Cap squeeze

[Frodo]

I can see a possible scenario where there will be a number of good players available in the November draft.
Players seem to be going on playing for longer and longer and there aren't that many retirements I've seen around. Combine that with ever increasing wage demands by players and I think a lot of clubs will have salary cap problems. Hence the word from Optus oval that everyone is after early picks so they can recruit rookies and only have to pay them $32000 a year. If a club like Essendon, Carlton, Sydney, Richmond etc cant trade a high salary for a rookie they may be forced to delist reasonably good players. They will want to trade their 26 yo + players who are well paid. I don't think we should touch anyone over 25. Let them keep their Mercuri and Misitis and have the salary cap problems that go with them.

 

[Goldenblue]

I just hope the WCE stick to recruiting "youngsters" than the guys wanting to shift clubs.....

Time to rebuild a team around Cuzz, Gardy, Kerr.....not Misiti, Mercuri and guys that dont give two hoots about the West Coast.....

Any thought that mayhaps the lists should move to 42 again?
Especially after the injury problems we had this year, it would be nicer to have a bigger list to choose from......and I know the S-cap will need to be raised, but injuries cost many clubs this year

 

[iceman]

Originally posted by Goldenblue
Any thought that mayhaps the lists should move to 42 again?

YES!! This has been a huge problem for us in the past two years, and maybe it is time to bring back the larger squads

 

[Frodo]

My tack is unpopular but I believe in an unrestricted list. There are kids that would play for nothing to be in an Eagles guernsey in WA and why shouldn't we sign them and develop them.

The AFL is still incredibly VIC biased.

Kis in WA are raised dreaming of playing for the Eagles (the lower lifes the dorkers). They should not have their dreams spoiled by the AFL meat trade.

 

[eagleskickass]

The reason for smaller lists was not to make it so they could keep the salary cap low so that struggling clubs find it easier to survive, but now it isn't working because the struggling clubs can't spend enough money to keep the stars that make profits for them. It needs to be back at 42 with a higher salary cap

 

[jod23]

Well on the back page of todays paper it said something along the lines of Eagles to Sit Out. It went on and on talking about how there 2 draft picks were not going to be traded and that they would do hardly anything in the Trade Week.

Should be interesting as i have heard time and time again that Morrison is almost certain to move back to Victoria? Also Croad looks certain to move away from Hawthorn but ive changed my mind and dont want him. I think he could be a star but apparently (again in todays paper) he is absolutely shattered about being traded. He says he has barracked for Hawthorn all his life and to not play for them blah blah blah... Where ever he ends up, his heart wont be in it.

 

[Eagle_Fan]

I'm not so sure about that. If I was traded from a club I adored, I'd be pretty determined to prove they were wrong.

I think Croad would be a fantastic pick up for us. Not worth pick #3 or #6 (they shouldn't be traded unless a real bargain is offered), but perhaps #22 and a player?

Also think he'd fit right in with our stable of budding property tycoons

 

[eagleskickass]

Jod
I'm pretty sure we are staying out of trades pretty much EXCEPT for the Morrison deal, which is a good thing. Unless something really good is offered we won't do much, go the young guns in the draft, they must have their eye on some youngsters.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

On the salary cap, I don't see how that could possibly be a problem. I wrote in the other thread, "who is getting the cash" how this could easily be solved.

Frodo, your idea of an unrestricted list is a good idea. There should be a limit on the minimum amount of players, but not a cap on the maximum.

I also don't like the draft system. It should be changed that a certain amount of players each season can be picked up as free agents, that is, a club should be allowed to approach 2-3 kids and just offer them a contract.

 

[Voice of Reason]

Controversially, I think that the AFL may not survive for more than another 20 years or so without considerable effort on the part of all concerned. It is at saturation point in its only real market - and the salary cap and the draft as it presently stands have helped to nurture and protect it to this point.

But now they need to be released a little, because it's stifling true competition. The lists need to be larger (even with the use of supplementary players) and there are a whole range of other measures - too many to list here. Above all, never forget where you've come from and what a small market this is - so look after grass roots footy as well as the AFL.