Swans salary cap concessions

[Mel]

These are ELITE sportspeople. AFL has stated that they intend to be the most professional league in Australia. That is corporate speak for highest paying. The theory goes that if you have the big bucks, you will have the most entertaining code of them all. You will attract at least Australia's best talent. This will probably result in future profitability. I know this all sounds very unromantic, but all companies (which the AFL and all clubs are) need to be financially stable and profitable.

A single young man in the AFL has probably had to invest a lot of time, training and so on to become an AFL player. Their opportunity to make money is generally very limited. The after effects of a career in AFL are still being discovered now (brain damage, Parkinson's etc).

I believe that the economy and free market determines the fair wages in most industries, and the AFL is no different. I have no issue with the pay AFL players receive, and believe the COLA for Sydney based players is necessary and required. However I also believe QLD should also receive allowances to attract key talent away from AFL Heartland states. I also think WA should have some COLA as well due to the price rises linked to the mining boom (even coffee is more expensive in WA than Sydney).

AFL players have to work so hard for a career, training basically full time, with a restricted diet, timetable and lifestyle. They can't take a sickie or sneak off to the beach like most people. Unless you're Nick Davis, you can't be out eating KFC whenever you want.

Comparing an AFL player to a Joe Blow citizen oversimplifies the situation. CEOs, doctors, locksmiths and lawyers could get by on $80,000 in Sydney too, but the economic reality is that they are paid much more than that.

Yes, but nobody is MAKING them be an AFL player. Rookies/newbies on $80K a year (which by the way, is more than my family of five lives on) are lured by the promise of big bucks if they 'make it' and their love of playing the game. Im sure the fact that they can't "sneak off to the beach" (which I have never done in my life as my moral compass won't allow me to) is far outweighed by their dreams of playing in front of 100 000 people on grand final day, doing something they love.

Having said all of that, I believe the COL allowance is more than justified. It's been a long time since I looked for a job, but I remember comparing similar jobs in different cities and the Sydney jobs always paid slightly more. Things might have changed though.

[DamY]

Yes, but nobody is MAKING them be an AFL player. Rookies/newbies on $80K a year (which by the way, is more than my family of five lives on) are lured by the promise of big bucks if they 'make it' and their love of playing the game. Im sure the fact that they can't "sneak off to the beach" (which I have never done in my life as my moral compass won't allow me to) is far outweighed by their dreams of playing in front of 100 000 people on grand final day, doing something they love.

Having said all of that, I believe the COL allowance is more than justified. It's been a long time since I looked for a job, but I remember comparing similar jobs in different cities and the Sydney jobs always paid slightly more. Things might have changed though.

Well I'm glad you agree with me, and thanks for being pedantic and pulling out specific examples even though they were just to elaborate and describe a point, rather than being the only challenges an AFL player has.

You could argue that no-one MAKES anyone do any job that they have, more often than not people choose not to change jobs (see steel industry workers in Newcastle, car industry in Geelong, etc) people tend to stay in jobs because it's what their used to, they do it for a long time, it becomes a habit/expectation etc.

If you want to compare apples and apples, you should be comparing to other sports people, which is my main point. Comparing them to the average Sydney or Australian person/family is definitely apples and pears. And yes they may be doing "something that they love", but that something is still a full-time job, hours and hours of training, viewing footage, learning tactics and game plans, performing in one of the longest sporting seasons out of ANY codes.

Anyways at the end of that I'm glad that we agree.

[erica]

I'm not arguing whether payers deserve what they are paid or not. That's up to the AFL and the club to determine.

I'm trying to keep a sense of perspective about how far money goes in Sydney. If a young player earns $80,000 a year, he can live comfortably in this city.

[Mel]

Well I'm glad you agree with me, and thanks for being pedantic and pulling out specific examples even though they were just to elaborate and describe a point, rather than being the only challenges an AFL player has.

