The biggest problem with the Crows list management is we will always have to do more with less. This is because we are NOT the footy heartland of Victoria....it's really that simple.
In effect our salary cap will ALWAYS be tighter than the Melbourne clubs. Why? Because we will always have 8 or so other clubs trying to lure Vic talent back home....so we end up paying overs for many of our players to keep them.
Everyone is saying...."just pay Lever the 800k" .....but last year it was "just pay Jenkins the 700k" ....how much then for McGovern??? ....we pay Betts a fair chunk of coin....I'm guessing Walker does OK. Lynch is an important link up player across half forward....so I'm guessing he's had a pay rise on his last contract.
Does anyone get where I'm going with this???? ....all these "must keep" players....how many can we ACTUALLY afford ???? ...especially when "cashed up" Vic clubs come knocking on the doors of our Vic lads.
At some point it catches up with us and the price of keeping Jenkins, Sloan, B Crouch (who got a nice pay rise last year due to "sniffing" Vic clubs) Talia, Jacobs, Smith, Laird, Cameron.
The amount of talk I hear about "all the money we must have"..."war chest for a Danger replacement" etc....makes ZERO logical sense.
Our club swims against the tide to retain players and pays overs almost EVERY single time.
Unless some players REALLY want to stay....get ready to lose some...as we are running out of available cash FAST !!!!!
This my friends is what the "CAP" is designed to do....unfortunately for the interstate clubs...you get less of a window with your new stars to win a premiership before it bites.
That is the price you pay for being a non-Victorian VFL club. Simple.