel, ‘Commerce: The Business of Football’, in Geoff Slattery (ed.), The Australian Game of Football: Since 1858, Geoff Slattery Publishing for the Australian Football League: Docklands, Vic., 2008, pp. 294-301.
Interesting overview of some of the commercial and financial aspects of the game over its history, particularly player transfer arrangements and the selling of AFL branded products. TH.
Frost, Lionel, Schuwalow, Peter. and Borrowman, Luc., ‘Labour Market Regulation and Team Performance: The Victorian Football League’s Coulter Law 1930-1970’, Sport Management Review, no. 15, 2012, pp. 276-287.
The ‘Coulter Law’ introduced in 1930 regulated player payments in the VFL setting a maximum of £3 per player per match. This was adjusted for inflation over time. By the 1960s the regulation was perceived to be widely breeched and ineffective. TH.
Frost, Lionel, and Halabi, Abdel K., Measuring the Success of Country Football Clubs, Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University, Department of Economics: Clayton, Vic., 2007.
Haimes, Gervase, ‘Culture, Identity and Performance in the AFL’ in Rob Hess, Matthew Nicholson and Bob Stewart (eds), Football Fever: Grassroots, Maribyrnong Press: Melbourne, 2004, pp. 95-109.
The core of this paper ‘explains the methods used to investigate the organisational culture and identity of the Fremantle Dockers football club’. Based on the author’s Ph.D research which was later completed in 2006, see ‘Scholarly Theses and Dissertations’ chapter for full citation. TH.
Halabi, Abdel K., Frost, Lionel. and Lightbody, M., ‘Football History Off the Field: Utilising Archived Accounting Reports to Challenge ‘Myths’ about the History of an Australian Football Club’, Accounting History, no. 17, 2012, pp. 63-81.
Kabanoff, Boris and Wood, Robert E., Determinants of Performance in Naturally Occurring Groups: The Case of Australian Rules Football, Working Paper Series / Australian Graduate School of Management, Australian Graduate School of Management: Kensington, NSW, 1984.
Kerr, Anthony K., ‘An Exploratory Examination of Fan Support for Australia’s Game’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 31, no. 2, November 2014, pp. 69-86.
Article which examines the AFL’s campaign to promote the game in North America. TH
King, Ross, Crawshaw, Bruce, The Community Effects of VFL Sunday Football, Office of Research and Social Policy, Dept. of Community Welfare Services: Melbourne, 1981.
This state government report examined the effects of two trial Sunday VFL football matches played on the 2 and 9 August 1981. The independent study used surveys and other techniques to examine a number of issues including the effects of Sunday football on the VFA and other sporting bodies or associations, public transport services, traffic control, the use of adjacent parks and gardens and local residents, community groups and churches. TH.
Marjoribanks, Tim and Capling, Ann, ‘Transforming Governance: Football Clubs in the Australian Football League’ in Rob Hess, Matthew Nicholson and Bob Stewart (eds), Football Fever: Grassroots, Maribyrnong Press: Melbourne, 2004, pp. 67-80.
An analysis of how the AFL clubs are adapting to the highly corporatised and commercial globalised environment that they now find themselves operating in. This article in particular examines the transformation of club governance structures and how this is at odds with the more traditional demands of community based corporate organisations which have characterised AFL clubs in the past. TH.
McNamara, L., ‘Tackling Racial Hatred: Conciliation, Reconciliation and Football’, Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 6, no. 2, 2000, pp. 5-31.
Morley, C. L. and University of Melbourne Dept. of Statistics, Modeling VFL Annual Attendances, 1950-1986, Report / Department of Statistics, the University of Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Dept. of Statistics: Parkville, Vic., 1987.
Morley, C. L., Wilson, K. G., The Demand for Australian Rules Football, Faculty of Business Staff Paper / Faculty of Business, Footscray Institute of Technology, Dept. of Applied Economics, Footscray Institute of Technology: Footscray, Vic., 1984.
Morley, C. L., Wilson, K. G., The Demand for Australian Rules Football: A Time-Series Analysis, rev. ed., Dept. of Applied Economics, Footscray Institute of Technology: Footscray, Vic., 1985.
Mulcahy, Dan, Them and Us: National League?, Access Press: Northbridge, WA, 1993.
National Football League of Australia, National Competition Feasibility Study, The Football League, [Victoria, 1985.].
Copies held by Deakin University Library and the National Sport Information Centre Library at the Australian Institute for Sport in Canberra. TH.
Nicholson, Matthew, ‘Take the Game North: The Strategic and Demographic Imperative Facing Australian Football’ in Rob Hess, Matthew Nicholson and Bob Stewart (eds), Football Fever: Grassroots, Maribyrnong Press: Melbourne, 2004, pp. 111-121.
Nicholson noting the strong population growth in Queensland and NSW, and the presence of so many clubs in Melbourne explores some of the AFL’s ‘strategic priorities’. In particular he examines its ‘inability to restructure the competition to more reasonably reflect the demographic and corporate changes in Australian society’. TH.
Nadel, Dave, ‘A League of His Own: John Elliott and Ian Collins’ Vision of National Football’, in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Crossing Boundaries, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2005, pp. 39-48.
Nadel examines in some detail a proposal in 1984 by Carlton Football Club President John Elliott, and General Manager of the Carlton Club, Ian Collins, to establish a National Football League. Nadel’s analysis of this proposal also includes a useful summary and chronology of the various reports and inquiries into the structure and administration of the VFL and WAFL competitions between 1980 and 1985, a critical lead up time to the expansion of the VFL to a national competition from 1987 onwards. TH.
Penrose, Andrea and Ballarat College of Advanced Education Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Changing Nature of Football Support, The author: Mt. Helen, Vic., 1989.
Port Adelaide Football Club, Port Adelaide Football Club Inc.: Bid for the Second South Australian AFL Licence, The Club: Port Adelaide, SA, 1994.
A copy is held by the State Library of South Australia. TH.
