Opinion I wonder… no salary cap

[Bovo]

I know why the salary cap exists and the fundamental purpose. I look at the Saints and see that they have the capability to sign players on big bucks, which is absolutely fantastic. I wonder if all the clubs are now as capable, and what it would look like if the salary cap no longer existed. Just a discussion to get our minds off the next few days.
Thoughts could be who would we target? What would the comp look like in 10 years? Which clubs might fold?

 

[Mattrox]

I know why the salary cap exists and the fundamental purpose. I look at the Saints and see that they have the capability to sign players on big bucks, which is absolutely fantastic. I wonder if all the clubs are now as capable, and what it would look like if the salary cap no longer existed. Just a discussion to get our minds off the next few days.
Thoughts could be who would we target? What would the comp look like in 10 years? Which clubs might fold?

West Coast would be able to buy a winning side.

 

[Bovo]

West Coast would be able to buy a winning side.

I’d be more worried about Collingwood, but we’d be a powerhouse too

 

[StonesThrow]

What's a blueprint for no salary cap? Premier league?

 

[119others]

EPL like results. 3-5 teams only truly in contention

 

[1990crow]

Collingwood, West Coast, Adelaide, Richmond and Carlton would probably dominate.

 

[119others]

Collingwood, West Coast, Adelaide, Richmond and Carlton would probably dominate.

Unfortunately for us we are materially lower revenue than the true behemoths, Eagles and Pies. From memory last year our total revenue was like 30-40% lower than these biggest clubs

 

[AFC979810]

It would be terrible. Destroys leagues IMO.

Hate the Premier League. Since 2004 here are the titles:

Man City - 8
Man United - 5
Chelsea - 5
Liverpool -2
Leicester -1

Thats from a 20 team league.

In that same time frame we have had 10 different Premiership winners from a league that was between 16-18 teams.

Similar to MLB which just sucks. Basically the lower teams become feeder clubs.

 

[Crowman32]

Geelong dominate because it appears they have no salary cap.

 

[119others]

Geelong dominate because it appears they have no salary cap.

How the **** the AFL doesnt do more to investigate the continual goings on at Geelong amazes me. Where there is SO MUCH fire:

• Joel Selwood 15% (a ridiculous 'non arms length' loan with a major Cats sponsor earning Selwood massive interest rates totally out of whack with corporate debt rates)
• The constant ability to attract the best quality OOC and FA players - most on salary 'unders'. Dangerfield. Cameron, Bailey Smith and multiple before that. Last year attempted Oliver and Rowell. Is anyone really going to be surprised if JUH, with similar but worse issues than B Smith, suddenly turns around and nominated Cats as his saviour club
• Chris Scotts material income earned outside the salary cap working with one of the clubs MAJOR sponsors
• Constant speculation about land deals and rezoning. Not sure if three is any specifics reported
• When they tried to poach Oliver, Dees complained to the AFL about some components of the way Cats were trying to 'structure' the salary for Oliver - no doubt get around full salary cap impacts IMO
• the year they win the flag in 2022, they pick up FOUR first rounders. Not only having all this spare salary cap allowing them to attract Bowes and pick 7 from Suns (which IIRC they then extended out his contract and 'smoothed' or lowered the yearly spend) but also Clark with pick 7, Ollie Henry and the previous GWS player who everyone probably understands is not mentioned anywhere now for a very specific and serious reason. How many times in history has a flag winner gone out and added 4 first rounders in the same year? ZERO I would imagine before Cats

What I would love to see is the AFL have the power to have Forensic Accountants go thru not only players but partners, siblings and parents Assessable Income BEFORE and AFTER players join Cats. Ditto for assets inc value of properties.

If I was a billionaire stockbroker with a handful of elite Crows players on my books, the ability to 'cook the books' daily/monthly/yearly by allocating winning trades to players and absorb losing trades myself you can effectively GUARANTEE players another $$XXX (or call it 30% per year for old mates 1960's benefit) outside of their player salary. Its impossible to fully audit a salary cap and too many rorts exist.

