Bye Bye Salary Cap Concession

[floppinab]

Beginning of the end.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,5942450%255E20322,00.html

Given the pressure brought to bear last year this should come as no surprise. What will be disappointing is if no alternatives are put in place. It seems Brisbane have proposed something. One hopes it will still be reasonably fair although given our lobbying ability compared to the pressure from Melbourne it may not go so well.

[robbieando]

Yet again Eddie speaks and the AFL jumps.

If another plan is not put in place I just fear for any sort of future success when 15% of our cap is wasted on Cost of Living

[Reggi]

Did you guys read the article?

This is what Eddie said


"I don't have any problems with Sydney having some cost of living benefit, but what we have to do is keep it to some reasonable level and also make it across the board so it's not just going to one or two players."

"If the salary cap is the same as everyone's, and there is a bit extra because of expenses based on business practices and everything else, we can live with that."

[SWANSBEST]

I think that this aspect re salary reinforces the point about who runs the AFL these days and it is not the AFL Commission . The show is run by Eddie and "Ansett" McMahon with back up support from the remaining Victorian Presidents. As Patrick Smith from the A ustralian tells us these people have no real interest in a National competition only the money returns such a competition brings to their clubs.

The" master plan " that Eddie has been spruiking about re the development of Western Sydney by Collingwood amounted to nothing as soon as he returned to Melbourne . Everything came back to normal for Eddie with the Sydney proposal just a distant memory as he reassured the Magpie fans that nothing had changed .
Really a lot of noise about nothing.

[SWANSBEST]

It is good to see Leigh has confidence in the 'wise 'men of the AFL


Matthews relaxed on allowance review
12:00:35 PM Wed 12 February, 2003
afl.com.au

A relaxed Leigh Matthews believes the AFL will do ?what?s best for the competition as a whole? in its review of salary cap concessions for the Lions and Sydney.

The review of the $600,000 allowance, for which several Melbourne-based clubs have been actively agitating for some time, was announced last week by AFL chief executive Wayne Jackson.

?When they say they?re going to review it, that?s usually AFL-speak for ? ?we?re going to change it?, isn?t it?? mused Matthews on Sport927.

The Brisbane coach added however that he didn?t believe it was a fait accompli that the League would withdraw the club?s concessions.


?You?ve got to regularly review different issues so asking the question whether it is still valid, I don?t see anything wrong with that,? Matthews said.

?It?s easy to say that the pressure from some of the vocal people down south has instigated that, and it probably has, but the commission has proven over the years that it can be pretty independent.?

?They?ll make the decision that?s best for the sport in Australia and the competition as a whole.?

Essendon president Graeme McMahon and Collingwood?s Eddie McGuire have been most critical of the concessions available to the northern states, which they argue give the Lions and Swans an unfair advantage.

The concessions, which effectively boost the Sydney and Brisbane salary caps by 10 per-cent, were granted in the first place to help the clubs attract and retain players from interstate.

[CureTheSane]

Yes, let's hope that the AFL also review Collingwood and Essendons amount of 'blockbuster games' every season.
Playing each other twice to ensue big crowds = big $$$$ for the clubs involved....

[Skells]

I haven't had much to say on this site before but I agree completely with Curethe sane on this. Maybe the swans, other interstate clubs and less financial Victorian clubs should lobby the AFL the same as Eddie, Sheedy, etc; have regarding the salary cap concessions to Sydney and Brisbane.

[CureTheSane]

Unfortunately, lobbying for a more even or random fixture would be to the detriment of the game, so I hope the Swans don't lobby it.

One day we'll have the 14 teams and they'll play each other twice.

And one day the salary cap concessions won't matter because the Swans will be such a huge power

[Skells]

Hopefully that day will come along sooner rather than later