Originally posted by larrikin
Hi Tas
The biggest problem the Kangaroos (and others) have is that the AFL will not allow them to spend the full salary cap whilst receiving money from the AFL. You may hap cap room, but unfortunately you won't be allowed to use it.
Its an interesting discussion, although I don't see Judd leaving West Coast for quite a while, if he ever does.
I'd image we are well under the manditory cap placed by the AFL with both Carey and Pickett leaving in the same year. I am not sure how many contracts came up for renegotiation at the end of last year but I doubt it is anywhere near what those two were paid.
I believe both the Bulldogs and ourselves were allowed to ignore the minimum payment rule whilst the financial situation was being corrected. I would expect that our situation is more a short-term problem rather than a long-term problem.
It is a not exactly a workable solution to place restrictions on our salary cap and our ability to compete with other clubs on the field when our ability to pay our own way is handicapped by the AFL's biased scheduling of Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and Richmond to play at the times and at the venues that maximise their ability to draw large crowds and penalsie the smaller Victorian clubs.
Look at the Bulldogs, had a few injuries and they don't have the depth to replace them. They become less competitive on the field and dont win many games. They have fewer supporters going to the game, fewer members re-sign and they will be stuck in a neverending loop of dependancy on the AFL until it becomes a burden all the clubs cannot afford.
We have had to put in a long-term financial plan that the AFL accepted which was based around cutting operating costs to the bare minimum, to place additional limitations which affects the ability to win football games is very harsh in my opinion. Perhaps at the end of the day it will contribute towards preventing us from getting another decent player like Judd or someone else.
Once the AFL starts giving all the Victorian clubs a more equitable access to the scheduling of games and a fairer opportunity to become profitable then they can be more aggressive about restricting player payments for clubs that are struggling financially.
I have no problem with the AFL setting up all their blockbuster games to maximise their earnings as long as they realise that by doing so they have a responsibility to those clubs that always miss out year after year.