This year's AFL premiers will take home considerably less prize-money because of the COVID-19 crisis.
The AFL said the money on offer was being reduced "to best reflect the current circumstances across the competition".
Before the pandemic, the 2020 premiers were set to take home $1.2 million in bonus payments, with $660,000 put aside for the runners-up.
That reduction could have a major impact on either side that makes the grand final according to the GWS Giants.
Last year's losing grand finalist has already lobbied the league about the cost of playing finals, especially for interstate teams.
In 2019 the Giants were forced to play three of their finals matches away, contributing to their $867,000 loss for the year.
"The associated costs from a massive injury toll and playing one home game only throughout the finals ultimately impacted our finances across what was another big year for the club," GWS chief executive Dave Matthews said.
"As a result, we think it's in the interest of the competition to revisit the economics of non-Victorian clubs participating in the finals."
The AFL is said to be re-thinking its financial model, especially with the current obligations it has to meet to keep certain teams afloat.
This comes as Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon warned that all 18 teams may not survive if the game was forced to stop again.
The AFL pumped $23.5 million into GWS in 2019 in documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, The Herald Sun reports.
On top of that they've given $27.5 million to the Gold Coast Suns - the other expansion interstate team.
St Kilda received $20.6 million, the most of the Victorian clubs while Brisbane Lions got a cash injection of $22.6 million.
West Coast, Collingwood and Richmond, the league's richest clubs, received distributions of just $11.4 million last year.
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/afl-news-grand-final-prize-money-takes-a-hit-because-coronavirus/eeb30e09-5f87-4cae-a028-a422183360d9
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