Reeves, Keir, et al., ‘Measuring Harmony, Multicultualism and Reconciliation: Australian Football League's Racial and Religious Vilification Laws’, Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, vol.15, no.2, Special Issue (June, 2012), pp. 51-63.
A discussion about the early stages of a research project investigating the Australian Football League's racial and religious vilification laws, in particular an examination of the AFL’s Rule 30. TH.
Reilly, K. D., Violence in Australian Football: A Discussion Paper, South Australian National Football League: Adelaide, 1983.
A relatively early contribution to the debate around violence in football from a football organization. A copy is held by Flinders University Library in Adelaide. TH.
Starke, John, The Future of Australian Football: A National Forum, National Football League of Australia: Jolimont, Vic., 1989. 124 pages.
A forum held in Melbourne on 29-30 November, 1989, chaired by John Starke. The forum later produced a set of recommendations titled, The Future of Australian Football: A National Forum, Report Committee’s Recommendations, 1990. A copy of this later report, which comprises ten pages, is held by the National Sport Information Centre Library in Canberra. TH.
Stewart, Bob, The Australian Football Business: A Spectator's Guide to the VFL, Kangaroo Press: Kenthurst, NSW, 1983.
This pioneering work describes and analyses with great clarity the effects of commercialisation and professionalism upon the game at the elite level between the 1960s and the 1980s. Stewart contrasts the competing interests of traditional football values with the development of financial and corporate structures based on business and economic principles. The analysis describes the administrative structure of the VFL and examines issues such as player payments, recruitment and transfer regulations, Sunday football, ground rationalisation and changing patterns of team skills and tactics. This work also describes some aspects of spectator culture and concludes with some speculations about future developments of the game based on a model of growing professionalism. Contains an annotated bibliography, index and several black and white images.
TH.
Stewart, Bob, ‘Channeling Passion or Manufacturing Identity?: Managing the Fan in the Australian Football League’ in Nicholson, Matthew, (ed.), Fanfare: Spectator Culture and Australian Rules Football, ASSH Studies in Sports History, Australian Society for Sports History: Melbourne, 2005, pp. 109-123.
Stewart, Bob, Dickson, Geoff and Smith, Aaron, ‘Drug use in the Australian Football League: A Critical Survey’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 25, no.1, May 2008, pp. 57-74.
Stewart, Bob, The Games Are Not the Same: The Political Economy of Football in Australia, MUP Academic Monograph Series, Melbourne University Press: Carlton, Vic., 2007.
This book looks at the business and management of football. It explores the evolution of the different codes of football from grassroots sports competitions to complex enterprises that are not only sports competitions but providers of mass marketed entertainment. TH.
Stewart, Bob, ‘The World Anti-Doping Agency and the Australian Football League: The Irresistible Force Bludgeons the Immoveable Object’ in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart, and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Moving the Goalposts, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2006, pp. 107-113.
A useful and concise analysis of some of the differences in approach to drugs in sport taken by the AFL and WADA, the Word Anti-Doping Authority, and the resulting tension between the two agencies, governments, and community attitudes. TH.
Street Ryan and Associates and National Australian Football Council, Socio Economic Impact of Australian Football, [s.n.]: Australia, 1993. 59 pages.
A copy is held by the National Sport Information Centre Library in Canberra. TH.
Sturt Football Club and Norwood Football Club, The Logical Option: The Norwood/Sturt Bid for the Second South Australian AFL Licence, The Clubs: Norwood, SA; Unley, SA, 1994.
A copy is held by the State Library of South Australia. TH.
Victorian Football League Commission, VFL Football: Establishing the Basis for Future Success, VFL Commission: [s. l], 1985.
Victorian Football League Task Force, Mandie, David, VFL Task Force Final Report: June 1985, VFL Task Force: Jolimont, Vic., 1985.
One of the most significant reports ever commissioned by the VFL which led to a major restructuring of how the VFL competition was structured and administered. A copy is held by the National Sport Information Centre in Canberra. TH.
Victoria, Parliament, Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee, Inquiry into Country Football: Final Report, Rural and Regional Services Development Committee: Melbourne, 2004.
This Parliamentary inquiry assessed the strength and long term viability of country football clubs and leagues throughout Victoria. It focused on issues such as the role of football in building community identity, relationships with netball and cricket competitions and the effect of population and social changes. Economic and financial issues affecting country football were also examined. A series of 34 recommendations are listed to enhance support for football in Victoria. TH..
Scope
This chapter mainly contains works which examine the business, economic and administrative aspects of football. There are a few works which cover some of the legal aspects of football, especially in relation to the AFL’s racial vilification policies. Reading the Game (2005) contained a comprehensive listing of legal works and legal judgments relating to the administration of the game. This 2005 listing has been included here, but at this stage has not been updated.
Reading Australian Rules Football (2017) only contains works which contain some specific analysis of the commercial or financial aspects of the game, or a critical interpretation of Australian Rules football from a management perspective, have been included. Works which examine broader issues such as the decline or death of football, problems at the grass roots level or football’s place in a globalised environment can be found in other chapters, such as ‘Histories and General’ or ‘Fan Culture’. Books, chapters in books, journal articles and conference papers have been surveyed for this chapter.
More recent law reports and other legal works, published after 2005, on the Australasian Legal Information Institute website, Austlii.edu, or by searching for legal literature in scholarly articles using online databases widely available in major research libraries, including the National and State Libraries of Australia.
List
Australia, Parliament Senate, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, and Nash, Fiona, Matters Relating to the Establishment of an Australian Football League Team for Tasmania: Report, Senate Committee Report / Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee: Canberra, 2009. 26 p.
Available online from Parliament of Australia website: TH.
Australian Football League NSW/ACT Australian Football Task Force, Taking AFL into the Next Century: A Review of Australian Football in NSW/ACT, NSW/ACT Australian Football Task Force: Sydney, 1998.
Australian Sports Commission, National Australian Football Council, and Australian Football League, National Development Plan, 1994-1996: A Player Pathway, NAFC: Jolimont, Vic., 1991.
