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Roos fail to pay draftees
By CAROLINE WILSON
The depth of the Kangaroos' financial crisis intensified yesterday when it was revealed that the club had not yet paid at least five of its 2001 draft picks and still owed significant amounts to a small group of its senior players for performances last season.
Several influential player agents have demanded immediate resolutions to their footballers' financial dues. Ricky Nixon, who manages six of the Kangaroos' rookies including Daniel Motlop, Daniel Pratt and Dylan Smith, is believed to be holding talks today with North Melbourne chief executive Greg Miller.
The AFL Players Association is believed to be losing patience with both the Kangaroos and the AFL, having called for talks two weeks ago to resolve the matter.
The association was made aware of the Kangaroos' ongoing payment problems in late February following a regular meeting with the players.
AFLPA chief executive Rob Kerr said talks between the three parties should have been held before now. Several senior players are believed to have approached the association concerned about late payments.
The Kangaroos' 324-game veteran John Blakey, an AFL life member, is one player the club has not yet come to terms with for 2000. He was one who approached the AFLPA on behalf of himself and several teammates last month.
The Age revealed last November that a group of Kangaroos players were still owed a collective six-figure sum for their performances last season, a debt played down at the time by Miller and the AFL.
Both the league and the North Melbourne administration pledged that all players would be paid in full by Christmas, a pledge that has not yet been fulfilled despite several cash advances delivered by Kangaroos directors and a guarantee by the AFL to redirect the club's dividend to its bank.
Complications compounded by changes to the fringe benefits tax have seen the Kangaroos promise its senior players that all unpaid monies would be settled by March 31. However several senior players are believed to be losing patience with the club.
AFL football operations chief Andrew Demetriou was overseas and unavailable for comment last night.
While Nixon refused to comment yesterday, he was reportedly disappointed upon learning last week that the club's debut teenagers, some of whom will earn only the minimum annual sum of $25,000, had not been paid at all and had turned to their families for money since starting the pre-season with the Kangaroos.
The club, undefeated in the 2001 Ansett Cup competition leading into the semi-finals, lost $1.14million in 2000, despite finishing fourth. An improved draw and new deal with the ACT Government, coupled with the club's decision to temporarily abandon its Sydney campaign, should see an improved result this season.