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Clarkson backs Kennett on TV cash
08 January 2006 Sunday Herald Sun
By JACKIE EPSTEIN
HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has urged the AFL to prop up poorer clubs with the new TV rights cash bonanza.
Backing his president Jeff Kennett who insisted the lion's share of the money be pumped into clubs rather than players' pockets, Clarkson said it should be a priority to make each club viable.
The AFL will be injected with $780 million from 2007-2011 after the Seven and Ten networks trumped Nine in the bidding war.
"There's still clubs in the competition that struggle to meet their bottom line every year," Clarkson said yesterday.
"It would be good if the first thing that the league and the competition would do is address the profitability of all clubs. That would be a great thing for our footy league.
"The players are remunerated pretty well out of the game. Certainly, compared to what they were seven or eight years ago, it's already been a pretty significant escalation of player payments."
Clarkson hailed the deal as extraordinary and said he would have been happy with either consortium.
Back this week after a Christmas break, he was pleased his players had returned fit and healthy. Beau Dowler, the No.6 draft pick, took part in a swimming session at Kerferd Rd beach and is progressing well after fracturing his pelvis.
Beau Muston is also recovering well after having knee surgery six weeks ago.
"We've been really pleased with what (Dowler's) been able to do," Clarkson said.
"He's running now and hopefully, if he continues to progress at this rate, then he'll play a fair amount of footy for us this year.
"Somewhere around draft time they were wondering whether he'd play any footy in 2006. We're confident that he'll be able to get a fair amount of footy out of this season.
"(Muston) is going well. We'll just be patient with him and give him whatever time he needs, but we're expecting that he'll play footy this year.
"We've nearly got every guy up and going and our players are in really good nick this time of year.
"We've been going since October and our preparation is spot on. If we had to run triathlons we'd be in good nick, but the game is footy and the competitive footy starts in earnest in February, so that will be the test for us to see how much we've improved from last year."
I gotta agree with the TV cash, it has to go to the clubs & to grass roots football including country & strong suburban leagues.
The players are already well rewarded, certainly in comparison to those who say work a 9-5 existance. I would think players would be better off ensuring they get a decent final payout at the end of their careers to help them ajust to a new life on a lot less money (in most cases). Im sure Nick Holland would appreciate some sort of retirement package spread over 2 years to compensate him as he goes from $500,000-600,000 pa to $0.
If the cash is used correctly we can build all clubs financially by becoming debt free and have investments earning income for the leaner years that are bound to come to each club.
Also, good news about the 2 Beau's
08 January 2006 Sunday Herald Sun
By JACKIE EPSTEIN
HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has urged the AFL to prop up poorer clubs with the new TV rights cash bonanza.
Backing his president Jeff Kennett who insisted the lion's share of the money be pumped into clubs rather than players' pockets, Clarkson said it should be a priority to make each club viable.
The AFL will be injected with $780 million from 2007-2011 after the Seven and Ten networks trumped Nine in the bidding war.
"There's still clubs in the competition that struggle to meet their bottom line every year," Clarkson said yesterday.
"It would be good if the first thing that the league and the competition would do is address the profitability of all clubs. That would be a great thing for our footy league.
"The players are remunerated pretty well out of the game. Certainly, compared to what they were seven or eight years ago, it's already been a pretty significant escalation of player payments."
Clarkson hailed the deal as extraordinary and said he would have been happy with either consortium.
Back this week after a Christmas break, he was pleased his players had returned fit and healthy. Beau Dowler, the No.6 draft pick, took part in a swimming session at Kerferd Rd beach and is progressing well after fracturing his pelvis.
Beau Muston is also recovering well after having knee surgery six weeks ago.
"We've been really pleased with what (Dowler's) been able to do," Clarkson said.
"He's running now and hopefully, if he continues to progress at this rate, then he'll play a fair amount of footy for us this year.
"Somewhere around draft time they were wondering whether he'd play any footy in 2006. We're confident that he'll be able to get a fair amount of footy out of this season.
"(Muston) is going well. We'll just be patient with him and give him whatever time he needs, but we're expecting that he'll play footy this year.
"We've nearly got every guy up and going and our players are in really good nick this time of year.
"We've been going since October and our preparation is spot on. If we had to run triathlons we'd be in good nick, but the game is footy and the competitive footy starts in earnest in February, so that will be the test for us to see how much we've improved from last year."
I gotta agree with the TV cash, it has to go to the clubs & to grass roots football including country & strong suburban leagues.
The players are already well rewarded, certainly in comparison to those who say work a 9-5 existance. I would think players would be better off ensuring they get a decent final payout at the end of their careers to help them ajust to a new life on a lot less money (in most cases). Im sure Nick Holland would appreciate some sort of retirement package spread over 2 years to compensate him as he goes from $500,000-600,000 pa to $0.
If the cash is used correctly we can build all clubs financially by becoming debt free and have investments earning income for the leaner years that are bound to come to each club.
Also, good news about the 2 Beau's