Are Cats just an amazing footy club that continues to attract the biggest and best players continually and finish top 4 in 11 of 15 seasons? Perhaps. Or is there some other mechanism distorting what EVERY other team goes thru being ups and downs over a cycle? More likely IMO. How would you have other mechanisms to help achieve some sustained success? Well having a billionaire benefactor and club sponsor himself and them his family is probably where I would start.

The $100,000 loan contract between Cats legend Joel Selwood and an accused fraudster

Loan documents reveal a man now under police investigation proposed to borrow $100,000 from Selwood, who would be repaid the principal and interest of $10,000 after eight months.

www.theage.com.au

Another loan agreement also made on November 27, 2013, reveals Selwood’s company, JAMS 14 Pty Ltd, planned to lend $100,000 to a financial planner for an eight-month term with an interest rate of 15 per cent per annum.

 

[Interloperer]

I know why the salary cap exists and the fundamental purpose. I look at the Saints and see that they have the capability to sign players on big bucks, which is absolutely fantastic. I wonder if all the clubs are now as capable, and what it would look like if the salary cap no longer existed. Just a discussion to get our minds off the next few days.
Thoughts could be who would we target? What would the comp look like in 10 years? Which clubs might fold?

The result would be a club like Essendon spending up big to gain the success they believe they are owed, then fail and teetering on bankruptcy.

At which point onerous the rest of the league would be made to "pull its socks up" to save such a beloved institution.

Geelong dominate because it appears they have no salary cap.

Personally I think a large proportion of Geelong's recruiting success is just that they can honestly state "we'll be having a crack this year!" when a prospective recruit/agent asks when they expect to be competitive.

Most other clubs will answer something like "We're currently deciding whether to be deliberately bad for 2/3 years for draft picks then have a go 2 years after that. Or to have one last shot this year then be deliberately bad for 3/4 years" or "We're good this year, but we paid overs while we were bad so there's no money for you lol"

 

[Moonwatcher]

I’d be more worried about Collingwood, but we’d be a powerhouse too

Adelaide doesn't have a large pool of ultra rich donors. Collingwood would win most premierships.

 

[adelaidecrows]

I know why the salary cap exists and the fundamental purpose. I look at the Saints and see that they have the capability to sign players on big bucks, which is absolutely fantastic. I wonder if all the clubs are now as capable, and what it would look like if the salary cap no longer existed. Just a discussion to get our minds off the next few days.
Thoughts could be who would we target? What would the comp look like in 10 years? Which clubs might fold?

If the salary cap no longer existed the AFL will turn into a top 4-6 elite premier league style super teams and the rest.

So straight up the richest teams will offer stupid contracts Collingwood, Richmond, West Coast, Brisbane, Carlton and Geelong that will blow every other club out the water.

The lower rung rich clubs like Adelaide, Fremantle, Sydney, Hawthorn, Essendon will all compete for the highest mid tier spots on the table with occasional finals appearances and a preliminary final spot would be like winning a GF for these clubs. while poor clubs like Port, Gold Coast, GWS, Kangaroos, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda will fall away into outright feeder teams.

Only thing that will help save some teams from losing all their best players would be the want to be in their home state. But make no mistake, once Collingwood and co start offering $10m per year contracts to elite mids, then loyalty will be thrown out the window as players turn their attention to becoming mercs as the culture changes to maximise your income while you can still play.

We will probably end up seeing the top teams align themselves with the feeder teams where non selected players will end up playing for the bottom rung clubs and top drafted talent who are playing well can be selected for matches by the the top clubs.

Its why american sports and soccer are hard to stomach because of the free for all policys. Yes sometimes its great to see the best players play together but ultimately there is no competition in that? whats fun about watching the same team win every year. When the A league first started, there was a strong push to make Sydney FC the A league super team and get the best players into that side. It didnt work because Australians demand competition and the players didnt buy into that culture. It also helped that their was a salary cap but that didnt stop the encouragement and push.

Overall I like a salary cap. Keeps everything as even as possible even if its imperfect.

 

[bigman]

So…Geelong?

 

[Bovo]

Collingwood, West Coast, Adelaide, Richmond and Carlton would probably dominate.

No Port or Freo? I could probably live with that.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Collingwood, West Coast, Adelaide, Richmond and Carlton would probably dominate.

