AFL Salary Cap

[goal sneak]

Does anyone know where i can find information regarding the AFL salary cap and it's history?

Thanks

 

[sweet17]

Does anyone know where i can find information regarding the AFL salary cap and it's history?

Thanks

What's a salary cap?

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

What's a salary cap?

It's an imaginary line on your total player payments .... kind of like the equator.

 

[HBF]

What's a salary cap?

John Elliott, is that you?

 

[Hollow Knight]

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Page 837 of AFL 2007 has all the history plus the numbers. If you want the numbers I have them in a file as I posted them in a thread about AFL salaries v other sports salaries.

 

[Ari]

It's an imaginary line on your total player payments .... kind of like the equator.

....but not all teams subscribe to it. Some are 'lucky'. They're known as the 'lucky teams'.

 

[Ari]

Always remember, wiki is your friend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary_cap


Australian Football League

The Australian Football League has implemented a salary cap on its clubs since 1987 (when Brisbane and West Coast were admitted) as part of its equalisation policy designed to restrict the ability of its richest clubs (such as Collingwood and Essendon) to perennially dominate the competition.

The cap was set at $1.25 million for 1987-1989 as per VFL agreement, with a floor coming in at $1.125 million (90% of the cap).

The salary cap and salary floor has increased substantially since the competition was re-branded as the AFL in 1990 to help to stem the dominance of high membership clubs such as West Coast and Adelaide. The salary cap in 2007 is $7 million (AUD), with the salary floor coming in at $6.3 million.

Penalties

The penalties for violating AFL salary cap and salary floor regulations include fines, loss of draft picks and loss of premiership points (which has not yet been implemented).

Breaches

No clubs have yet been penalised for violating salary floor regulations (deliberately underpaying players).

The following breaches of the salary cap have occurred:

* In 1987, the cap's first year, Sydney were fined the maximum amount of $20,000 and forfeited a first round draft pick after being found to have almost doubled the cap with a payroll of $2.4 million.

* In 1996, Essendon were fined a then record $280,000 and barred from the first two rounds of the national draft for a string of breaches between 1991 and 1995.

* In 1998, the West Coast Eagles were fined $100,000 and forfeited a draft pick.

* In 2000, Fremantle were fined $54,000 and were barred from the 2001 pre-season draft for a minor breach.

* In 2002, Carlton was found to have systematically rorted the regulations between 1994 and 2001. The club was fined an unprecedented total of $987,000, disqualified from receiving priority picks and barred from the first two rounds of the national draft for two years. The club are still recovering both on-field and off-field from these significant penalties.

* In 2003, Essendon were fined $85,000 for a minor breach.

* In 2005, St. Kilda were fined $40,000 for a minor breach.

Criticism of the cap

The AFL salary cap is occasionally controversial, as the cap is a "soft" cap and therefore slightly different for each club. Due to the larger number of players (35) in each squad compared to other sports, the cost per club can be higher than and individual player payments can be less than or equal to other rival national competitions. Clubs in poor financial circumstances do not use their full cap (in some circumstances not reaching the salary floor) to ensure they reduce costs.

The Sydney Swans have a slightly higher cap due to the increased cost of living in that city, and until 2004 the Brisbane Lions were also permitted a slightly higher cap, extensions justified in the name of AFL's expansion into rugby league's heartland in Sydney and Brisbane.

However, the Lions' astonishing success in winning a hat-trick of premierships from 2001 to 2003 resulted in the AFL reducing Sydney's cap extension and eliminating Brisbane's altogether. The AFL Players Association negotiates for players with the AFL on the topic of average salary.

 

[goal sneak]

Thanks RussellEbertHandball and Ari.