luthor
18 Apr 2003, 06:59
From the AFL site:
"The growing tension between Brisbane and Collingwood over the Lions’ salary cap allowance boiled over before their heavyweight AFL showdown on Thursday night at the Gabba.
The Magpies were threatened with a fine by the AFL after their pre-match banner – made by their cheer squad – referred to the Lions’ salary cap allowance.
The league ruled the banner to be too political and threatened to fine the Pies up to $20,000 if the banner was not changed.
An angry Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told Channel Nine the AFL actions were reminiscent of those that went on in “communist Russia.”
"It's censorship at its worst," he said at the start of Channel Nine's broadcast of the grand final re-match.
McGuire – along with Essendon chairman Graeme McMahon – has led the push against the AFL’s allowance of an extra ten percent in the Lions’ salary cap and an extra 15 percent in the salary cap of Sydney.
The Victorian clubs believe the Lions’ extra ten percent salary cap has made the reigning back-to-back premiers too powerful saying it has helped them to retain all of their champion team – something the salary cap is designed to prevent.
McMahon recently pointed out that while the Bombers had recently being forced to cut four of their 2000 premiership team – due to salary cap pressures – the Lions, with the extra ten percent in their cap, have been able to keep all of their all-conquering team together with the exception of Des Headland, who voluntarily chose to return to Perth.
The Lions argue that without the extra ten percent in their salary cap they would not be competitive as – unlike most Victorian clubs – the bulk of their players are recruited from outside their home state as Queensland is a traditional rugby league state.
Brisbane cites the loss of key players to rival clubs such as Nathan Buckley and Shane O’Bree to Collingwood in recent years as the reason their extra salary cap allowance is needed."
Where does Eddie McGuire's influence end?
It seems that even the Collingwood cheersquad takes its instructions from him.
Then Eddie abuses his position in the media (again) and as a supposedly "impartial" Channel 9 commentator to have a whinge about an AFL ruling.
If any other Club President, Coach or player openly criticised the AFL on National TV while calling a game in which his club was involved, wouldn't they be throwing the book at him for bringing the game into disrepute?
This latest outburst further demonstrates the clear conflict of interest that exists when a club President is also a Footy commentator.
Both 9 and the AFL must be embarrassed and their patience sorely tested by Eddie's palpable inabilty to keep his trap shut.
The game was being beamed live into Brisbane and no doubt, a large slice of the viewing audience was made up of potential "converts", first time Footy viewers and the curious.
I wonder how the the AFL feels about an "impartial" but high profile TV personality tipping a bucket on one of its cornerstone policies, smack bang in the middle of one of its developing markets?
The attempted "cheap shot" banner and Eddie's stupid comments beatifully demonstrate how little regard he and his ilk have for the advancement and development of the game beyond the city limits of Melbourne.
"The growing tension between Brisbane and Collingwood over the Lions’ salary cap allowance boiled over before their heavyweight AFL showdown on Thursday night at the Gabba.
The Magpies were threatened with a fine by the AFL after their pre-match banner – made by their cheer squad – referred to the Lions’ salary cap allowance.
The league ruled the banner to be too political and threatened to fine the Pies up to $20,000 if the banner was not changed.
An angry Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told Channel Nine the AFL actions were reminiscent of those that went on in “communist Russia.”
"It's censorship at its worst," he said at the start of Channel Nine's broadcast of the grand final re-match.
McGuire – along with Essendon chairman Graeme McMahon – has led the push against the AFL’s allowance of an extra ten percent in the Lions’ salary cap and an extra 15 percent in the salary cap of Sydney.
The Victorian clubs believe the Lions’ extra ten percent salary cap has made the reigning back-to-back premiers too powerful saying it has helped them to retain all of their champion team – something the salary cap is designed to prevent.
McMahon recently pointed out that while the Bombers had recently being forced to cut four of their 2000 premiership team – due to salary cap pressures – the Lions, with the extra ten percent in their cap, have been able to keep all of their all-conquering team together with the exception of Des Headland, who voluntarily chose to return to Perth.
The Lions argue that without the extra ten percent in their salary cap they would not be competitive as – unlike most Victorian clubs – the bulk of their players are recruited from outside their home state as Queensland is a traditional rugby league state.
Brisbane cites the loss of key players to rival clubs such as Nathan Buckley and Shane O’Bree to Collingwood in recent years as the reason their extra salary cap allowance is needed."
Where does Eddie McGuire's influence end?
It seems that even the Collingwood cheersquad takes its instructions from him.
Then Eddie abuses his position in the media (again) and as a supposedly "impartial" Channel 9 commentator to have a whinge about an AFL ruling.
If any other Club President, Coach or player openly criticised the AFL on National TV while calling a game in which his club was involved, wouldn't they be throwing the book at him for bringing the game into disrepute?
This latest outburst further demonstrates the clear conflict of interest that exists when a club President is also a Footy commentator.
Both 9 and the AFL must be embarrassed and their patience sorely tested by Eddie's palpable inabilty to keep his trap shut.
The game was being beamed live into Brisbane and no doubt, a large slice of the viewing audience was made up of potential "converts", first time Footy viewers and the curious.
I wonder how the the AFL feels about an "impartial" but high profile TV personality tipping a bucket on one of its cornerstone policies, smack bang in the middle of one of its developing markets?
The attempted "cheap shot" banner and Eddie's stupid comments beatifully demonstrate how little regard he and his ilk have for the advancement and development of the game beyond the city limits of Melbourne.