Booth, Ross, Comparing Competitive Balance in Australian Sports Leagues, the AFL, NBL and NRL: Does the AFL's Team Salary Cap and Player Draft Measure Up? Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University: Clayton, Vic., 2005.
Booth, Ross, The Economic Development of the Australian Football League, Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University: Clayton, Vic., 2005.
Booth, Ross ‘History of Player Recruitment, Transfer and Payment Rules in the Victorian and Australian Football League’, Bulletin (Australian Society for Sports History), No. 26 June, 1997, pp. 13-33.
An excellent historical overview of player payment, transfer and recruitment policies and regulations in the VFL from 1897 until 1996. TH.
Booth, Ross, Brooks, Robert and Diamond, Neil, Player Salaries and Revenues in the Australian Football League 2001-2009: Theory and Evidence, The Economic and Labour Relations Review, vol. 23, no. 2, June, 2012, pp. 39-54.
Booth, Ross, Labour Market Intervention, Revenue Sharing and Competitive Balance in the Australian Football League, 1897-2002, Monash University Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University, Dept. of Economics: Clayton, Vic., 2004.
Booth, Ross, Player Sales, Trade of Players and Draft Choices and Competitive Balance, Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University: Clayton, Vic., 2004.
Booth, Ross, Some Economic Effects of Changes to Gate-Sharing Arrangements in the Australian Football League, in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart, and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Moving the Goalposts, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2006, pp. 115-132.
Looks at the changes in gate revenue sharing arrangements introduced by the AFL in 2000. Booth is an authority in this area and presents some detailed analysis of the change from a 50-50 gate receipts arrangement to one in which the home club received 100% of the gate income. He then makes some observations and conclusions about this, such as the changing strategies by clubs about which stadia they prefer to play in. This paper appears to have been first published as a part of the Monash University Department of Economics Discussion Papers series in 2005.TH.
Borland, Jeff, Lye, J. N., Attendance at Australian Rules Football: A Panel Study, Research Paper, Dept. of Economics, University of Melbourne: Parkville, Vic, 1991.
Borland, Jeff, Chicu, Mark and Macdonald, R. D., ‘Do Teams Always Lose to Win? Performance Incentives and the Player Draft in the Australian Football League’, Journal of Sports Economics, vol.10, no.5, October 2009, pp. 451-484.
Have some VFL/AFL clubs ‘tanked’ i.e. deliberately lost matches to gain higher draft selections? This article examines the evidence since the introduction of the draft in 1986. TH.
Borland, Jeff, A Whole New Ball Game: Re-Estimating the Demand for Australian Rules Football, IAESR Working Paper, IAESR: Parkville, Vic., 1986.
Bremner, Ian, The Economics of Australian Rules Football and Cricket, Middle School Economics Project, Victorian Commercial Teachers Association in conjunction with the Education Department of Victoria: Fitzroy, Vic., 1980.
Business Studies Team, Tasmanian Football, It’s Future, Business Studies Team: Hobart, Tas., 1978.
A report produced for K. J. Burke, Lecturer in Organisation Science, Tasmanian College of Advanced Education. TH.
Cazaly, Ciannon, ‘A Year in the Life of the Australian Football League’s Vilification Policies’, Sporting Traditions, vol.29, no.1, May, 2012, pp.37-57.
Crawford, D. A., AFL Administrative Structure Review - Findings, March 1993, Peat Marwick: Melbourne, 1993.
A significant report commissioned by the AFL in 1992 and presented to the AFL in March 1993. Commonly referred to as the ‘Crawford Report’. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Abolishing Transfer Fees: The Victorian Football League's New Employment Rules’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 6, no. 1, November 1989, pp. 63-87.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘The Australian Football League's Swansong?’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 10, no. 1, November 1993, pp. 136-139.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘The Imperfect Market for Footballers’, National Bank Monthly Summary, May 1973, pp.5-10.
Article which assesses if the VFL’s player transfer and zoning regulations created a more equal football competition. Dabscheck has written about regulatory and employment conditions for Australian Rules football players for more than 40 years. This article is one of his earliest published pieces on the topic. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Industrial Relations and Team Sports in Australia’, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 18, March 1976, pp. 28-44.
A detailed examination of the formation and early years of the VFL Players Association. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Sport, Human Rights and Industrial Relations’, Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 6, no. 2, 2000, pp. 129-160.
Important article which examines the human rights dimensions of industrial relations in a range of professional team sports, including Australian Rules football. In particular it looks at how the courts have responded to competition rules and contracts which have restricted the mobility and freedom of players. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Sporting Equality: Labor Market versus Product Market Control’, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 17, June 1975, pp. 174-190.
Article which examines the VFL transfer and zoning system, the nature of VFL clubs and their financial base, whether a ‘sporting equality’ has been achieved in the VFL competition, and concludes with some recommendations to improve the sporting labor market. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Sporting Labour Markets and the Courts’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 12, no. 1, November 1985, pp. 2-24.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Silvio Foschini and the Sydney Swans’, Australian Quarterly, Autumn 1984, pp. 65-73.
Important article about a landmark legal case involving VFL footballer Silvio Foschini which found that the VFL’s transfer rules were an unreasonable restraint of trade. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘Tom McNeil and the 1955 Australian Football Players' Union’ Sporting Traditions, vol.28, no.1, May 2011, pp.39-61.
An article which describes an attempt by a former St Kilda player Tom McNeil
to form a VFL and VFA players union in 1955. Comparisons with similar attempts in other team sports are presented, and McNeil's life as a player, coach, administrator, and member of the Parliament of Western Australia are also explored. TH.
Dabscheck, Braham, ‘The Wage Determination Process for Sportsmen’, Economic Record, vol. 51, 1975, pp. 52-65.
Gardiner, Greg, Football and Racism: The AFL's Racial and Religious Vilification Rule, Discussion Paper, Monash University Koorie Research Centre, Monash University Koorie Research Centre: Clayton, Vic., 1997.