Sounds ok to me.

Would cull off weaker Melbourne teams.

 

[Crow till I die]

Collingwood, West Coast, Adelaide, Richmond and Carlton would probably dominate.

Ahem..geelong with their unlimited land and hotel stock

 

[Bovo]

If the salary cap no longer existed the AFL will turn into a top 4-6 elite premier league style super teams and the rest.

So straight up the richest teams will offer stupid contracts Collingwood, Richmond, West Coast, Brisbane, Carlton and Geelong that will blow every other club out the water.

The lower rung rich clubs like Adelaide, Fremantle, Sydney, Hawthorn, Essendon will all compete for the highest mid tier spots on the table with occasional finals appearances and a preliminary final spot would be like winning a GF for these clubs. while poor clubs like Port, Gold Coast, GWS, Kangaroos, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda will fall away into outright feeder teams.

Only thing that will help save some teams from losing all their best players would be the want to be in their home state. But make no mistake, once Collingwood and co start offering $10m per year contracts to elite mids, then loyalty will be thrown out the window as players turn their attention to becoming mercs as the culture changes to maximise your income while you can still play.

We will probably end up seeing the top teams align themselves with the feeder teams where non selected players will end up playing for the bottom rung clubs and top drafted talent who are playing well can be selected for matches by the the top clubs.

Its why american sports and soccer are hard to stomach because of the free for all policys. Yes sometimes its great to see the best players play together but ultimately there is no competition in that? whats fun about watching the same team win every year. When the A league first started, there was a strong push to make Sydney FC the A league super team and get the best players into that side. It didnt work because Australians demand competition and the players didnt buy into that culture. It also helped that their was a salary cap but that didnt stop the encouragement and push.

Overall I like a salary cap. Keeps everything as even as possible even if its imperfect.

You know though even without a salary cap, clubs don’t have endless money. Remember this is all make believe. Let’s assume that there’s no salary cap, but membership prices are locked in. Clubs can have as many memberships as they want, but can’t increase the price or the number of reserved seats at home venues. Does that change the dynamics do you think?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Ahem..geelong with their unlimited land and hotel stock

& farms.

 

[adelaidecrows]

You know though even without a salary cap, clubs don’t have endless money. Remember this is all make believe. Let’s assume that there’s no salary cap, but membership prices are locked in. Clubs can have as many memberships as they want, but can’t increase the price or the number of reserved seats at home venues. Does that change the dynamics do you think?

But then you are limiting their income potential which is basically the same as a salary cap. But honestly, no it wont slow clubs down. Clubs will be clever with lines of credit, finding ways to create revenue through other sources etc.

 

[Bovo]

But then you are limiting their income potential which is basically the same as a salary cap. But honestly, no it wont slow clubs down. Clubs will be clever with lines of credit, finding ways to create revenue through other sources etc.

So currently the salary cap is just over 7 million. Collingwood made a 4.4 million dollar profit last year and we made about 4 million profit. So with our extra $4 mil, who we targeting?

 

[ams4crows]

With Curnow today saying I'd take a pay cut to go to Geelong..... Seriously they have to be fudging the books, there is no way every player is like sure I'll accept less money because the air is cleaner and I like surfing.

 

[119others]

With Curnow today saying I'd take a pay cut to go to Geelong..... Seriously they have to be fudging the books, there is no way every player is like sure I'll accept less money because the air is cleaner and I like surfing.

Text book Geelong magic salary cap shit

Trade talk: Curnow open to pay cut to engineer Carlton exit

The star forward is eager to leave.

sen.com.au

 

[Scorpus]

With Curnow today saying I'd take a pay cut to go to Geelong..... Seriously they have to be fudging the books, there is no way every player is like sure I'll accept less money because the air is cleaner and I like surfing.

Would you rather work at a shit workplace with a terrible boss for more money, or a better and more enjoyable workplace for less money?

 

[jo172]

Salary cap is good.

Media/fans flogging themselves silly and making celebrities out of "list managers" and player agents grotesque.

Solution, keep system as is, outlaw Trade Radio and revoke half of AFL media's accreditations at random.