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I love a good chowder
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Average annual cash earnings for males at the end of last year: $77,142. Figures from the ABS.
Don't forget, the average is inflated by the massive earnings of those at the top of the tree.
$250,000 p.a. is pretty good coin; lots of people would like to be struggling that way.He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)Comment
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Excuse me for quoting myself:
But you have to compare it with salaries of other players, not those of the wider community.
Ireland's description (which pretty much sums up all of COLA):
?The highest-paid player in Sydney should have the same buying capabilities as the highest-paid player in Melbourne,? he said. ?The buying capabilities should be equal for every player on relative contracts around Australia.?
Footballers' salaries are benchmarked against other footballers, not random expectations of the public. They're professional athletes and they legitimately have the opportunity to earn outsized incomes for a short period of their lives.
Second, it's completely wrong to suggest that footballers would rather have the lifestyle. We can cite Andrejs Everitt (again):
Indeed, Everitt argued vehemently that the often-ridiculed and recently culled Cost of Living Allowance was more than just a thinly veiled scheme to assist the Swans. Recently engaged and hoping to start a family at some point, he argued that making ends meet could be challenging for players in Sydney making less-princely sums, and that despite being offered a contract by the Swans, financial considerations steered him to Visy Park.
"The cost of living in Sydney is pretty expensive; it's pretty hard for the young rookie players and people on the fringe not getting a game every week to make a good living out of it," Everitt said.
Everitt could be legitimately aggrieved at being shoved out by the Buddy trade, but on the contrary he thinks COLA is necessary. ANd he should know, having moved from Melbourne to Sydney and back.
Mitch Morton, who's done the Perth-Melb-Sydney trifecta, thinks the COLA should be increased.
They should know better than some ignorant moron propping up the bar.
If you really want to press the point you can ask:
- If the Sydney cost of living is 15% higher than Melbourne, how is a 10% salary loading an advantage?
- Where are the footballers who prefer the lifestyle to the salary package?
- You can also ask them if they know a player, or an informed, disinterested party who thinks the COLA is unfair.The man who laughs has not yet heard the terrible newsComment
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I have a strong feeling that the main club-associated critics of Sydney and our COLA know the real facts but keep bringing it up when they need to deflect attention to something other than their own poor performance. Latest was Carlton and Bulldogs execs, recently Eddie. All these clubs are under-performing. So in addition to the analysis done in the screenshot above, I would love to see these execs on TV shown a list of Sydney top 22 players that they could have picked before us in drafts or "recycled" trades but simply weren't astute enough. For example:
Richards - Pick 19 + 15 from Essendon
Grundy - Swans rookie elevation
Rampe - Pick 37
Smith - Swans rookie elevation
Laidler - delisted free agent
Shaw - pick 46 from Collingwood
... these 6 are currently the best defence in the comp based on points against. In each case I believe one of these Melb clubs would have had an earlier option to recruit them. COLA did not stop any of them going to a Melb club. I won't both doing the rest of the team, but nearly all except Buddy and KT would be the same.CIA Agent to Policeman: "Have you ever had anti-terrorist training?"
Policeman: "Yes, I was married once."Comment
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The thing is, this is the first time since Sydney has existed (in Sydney) that we have what is widely believed to be, the best list on paper in the comp. At some point in time, some team has to be at the top of the list. Hawthorn have been there for a while. Did anyone question Hawthorns ability to attract and keep talent? They seemed to be able to add buygoyne, Lake and Gibson, not to mention Hale and Big Boy McEvoy while having the best list on paper. They probably did this because players want to play in Melbourne, get great opportunities to earn cash outside footy in melbourne.
Each city has its disadvantages and advantages. COLA is one of our advantages which counteracts a host of disadvantages. To remove COLA would put us in a place of severe disadvantage. You only need look up a Brisbane to see what impact that has.
Brisbane will be a basketcase while its disadvantages outweigh its advantages. This is putting to waste the great sides of early 2000's which was built not of COLA but of merger and great recruiting.Comment
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I know COLA has had an impact on Brisbane, but their list management over the last decade has been appalling to put it nicely. They should have shuffled a bunch of their veterans out after the 2003 flag, but went for the 4peat and missed, and then have been in a whole ever since. Some of that is down to losing COLA, but most of it is just poor management, some questionable recruitment decisions, some ordinary coaches, and not a lot of luck at the draft table either."You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."Comment
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Ok....COLA. I've been biting my lip on this for years. The NSW/QLD based teams were always open to being challenged on this and have been for many years. It should never have been defined as COLA but something along the lines of a Retention Allowance. NSW/QLD are both predominantly non-AFL. It was always going to be hard to keep talent and in particular young kids with talent. Most of the best kids around the country come from Victoria....then SA and WA. Kids being brought up in an AFL culture with family and friends and having to move interstate to NSW/QLD is very understated. Unless the club has infrastructure/support already in place and also provision of hope through success then the pull to go home will always be there. Case in point Polec, Yeo, Doherty, Rocca, Gaspar, Grant at al. All clubs will always have self-interest and I don't blame them for that and the numbers will always favour Vic clubs until further expansion or relocations. The AFL needs to be stronger and not let the ladder position of the club dictate the debate.
....so equalisation. Let me say this about equalisation.
Some clubs are more equal than others. Isn't that right Eddie?
It frustrates the hell out of me hearing the Melbourne media and Melbourne clubs talk about equalisation. By definition, every player/club having an equal opportunity of being successful.
NOT going to happen people!
Let's talk about fixtures Eddie.....how many games do you play at the MCG? How many times do you travel interstate? If you make it, is the grand final played on your home ground? Sorry Eddie, you get all the premium fixture allocations too? Anzac Day, Queens Birthday, how many Friday nights?
Lets talk money....sorry Eddie, how much more does your club get from sponsorship, member sign ups from premium allocated games? Mr Gordon, sorry, how much does the AFL GIVE you to help support your floundering club?
Who went on the so-called junket to the USA on the "equalisation" project? Gordon, Eddie....Demetriou and token Vic interstate representation from Adelaide. Yes Adelaide, the club that has no voice considering their indiscretions in recent times.
Yes, some are more equal than others. Only they have targeted the wrong 'some'!Comment
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Spot on - well said!
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Yes, some are more equal than others. Only they have targeted the wrong 'some'![/QUOTE]
YesComment
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LOL but the COLA is a many hydra'd beast. Retention? another thing. I believe I saw an interview with Cam Mooney a week or so ago where at one point he was pretty keen on going to Adelaide on a multi-million dollar deal and it was all looking good when the Adelaide manager offered to take him on a tour of Adelaides major lifestyle drawcards. He did the tour and the deal fell through!
Ha! I'm an old Adelaide boy and I can see his POV.Comment
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Taking the kids to Adelaide in a few weeks, mainly because most of them haven't been before.
Had to fill 5 days which was hard.
Apparently there are no more pie floaters on the streets - O'Connell's is one of the few places left to get one.
Do they still have Sizzler over there? I liked that place, but they are no more in Vic.The difference between insanity and genius is measured only in success.Comment
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