Gardiner, Greg, ‘Racial Abuse and Football: The Australian Football League's Racial Vilification Rule in Review’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 14, no. 1, November 1997, pp. 3-25.
Fight for Football (Victoria), AFL Out of Bounds, Fight for Football (Victoria) Inc.: Boronia, Vic., 1992.
This study sought to find the average football's supporter's attitudes towards the AFL’s administration policies. The report presents results from questionnaires distributed at AFL matches during the 1992 season, with an analysis and a series of recommendations for the AFL hierarchy. The study was put together by the Fight For Football group, which came together in the aftermath of the near demise of the Footscray Football Club. TH.
Foreman, Julie, ‘Corporate Governance Issues in Global Sport: A Comparison of Governance Issues in the Australian Football League and the English Premier League’, in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Crossing Boundaries, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2005, pp. 89-103.
This chapter is an ‘examination of the corporatisation of sport’, and in particular the corporate governance structures of Australian Rules football clubs in comparison with football clubs in the English Premier League. TH.
Frost, Lionel, ‘Commerce: The Business of Football’, in Geoff Slattery (ed.), The Australian Game of Football: Since 1858, Geoff Slattery Publishing for the Australian Football League: Docklands, Vic., 2008, pp. 294-301.
Interesting overview of some of the commercial and financial aspects of the game over its history, particularly player transfer arrangements and the selling of AFL branded products. TH.
Frost, Lionel, Schuwalow, Peter. and Borrowman, Luc., ‘Labour Market Regulation and Team Performance: The Victorian Football League’s Coulter Law 1930-1970’, Sport Management Review, no. 15, 2012, pp. 276-287.
The ‘Coulter Law’ introduced in 1930 regulated player payments in the VFL setting a maximum of £3 per player per match. This was adjusted for inflation over time. By the 1960s the regulation was perceived to be widely breeched and ineffective. TH.
Frost, Lionel, and Halabi, Abdel K., Measuring the Success of Country Football Clubs, Department of Economics Discussion Papers, Monash University, Department of Economics: Clayton, Vic., 2007.
Haimes, Gervase, ‘Culture, Identity and Performance in the AFL’ in Rob Hess, Matthew Nicholson and Bob Stewart (eds), Football Fever: Grassroots, Maribyrnong Press: Melbourne, 2004, pp. 95-109.
The core of this paper ‘explains the methods used to investigate the organisational culture and identity of the Fremantle Dockers football club’. Based on the author’s Ph.D research which was later completed in 2006, see ‘Scholarly Theses and Dissertations’ chapter for full citation. TH.
Halabi, Abdel K., Frost, Lionel. and Lightbody, M., ‘Football History Off the Field: Utilising Archived Accounting Reports to Challenge ‘Myths’ about the History of an Australian Football Club’, Accounting History, no. 17, 2012, pp. 63-81.
Kabanoff, Boris and Wood, Robert E., Determinants of Performance in Naturally Occurring Groups: The Case of Australian Rules Football, Working Paper Series / Australian Graduate School of Management, Australian Graduate School of Management: Kensington, NSW, 1984.
Kerr, Anthony K., ‘An Exploratory Examination of Fan Support for Australia’s Game’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 31, no. 2, November 2014, pp. 69-86.
Article which examines the AFL’s campaign to promote the game in North America. TH
King, Ross, Crawshaw, Bruce, The Community Effects of VFL Sunday Football, Office of Research and Social Policy, Dept. of Community Welfare Services: Melbourne, 1981.
This state government report examined the effects of two trial Sunday VFL football matches played on the 2 and 9 August 1981. The independent study used surveys and other techniques to examine a number of issues including the effects of Sunday football on the VFA and other sporting bodies or associations, public transport services, traffic control, the use of adjacent parks and gardens and local residents, community groups and churches. TH.
Marjoribanks, Tim and Capling, Ann, ‘Transforming Governance: Football Clubs in the Australian Football League’ in Rob Hess, Matthew Nicholson and Bob Stewart (eds), Football Fever: Grassroots, Maribyrnong Press: Melbourne, 2004, pp. 67-80.
An analysis of how the AFL clubs are adapting to the highly corporatised and commercial globalised environment that they now find themselves operating in. This article in particular examines the transformation of club governance structures and how this is at odds with the more traditional demands of community based corporate organisations which have characterised AFL clubs in the past. TH.
McNamara, L., ‘Tackling Racial Hatred: Conciliation, Reconciliation and Football’, Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 6, no. 2, 2000, pp. 5-31.
Morley, C. L. and University of Melbourne Dept. of Statistics, Modeling VFL Annual Attendances, 1950-1986, Report / Department of Statistics, the University of Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Dept. of Statistics: Parkville, Vic., 1987.
Morley, C. L., Wilson, K. G., The Demand for Australian Rules Football, Faculty of Business Staff Paper / Faculty of Business, Footscray Institute of Technology, Dept. of Applied Economics, Footscray Institute of Technology: Footscray, Vic., 1984.
Morley, C. L., Wilson, K. G., The Demand for Australian Rules Football: A Time-Series Analysis, rev. ed., Dept. of Applied Economics, Footscray Institute of Technology: Footscray, Vic., 1985.
Mulcahy, Dan, Them and Us: National League?, Access Press: Northbridge, WA, 1993.
National Football League of Australia, National Competition Feasibility Study, The Football League, [Victoria, 1985.].
Copies held by Deakin University Library and the National Sport Information Centre Library at the Australian Institute for Sport in Canberra. TH.
Nicholson, Matthew, ‘Take the Game North: The Strategic and Demographic Imperative Facing Australian Football’ in Rob Hess, Matthew Nicholson and Bob Stewart (eds), Football Fever: Grassroots, Maribyrnong Press: Melbourne, 2004, pp. 111-121.
Nicholson noting the strong population growth in Queensland and NSW, and the presence of so many clubs in Melbourne explores some of the AFL’s ‘strategic priorities’. In particular he examines its ‘inability to restructure the competition to more reasonably reflect the demographic and corporate changes in Australian society’. TH.