You could argue that no-one MAKES anyone do any job that they have, more often than not people choose not to change jobs (see steel industry workers in Newcastle, car industry in Geelong, etc) people tend to stay in jobs because it's what their used to, they do it for a long time, it becomes a habit/expectation etc.

If you want to compare apples and apples, you should be comparing to other sports people, which is my main point. Comparing them to the average Sydney or Australian person/family is definitely apples and pears. And yes they may be doing "something that they love", but that something is still a full-time job, hours and hours of training, viewing footage, learning tactics and game plans, performing in one of the longest sporting seasons out of ANY codes.

Anyways at the end of that I'm glad that we agree.

But you make it sound like AFL Players are the only people who put in long hours, hours and hours of traing etc. How many hours does it take to study law or medicine? And how much do you think a kid fresh out of his law/accounting degree makes? Compared to the hours they work?

What do rookies/first year players make in the NRL or A League? Im sure it's comparable to the AFL.

Again though, I have absolutely no issue with the COLA and I actually have no problem with the amount AFL players make.

What struck me in your earlier post was the 'a single young man...' line. $80k for a rookie seems a fair amount to me.

[ScottH]

Many families are able to make do on $80K or less a year in Sydney. I don't see why a single young man can't make ends meet on that money.

True. but have you seen the drinking bill of young men these days!!
The money is there to help retain these players AFAIK.

[DamY]

But you make it sound like AFL Players are the only people who put in long hours, hours and hours of traing etc. How many hours does it take to study law or medicine? And how much do you think a kid fresh out of his law/accounting degree makes? Compared to the hours they work?

What do rookies/first year players make in the NRL or A League? Im sure it's comparable to the AFL.

Again though, I have absolutely no issue with the COLA and I actually have no problem with the amount AFL players make.

What struck me in your earlier post was the 'a single young man...' line. $80k for a rookie seems a fair amount to me.

I'm just assuming most AFL players when they start out are single young men.
And I agree, AFL players aren't the only people that study/train for long hours, but those people are also generally fairly compensated. Lawyers have god awful hours though, that's a lifestyle decision that they make lol

[Primmy]

Ahem. According to newspaper reports today, Sydney is only behind Tokyo in the race to be the MOST EXPENSIVE CITY TO LIVE IN IN THE WORLD. There, that should silence the lambs.

[Triple B]

And how much do you think a kid fresh out of his law/accounting degree makes?

Depends how convincing he sounds when he asks "Do you want fries with that??"

[Doctor]

I'm not arguing whether payers deserve what they are paid or not. That's up to the AFL and the club to determine.

I'm trying to keep a sense of perspective about how far money goes in Sydney. If a young player earns $80,000 a year, he can live comfortably in this city.

Perhaps, but the $80,000 will go FURTHER in other cities. When we're usually trying to relocate players as well as sign them, we need the incentive. Considering where our home ground and training facilities are too, the COL is a lot higher if the players are to live close to their place of work.

[erica]

Perhaps, but the $80,000 will go FURTHER in other cities. When we're usually trying to relocate players as well as sign them, we need the incentive. Considering where our home ground and training facilities are too, the COL is a lot higher if the players are to live close to their place of work.

And I'm not arguing about the cost of living loading either. Sydney IS a more expensive place to live than other Australian cities.

[goswannie14]

And I'm not arguing about the cost of living loading either. Sydney IS a more expensive place to live than other Australian cities.

Except for Darwin.

[erica]

Doesn't GWS get this COL as well as us?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/149774/default.aspx

[DamY]

Swans salary cap concessions

Yeah they do

[iigrover]

Demetriou defends Swans

Not on the agenda for review in the near future.

Looks like Demetriou has been rolled by the loud mouthed Melbourne commissioners.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/149774/default.aspx

[Red]

Looks like Demetriou has been rolled by the loud mouthed Melbourne commissioners.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsartic...4/default.aspx

Well, it's only a review at this stage.

I wonder though, if they found the difference in COL is even higher now, if they'd actually raise the allowance? That may teach Kennett & co a lesson.