Opinion Player Movements & The Price of Loyalty

[Taylor]

Where do we sit on the debate between AFLW players loyalty to their existing clubs in an era of expansion and the players not being paid career level money and needing to get paid what they can while they can because they will all need to have a primary career outside of football?

Are there ways clubs could reward players sticking around without it impacting the salary cap? How effective is AFLW branding at the moment?

How is your club going to handle losing players? For Freo Cain is the best runner and arguably our most important link up player moving the ball from defense to attack.

 

[branedotorg]

My biggest issues are the lack of compensation for existing players (AFL problem) and the weird draft (compromised because the players aren't professional).

I don't love the players moving so often but I understand why. It should lessen in volume post expansion and if players start earning a living wage.

I only hope it hasn't burnt too many fans who feel an emotional disconnect and won't wait until the post expansion stabilisation.

 

[Lukebatty97]

Coleman this week and mead to Laird next week?
Or rozee this week and jhf up to Laird?

 

[eastfreo75]

In Basketball women tend to move more than men do.

 

[Lore]

Can’t be understated really. They should be able to do longer contracts from the next CBA too, there’s really no reason not to.

 

[FoopyNerd]

Can’t be understated really. They should be able to do longer contracts from the next CBA too, there’s really no reason not to.

I suspect getting rid of pay tiers would also help with loyalty. Less necessity to move club because there are simply too many good players filling the higher pay tiers at your club. Instead, the desire for change, loss of faith in the direction of a current team, desire to play with friends and on-field opportunities all become more equal with pay as reasons to seek a move.

 

[Taylor]

I agree. No tiers. Just a salary cap and a minimum contract value per year.

 

[Lore]

I suspect getting rid of pay tiers would also help with loyalty. Less necessity to move club because there are simply too many good players filling the higher pay tiers at your club. Instead, the desire for change, loss of faith in the direction of a current team, desire to play with friends and on-field opportunities all become more equal with pay as reasons to seek a move.

Yeah that would help too I think. I can understand tiers if they’re trying to even out the competition in the early days, and I guess marquee players need to be paid properly because the club and the league need them to do more promotional stuff so they do have to set aside their day jobs.

But going forward now that they’ve got better money, some places might prefer to do as Geelong does in the AFL, set a certain price on the captain and no one gets a dollar more than he does, so you end up with a few more of them on that sort of second tier rate so to speak.

 

[branedotorg]

Can’t be understated really. They should be able to do longer contracts from the next CBA too, there’s really no reason not to.

It'll take me a few seasons to connect again tbh, this expansion and huge player movement has left me utterly cold

 

[Lore]

Player perspective from Libby Birch

Loyalty or expansion: Inside an AFLW player’s decision to change clubs

Players on $50,000 have a lot more to think about than players on $500,000-plus.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Teen Wolf]

How many players have actually left a club over tier payment. I suspect it's tiny, especially compared to the outside-the-cap payments and career opportunities which is how they can make a serious difference in money and start setting their lives up.