Nadel, Dave, ‘A League of His Own: John Elliott and Ian Collins’ Vision of National Football’, in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Crossing Boundaries, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2005, pp. 39-48.
Nadel examines in some detail a proposal in 1984 by Carlton Football Club President John Elliott, and General Manager of the Carlton Club, Ian Collins, to establish a National Football League. Nadel’s analysis of this proposal also includes a useful summary and chronology of the various reports and inquiries into the structure and administration of the VFL and WAFL competitions between 1980 and 1985, a critical lead up time to the expansion of the VFL to a national competition from 1987 onwards. TH.
Penrose, Andrea and Ballarat College of Advanced Education Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Changing Nature of Football Support, The author: Mt. Helen, Vic., 1989.
Port Adelaide Football Club, Port Adelaide Football Club Inc.: Bid for the Second South Australian AFL Licence, The Club: Port Adelaide, SA, 1994.
A copy is held by the State Library of South Australia. TH.
Reeves, Keir, et al., ‘Measuring Harmony, Multicultualism and Reconciliation: Australian Football League's Racial and Religious Vilification Laws’, Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, vol.15, no.2, Special Issue (June, 2012), pp. 51-63.
A discussion about the early stages of a research project investigating the Australian Football League's racial and religious vilification laws, in particular an examination of the AFL’s Rule 30. TH.
Reilly, K. D., Violence in Australian Football: A Discussion Paper, South Australian National Football League: Adelaide, 1983.
A relatively early contribution to the debate around violence in football from a football organization. A copy is held by Flinders University Library in Adelaide. TH.
Starke, John, The Future of Australian Football: A National Forum, National Football League of Australia: Jolimont, Vic., 1989. 124 pages.
A forum held in Melbourne on 29-30 November, 1989, chaired by John Starke. The forum later produced a set of recommendations titled, The Future of Australian Football: A National Forum, Report Committee’s Recommendations, 1990. A copy of this later report, which comprises ten pages, is held by the National Sport Information Centre Library in Canberra. TH.
Stewart, Bob, The Australian Football Business: A Spectator's Guide to the VFL, Kangaroo Press: Kenthurst, NSW, 1983.
This pioneering work describes and analyses with great clarity the effects of commercialisation and professionalism upon the game at the elite level between the 1960s and the 1980s. Stewart contrasts the competing interests of traditional football values with the development of financial and corporate structures based on business and economic principles. The analysis describes the administrative structure of the VFL and examines issues such as player payments, recruitment and transfer regulations, Sunday football, ground rationalisation and changing patterns of team skills and tactics. This work also describes some aspects of spectator culture and concludes with some speculations about future developments of the game based on a model of growing professionalism. Contains an annotated bibliography, index and several black and white images.
TH.
Stewart, Bob, ‘Channeling Passion or Manufacturing Identity?: Managing the Fan in the Australian Football League’ in Nicholson, Matthew, (ed.), Fanfare: Spectator Culture and Australian Rules Football, ASSH Studies in Sports History, Australian Society for Sports History: Melbourne, 2005, pp. 109-123.
Stewart, Bob, Dickson, Geoff and Smith, Aaron, ‘Drug use in the Australian Football League: A Critical Survey’, Sporting Traditions, vol. 25, no.1, May 2008, pp. 57-74.
Stewart, Bob, The Games Are Not the Same: The Political Economy of Football in Australia, MUP Academic Monograph Series, Melbourne University Press: Carlton, Vic., 2007.
This book looks at the business and management of football. It explores the evolution of the different codes of football from grassroots sports competitions to complex enterprises that are not only sports competitions but providers of mass marketed entertainment. TH.
Stewart, Bob, ‘The World Anti-Doping Agency and the Australian Football League: The Irresistible Force Bludgeons the Immoveable Object’ in Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart, and Rob Hess (eds), Football Fever: Moving the Goalposts, Maribyrnong Press: Hawthorn, Vic., 2006, pp. 107-113.
A useful and concise analysis of some of the differences in approach to drugs in sport taken by the AFL and WADA, the Word Anti-Doping Authority, and the resulting tension between the two agencies, governments, and community attitudes. TH.
Street Ryan and Associates and National Australian Football Council, Socio Economic Impact of Australian Football, [s.n.]: Australia, 1993. 59 pages.
A copy is held by the National Sport Information Centre Library in Canberra. TH.
Sturt Football Club and Norwood Football Club, The Logical Option: The Norwood/Sturt Bid for the Second South Australian AFL Licence, The Clubs: Norwood, SA; Unley, SA, 1994.
A copy is held by the State Library of South Australia. TH.
Victorian Football League Commission, VFL Football: Establishing the Basis for Future Success, VFL Commission: [s. l], 1985.
Victorian Football League Task Force, Mandie, David, VFL Task Force Final Report: June 1985, VFL Task Force: Jolimont, Vic., 1985.
One of the most significant reports ever commissioned by the VFL which led to a major restructuring of how the VFL competition was structured and administered. A copy is held by the National Sport Information Centre in Canberra. TH.
Victoria, Parliament, Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee, Inquiry into Country Football: Final Report, Rural and Regional Services Development Committee: Melbourne, 2004.
This Parliamentary inquiry assessed the strength and long term viability of country football clubs and leagues throughout Victoria. It focused on issues such as the role of football in building community identity, relationships with netball and cricket competitions and the effect of population and social changes. Economic and financial issues affecting country football were also examined. A series of 34 recommendations are listed to enhance support for football in Victoria. TH..
Legal Cases (compiled in 2005)
Annotations are by Ian Warren (IW) from the printed edition of Reading the Game.
Adamson v. West Australian National Football League (Inc.) (1978) 20 ALR (Australian Law Reports) 191-198.
This case concerned the legality of transfer rules adopted by the WANFL during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Four verdicts in the Adamson dispute contain lengthy discussions of the role of Australian courts in assessing the legality of football draft restrictions under recognised common law principles dealing with restraint of trade. IW.
