The Big Deal Weekly: ‘Grundy to Port’ heats up, ‘concerning’ Crows coach offer, Kerr cashes in as women’s soccer lures investors, NRLW AI blunder and more

Newsletter no.48, 29 August 2023

Welcome to this week’s sports business wrap.

It is AFL finals time but deal-making for players and coaches is already in full swing.

Meanwhile, Matildas star Sam Kerr is building a bank balance to match her enormous brand appeal. We’ve got the details.

While money is pouring in to women’s soccer and Messi is making it rain in the MLS, one proud Premier League club is nearing rock bottom.

There’s plenty to talk about … tune in below or scroll down for the notes.

Listen to the wrap and subscribe for free now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

CAN PORT MAKE A DEAL FOR GRUNDY, AND ARE THE CROWS GIVING THEIR COACH TOO MUCH?

Brodie Grundy to Alberton? It’s heating up.

The Power could pay more than what Melbourne is forking out for the star ruck, which could allow for a cheaper trade.

Port’s ruck class of Scott Lycett, Brynn Teakle, Sam Hayes and Dante Visentini haven’t been able to get it done for different reasons.

Port’s challenge is getting the currency to get its trade targets having sold the farm for Jason Horne-Francis from North Melbourne.

Meanwhile, do Adelaide need to give Matthew Nicks a contract extension and is it a good idea? We’re not sure.

The current news sees the former Port and GWS assistant remaining at West Lakes until 2026, effectively putting him on a three-year deal.

We’ve seen clubs time and time again caught in scenarios with coaches they don’t want to be stuck in, and if Adelaide’s form disintegrates next year…

A two-year payout wouldn’t be great.

Learn from West Coast’s errors with Adam Simpson, and despite the Eagles backing him in, the potential payout was a large sticking point.

TREDDERS’ TALKING POINTS FROM THE AFL

In the audio wrap, Tredders also talks about:

• The AFL Finals fixturing - Is Port Adelaide disadvantaged by the timing?

• Darcy Parish wants six years and it’s getting messy.

• New AFL Head of Football Laura Kane has plenty of footy-related issues to deal with.

• Did North Melbourne do the right thing in winning and surrendering Pick 1?

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS LINE UP FOR BIG BASH

The Big Bash League draft is flooded with talent, with almost 500 players nominating from 29 countries.

119 women have also signed up for the Women’s Big Bash competition.

Rashid Khan looks to have backflipped on his decision to boycott the competition, after ‘strongly considering’ his future following Cricket Australia’s withdrawal from a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.

KERR CASHES IN

Sam Kerr’s bringing in the bank, and well-deserved.

The Matildas star banked $3.34m last year according to the Australian Financial Review.

Included in that is:

• Chelsea FC contract, reportedly worth $600k a season

• Endorsement deals with both EA Sports as FIFA cover star and with Nike

Ellie Carpenter is second on the list and the only other player to earn over seven figures - $1.2 million - mostly through her contract with French giants Lyon.

Emily van Egmond is third with just shy of $400,000, and remains ahead of Lydia Williams and Alanna Kennedy ($354k)

There has been some push back against Nike, due to the jersey manufacturer not making the Matildas goalkeeper jersey available for sale.

Nike released jerseys, but only for the USA, England, France and Netherlands, but it seems it will bow and release a Mackenzie Arnold goalkeeper jersey drop.

Only fitting after her World Cup heroics.

NOTHING CAN SAVE SPAIN’S FOOTBALL PRESIDENT … DESPITE MUM’S BEST EFFORTS!

This story continues to get crazier by the day.

Spanish players have announced a boycott, demanding Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales is dismissed from his role after the inappropriate kiss on Jenni Hermoso.

FIFA has suspended him from 90 days, the criminal court is investigating and others are calling for his head…apart from his mum.

She’s protesting, and has locked herself in a southern Spain church and declared a hunger strike.

INVESTORS EYE WOMEN’S SOCCER OWNERSHIP

Money is beginning to pour in for women’s soccer.

The newly formed Mercury 13 will represent one of the first multi-club ownership entities which doesn’t include the men’s game.

It’ll begin with $US100 million raised from European family offices and former pro soccer players.

Mercury 13 will pursue controlling stakes in teams outside of the US, where it sees franchise prices growing too quickly.

Recently, Chicago Red Stars were sold in a deal worth up to $35.5 million, and the Chicago Sky took in new investors at an $85 million valuation.

MIAMI MAKES ROOM FOR MORE MESSI MONEY

Messi Mayhem in Miami.

It continues to grow at Inter Miami, with the MLS club expected to hit $US200m in revenue.

That comes from ticket sales, corporate partnerships, and clauses with sponsors that if someone of Messi’s calibre joined the club, costs would increase.

Reports suggest the club could be valued at $US1.5 billion by this time next year. Not bad, David Beckham.

EVERTON NEARING ROCK BOTTOM

Meanwhile in England, Everton is in all sorts.

Bottom of the Premier League, financial issues and a potential $US200 million investment falling through.

The club avoided relegation last season on the final day, and a new stadium is under construction, but costs for that have risen through the roof to well over a billion bucks AUD.

Without the enhanced new stadium revenue, the club losses have reached over $750 million over the last five years, and the club is under investigation for violating Premier League spending rules.

BOOMERS ON EDGE

It’s do or die for the Boomers after the shock loss to Germany at the FIBA World Cup.

They’ll tackle one of the host nations, Japan, and while the Boomers are far better than their opponents, their form has been poor.

Latvia shocked France and they’re out, while South Sudan beat China.

BOT EMBARRASSMENT FOR RUGBY LEAGUE WEBSITE

Is this the world we’re living in? We can confirm this section was not written by any AI.

Same can’t be said after a rugby league website published a wrap of an NRLW match.

The report was fine, but the only problem was the writer had left the ChatGPT prompts in the article.

This is what was included…

• “You are an experienced sports journalist. You are required to rewrite the following article. You are required to be extremely detailed. You are required to utilise Australian English spelling.

• “You must ensure the article you generate is different from the original article to avoid plagiarism detection. You should not duplicate large portions of a paragraph or a sentence.

• “You are required to use short paragraphs typical of an experienced journalist. Each paragraph should not exceed, at most, 3 or 4 sentences.”

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