Adamson v. West Perth Football Club Incorporated and Others (1979) 27 ALR (Australian Law Reports) 475-508.
Examines restraint of trade and the legality of WANFL draft rules during the late 1970s. IW.
Australian Football League and Others v. Carlton Football Club Ltd. and Another (1997) 2 VR (Victorian Reports) 546-588.
While playing at the Carlton Football Club, Greg Williams received a nine-week suspension for making contact with an umpire. The suspension was appealed to the Supreme Court of Victoria, which considered whether the tribunal hearing and the penalty could be reviewed and overturned. The case discusses the criteria for fair and proper tribunal processes and outlines the principles required before the right to judicial review of tribunal decisions will be granted. IW.
Bantoft v. Municipality of Clarence (1977) 36 LGRA (Local Government Reports of Australia) 41-45.
This negligence claim arose after a footballer collided with a broken fence during a football match in Tasmania. The verdict discusses the duties of local governments to maintain safety at publicly owned sports venues and football grounds. IW.
Buckenara v. Hawthorn Football Club Ltd. (1988) VR (Victorian Reports) 39-49.
This case examined restraint of trade laws and the legality of contracts drafted by the Hawthorn Football Club aimed at securing Western Australian champion Gary Buckenara. This case should be read alongside the verdict in Hawthorn Football Club v. Harding, which dealt with similar restraint of trade and contractual issues. IW.
Carlton Cricket and Football Social Club v. Joseph (1970) VR (Victorian Reports) 487-501.
This is the first reported Australian Rules football case in available legal records and examines laws involving clubs, membership rights and voting procedures. The major legal issue relates to the contractual force and rights associated with club membership. IW.
Carlton Football Club Ltd. v. Australian Football League (1997) 71 ALJR (Australian Law Journal Reports) 1546-1546.
Leave to appeal to the High Court over the Greg Williams case was rejected. IW.
Footscray Football Club v. Liquor Licensing [2000] VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) 1460
This verdict involved a successful appeal against a Liquor Licensing decision to remove poker machines from Club premises, with particular reference on the effects of gambling in economically depressed communities. IW.
Edgecock v. Davies (1995) Unreported Supreme Court (Tas) 3 October 1995.
Examines an assault on an umpire by spectator, who was also a registered player in the league in question, and contains a discussion of the effect of suspension and associated penalties alongside the role of the courts to convict or invoke a civil penalty in a case of unlawful violence. IW.
Foschini v. South Melbourne and Victorian Football League (1983) Unreported Judgment of the Supreme Court (Vic) 15 April 1983.
This case involves the legal issues surrounding the doctrine of ‘restraint of trade’. Foschini, a South Melbourne player, sought a transfer to St Kilda after refusing to move to Sydney to play with the Sydney Swans in 1982-1983. The case was heard in the Supreme Court of Victoria, where Justice Crockett ruled that the VFL transfer rules and regulations at the time were an unlawful restraint of trade. Foschini was subsequently cleared to play with St Kilda. IW.
Geelong Football Club Ltd v. Clifford [2002] VSCA (Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal) 212.
The club successfully appealed a trial ruling granting compensation to a patron who sustained injuries after a fall down some stairs. The patron claimed the club breached its duty of care by serving too much alcohol, but this argument was ultimately rejected by the Supreme Court of Victoria. IW.
Giumelli v. Johnston (1991) Australian Torts Reports 68, 707-760, 710.
This ruling examines the criteria for granting civil compensation after a deliberate hit during an Australian Rules football match. The laws of negligence, duty of care and assumption of risk are applied to a case of an intentionally violent act. IW.
Hall v. Victorian Football League and Clarke (1982) VR (Victorian Reports) 65-72.
This verdict discusses the legality of VFL transfer rules during the early 1980s and offers important guidance on the final verdict in the more publicised Foschini case. IW.
Hawthorn Football Club Ltd. v. Harding (1988) VR (Victorian Reports) 49-63.
Harding reviews the legality of Hawthorn Football Club contracts to secure Harding while he was playing in Western Australia. The verdict discusses restraint of trade rules and the legality of Hawthorn’s actions in attempting to restrict the ability of Harding and Gary Buckenara, to play for their respective Western Australian clubs. IW.
McNamara v. Duncan (1971) 26 ALR (Australian Law Reports) 584-590.
This case is the first in Australia to examine the laws of negligence after an intentionally violent hit during an Australian Rules football match. The verdict looks at the legal duty of care to obey the rules of the game and documents the criteria for granting compensation for deliberate contact resulting in a serious facial injury. IW.
Mickelthwait v. Essendon District Football League [2003] VSC (Victorian Supreme Court) 363.
A player suspended by the League sought a court order to overturn the suspension and play in a forthcoming Grand Final. The verdict examines the rules of natural justice as they apply to district tribunal proceedings. IW.
Old Melbournians Football Club Inc and Another v. Victorian Amateur Football Association [2001] VSC (Victorian Supreme Court) 34.
This verdict examines the question of ‘amateur’ status in contemporary Victorian football, and the legality of the Association’s decision to deregister a footballer in breach of these rules. The appeal also unsuccessfully sought to overturn the Association’s ruling requiring the club to forfeit all premiership points as a penalty for breaching the rules. IW.
R v. Judges of the Federal Court of Australia and Adamson; Ex Parte Western Australian National Football League (Inc.) and West Perth Football Club (1979) 23 ALR (Australian Law Reports) 439-479.
Examines restraint of trade and the legality of WANFL draft rules during the late 1970s. This case was an appeal from the Adamson rulings in 1978-1979. IW.
R v. The Judges of the Federal Court of Australia and Another; Ex Parte the Western Australian Football League (Inc.) and Another (1978 -1979) 143 CLR (Commonwealth Law Reports) 190-241.
Examines restraint of trade and the legality of WANFL draft rules during the late 1970s. This case was an appeal from the Adamson rulings in 1978-1979. IW.
R. v. Manlio v. Mutimer and Others (1986) Unreported: Supreme Court of Victoria,
4 September 1986.
This case involved a claim of restraint of trade after a district footballer was suspended and declared ineligible to play in an Essendon District Football League Grand Final. The case examines the rules of natural justice and procedural fairness and whether the tribunal’s findings could be justified in light of player payments and other possible accolades stemming from participation in the match. IW.
Re Hall and Victorian Amateur Football Association (1999) 15 VAR (Victorian Administrative Reports) 183-197.
This landmark case challenged a ruling of the Victorian Amateur Football Association to ban all players carrying the HIV/AIDS virus. Hall argued the rule involved unfair and unlawful discrimination and breached his rights to freely participate in the sport of his choice. IW.
Re Jewell and Crimes Compensation Tribunal (1987) 1 VAR (Victorian Administrative Reports) 370-372.
This verdict examines the availability of publicly funded crimes compensation after the complainant received serious injuries during an informal school yard football game. IW.
Rehn v. Australian Football League and others [2003] SASC (South Australian Supreme Court) 159.
Former Adelaide Crows and Hawthorn ruckman Shaun Rehn sued the AFL after sustaining a severe knee injury during a match at Football Park, Adelaide. This verdict examines whether documents in possession of the AFL could be inspected by Rehn prior to trial to facilitate an out of court settlement. IW.
Rush v. Western Australian Amateur Football League Inc. [2003] WASC (Western Australian Supreme Court) 70.
This is a rare case of an Australian court granting an appeal against a tribunal suspension. The court determined the rules of natural justice had been breached through several procedural irregularities during the tribunal hearing. IW.
Shepherd v. South Australian Amateur Football League Inc. (1987) 44 SASR (South Australian State Reports) 579-586.
This verdict examines the role of the courts in overturning a seven-year suspension imposed by the League tribunal. The ruling canvasses principles of natural justice and restraint of trade and discusses the limited scope of courts to overturn tribunal decisions where there is little evidence of abuse of process, bias or irregular procedure. IW.
Smith v. Football Victoria Ltd [2003] VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) 936.
The first in a series of two decisions examining the right of girls aged 14 and 15 to compete alongside boys in Australian Rules football. The ruling granted the claim to the girls, subject to a more detailed review of legal issues after the end of the 2003 junior season. IW.
Taylor v. Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League and Football Victoria Ltd. [2004] VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) 158.
The second of two decisions examining the obligations of football administrators to include girls aged 14 and 15 years in junior competitions. This verdict provides detailed analysis of the relative abilities of girls and boys in their early teenage years and various considerations in promoting mixed football at junior level throughout the state. IW
Watherson v. Woolven (1987) 139 LSJS (Law Society Journal Service) 366-376.
This ruling examines the availability of compensation under the laws of civil assault. The dispute stemmed from a deliberately violent act during a football match and discusses whether compensation should be available where the injury occurred during the heat of competition. IW.
This case concerned the legality of transfer rules adopted by the WANFL during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Four verdicts in the Adamson dispute contain lengthy discussions of the role of Australian courts in assessing the legality of football draft restrictions under recognised common law principles dealing with restraint of trade. IW.
Adamson v. West Perth Football Club Incorporated and Others (1979) 27 ALR (Australian Law Reports) 475-508.
Examines restraint of trade and the legality of WANFL draft rules during the late 1970s. IW.
Australian Football League and Others v. Carlton Football Club Ltd. and Another (1997) 2 VR (Victorian Reports) 546-588.
While playing at the Carlton Football Club, Greg Williams received a nine-week suspension for making contact with an umpire. The suspension was appealed to the Supreme Court of Victoria, which considered whether the tribunal hearing and the penalty could be reviewed and overturned. The case discusses the criteria for fair and proper tribunal processes and outlines the principles required before the right to judicial review of tribunal decisions will be granted. IW.
Bantoft v. Municipality of Clarence (1977) 36 LGRA (Local Government Reports of Australia) 41-45.
This negligence claim arose after a footballer collided with a broken fence during a football match in Tasmania. The verdict discusses the duties of local governments to maintain safety at publicly owned sports venues and football grounds. IW.
Buckenara v. Hawthorn Football Club Ltd. (1988) VR (Victorian Reports) 39-49.
This case examined restraint of trade laws and the legality of contracts drafted by the Hawthorn Football Club aimed at securing Western Australian champion Gary Buckenara. This case should be read alongside the verdict in Hawthorn Football Club v. Harding, which dealt with similar restraint of trade and contractual issues. IW.
Carlton Cricket and Football Social Club v. Joseph (1970) VR (Victorian Reports) 487-501.
This is the first reported Australian Rules football case in available legal records and examines laws involving clubs, membership rights and voting procedures. The major legal issue relates to the contractual force and rights associated with club membership. IW.
Carlton Football Club Ltd. v. Australian Football League (1997) 71 ALJR (Australian Law Journal Reports) 1546-1546.
Leave to appeal to the High Court over the Greg Williams case was rejected. IW.
Footscray Football Club v. Liquor Licensing [2000] VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) 1460
This verdict involved a successful appeal against a Liquor Licensing decision to remove poker machines from Club premises, with particular reference on the effects of gambling in economically depressed communities. IW.
Edgecock v. Davies (1995) Unreported Supreme Court (Tas) 3 October 1995.
Examines an assault on an umpire by spectator, who was also a registered player in the league in question, and contains a discussion of the effect of suspension and associated penalties alongside the role of the courts to convict or invoke a civil penalty in a case of unlawful violence. IW.
Foschini v. South Melbourne and Victorian Football League (1983) Unreported Judgment of the Supreme Court (Vic) 15 April 1983.
This case involves the legal issues surrounding the doctrine of ‘restraint of trade’. Foschini, a South Melbourne player, sought a transfer to St Kilda after refusing to move to Sydney to play with the Sydney Swans in 1982-1983. The case was heard in the Supreme Court of Victoria, where Justice Crockett ruled that the VFL transfer rules and regulations at the time were an unlawful restraint of trade. Foschini was subsequently cleared to play with St Kilda. IW.
Geelong Football Club Ltd v. Clifford [2002] VSCA (Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal) 212.
The club successfully appealed a trial ruling granting compensation to a patron who sustained injuries after a fall down some stairs. The patron claimed the club breached its duty of care by serving too much alcohol, but this argument was ultimately rejected by the Supreme Court of Victoria. IW.
Giumelli v. Johnston (1991) Australian Torts Reports 68, 707-760, 710.
This ruling examines the criteria for granting civil compensation after a deliberate hit during an Australian Rules football match. The laws of negligence, duty of care and assumption of risk are applied to a case of an intentionally violent act. IW.
Hall v. Victorian Football League and Clarke (1982) VR (Victorian Reports) 65-72.
This verdict discusses the legality of VFL transfer rules during the early 1980s and offers important guidance on the final verdict in the more publicised Foschini case. IW.
Hawthorn Football Club Ltd. v. Harding (1988) VR (Victorian Reports) 49-63.
Harding reviews the legality of Hawthorn Football Club contracts to secure Harding while he was playing in Western Australia. The verdict discusses restraint of trade rules and the legality of Hawthorn’s actions in attempting to restrict the ability of Harding and Gary Buckenara, to play for their respective Western Australian clubs. IW.
McNamara v. Duncan (1971) 26 ALR (Australian Law Reports) 584-590.
This case is the first in Australia to examine the laws of negligence after an intentionally violent hit during an Australian Rules football match. The verdict looks at the legal duty of care to obey the rules of the game and documents the criteria for granting compensation for deliberate contact resulting in a serious facial injury. IW.
Mickelthwait v. Essendon District Football League [2003] VSC (Victorian Supreme Court) 363.
A player suspended by the League sought a court order to overturn the suspension and play in a forthcoming Grand Final. The verdict examines the rules of natural justice as they apply to district tribunal proceedings. IW.
Old Melbournians Football Club Inc and Another v. Victorian Amateur Football Association [2001] VSC (Victorian Supreme Court) 34.
This verdict examines the question of ‘amateur’ status in contemporary Victorian football, and the legality of the Association’s decision to deregister a footballer in breach of these rules. The appeal also unsuccessfully sought to overturn the Association’s ruling requiring the club to forfeit all premiership points as a penalty for breaching the rules. IW.
R v. Judges of the Federal Court of Australia and Adamson; Ex Parte Western Australian National Football League (Inc.) and West Perth Football Club (1979) 23 ALR (Australian Law Reports) 439-479.
Examines restraint of trade and the legality of WANFL draft rules during the late 1970s. This case was an appeal from the Adamson rulings in 1978-1979. IW.
R v. The Judges of the Federal Court of Australia and Another; Ex Parte the Western Australian Football League (Inc.) and Another (1978 -1979) 143 CLR (Commonwealth Law Reports) 190-241.
Examines restraint of trade and the legality of WANFL draft rules during the late 1970s. This case was an appeal from the Adamson rulings in 1978-1979. IW.
R. v. Manlio v. Mutimer and Others (1986) Unreported: Supreme Court of Victoria,
4 September 1986.
This case involved a claim of restraint of trade after a district footballer was suspended and declared ineligible to play in an Essendon District Football League Grand Final. The case examines the rules of natural justice and procedural fairness and whether the tribunal’s findings could be justified in light of player payments and other possible accolades stemming from participation in the match. IW.
Re Hall and Victorian Amateur Football Association (1999) 15 VAR (Victorian Administrative Reports) 183-197.
This landmark case challenged a ruling of the Victorian Amateur Football Association to ban all players carrying the HIV/AIDS virus. Hall argued the rule involved unfair and unlawful discrimination and breached his rights to freely participate in the sport of his choice. IW.
Re Jewell and Crimes Compensation Tribunal (1987) 1 VAR (Victorian Administrative Reports) 370-372.
This verdict examines the availability of publicly funded crimes compensation after the complainant received serious injuries during an informal school yard football game. IW.
Rehn v. Australian Football League and others [2003] SASC (South Australian Supreme Court) 159.
Former Adelaide Crows and Hawthorn ruckman Shaun Rehn sued the AFL after sustaining a severe knee injury during a match at Football Park, Adelaide. This verdict examines whether documents in possession of the AFL could be inspected by Rehn prior to trial to facilitate an out of court settlement. IW.
Rush v. Western Australian Amateur Football League Inc. [2003] WASC (Western Australian Supreme Court) 70.
This is a rare case of an Australian court granting an appeal against a tribunal suspension. The court determined the rules of natural justice had been breached through several procedural irregularities during the tribunal hearing. IW.
Shepherd v. South Australian Amateur Football League Inc. (1987) 44 SASR (South Australian State Reports) 579-586.
This verdict examines the role of the courts in overturning a seven-year suspension imposed by the League tribunal. The ruling canvasses principles of natural justice and restraint of trade and discusses the limited scope of courts to overturn tribunal decisions where there is little evidence of abuse of process, bias or irregular procedure. IW.
Smith v. Football Victoria Ltd [2003] VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) 936.
The first in a series of two decisions examining the right of girls aged 14 and 15 to compete alongside boys in Australian Rules football. The ruling granted the claim to the girls, subject to a more detailed review of legal issues after the end of the 2003 junior season. IW.
Taylor v. Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League and Football Victoria Ltd. [2004] VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) 158.
The second of two decisions examining the obligations of football administrators to include girls aged 14 and 15 years in junior competitions. This verdict provides detailed analysis of the relative abilities of girls and boys in their early teenage years and various considerations in promoting mixed football at junior level throughout the state. IW
Watherson v. Woolven (1987) 139 LSJS (Law Society Journal Service) 366-376.
This ruling examines the availability of compensation under the laws of civil assault. The dispute stemmed from a deliberately violent act during a football match and discusses whether compensation should be available where the injury occurred during the heat of competition. IW.