Swans chat COLA

[Markwebbos]

Sure this will be of interest to fellow RWOers

Category: | Herald Sun

AFL players have called for a game-wide intervention to address the fact Sydney clubs are competing on an unfair playing field.

Five years after the AFL ruthlessly scrapped the Cost of Living Allowance previously afforded to the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants, the AFL Players’ Association argues the disadvantage Sydney teams face compared to their Victorian rivals has reached a tipping point where it must be put back on the agenda... AFLPA boss Paul Marsh said reviving COLA in its original form might be unrealistic but was adamant something needed to be done to address a range of imbalances, including the inescapable fact Sydney is by far the most expensive city in the country...

And there are other mounting concerns such as how Sydney’s biggest AFL names can be compensated for not being able to attract anywhere near the same commercial third-party interest of their Melbourne counterparts.

[MattW]

Sure this will be of interest to fellow RWOers

Category: | Herald Sun

AFL players have called for a game-wide intervention to address the fact Sydney clubs are competing on an unfair playing field.

Five years after the AFL ruthlessly scrapped the Cost of Living Allowance previously afforded to the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants, the AFL Players’ Association argues the disadvantage Sydney teams face compared to their Victorian rivals has reached a tipping point where it must be put back on the agenda... AFLPA boss Paul Marsh said reviving COLA in its original form might be unrealistic but was adamant something needed to be done to address a range of imbalances, including the inescapable fact Sydney is by far the most expensive city in the country...

And there are other mounting concerns such as how Sydney’s biggest AFL names can be compensated for not being able to attract anywhere near the same commercial third-party interest of their Melbourne counterparts.

Who is the reporter, Mark?

[dimelb]

Sure this will be of interest to fellow RWOers

Category: | Herald Sun

AFL players have called for a game-wide intervention to address the fact Sydney clubs are competing on an unfair playing field.

Five years after the AFL ruthlessly scrapped the Cost of Living Allowance previously afforded to the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants, the AFL Players’ Association argues the disadvantage Sydney teams face compared to their Victorian rivals has reached a tipping point where it must be put back on the agenda... AFLPA boss Paul Marsh said reviving COLA in its original form might be unrealistic but was adamant something needed to be done to address a range of imbalances, including the inescapable fact Sydney is by far the most expensive city in the country...

And there are other mounting concerns such as how Sydney’s biggest AFL names can be compensated for not being able to attract anywhere near the same commercial third-party interest of their Melbourne counterparts.

And they could include Queensland while they are at it.

[Meg]

COLA

Interesting.

Markw, I can’t acess the article, does it talk about the accommodation allowance which does assist the lower paid players?

And dimelb, are you suggesting a Qld retention allowance ( not a COLA) ?

[Markwebbos]

Reporter is Ben Horne. The article does not talk about accommodation allowances or any specifics, but about having a conversation. It's pretty early days but might lead somewhere.

[barry]

We will need a regime change at AFL HQ to remove the current media-sensitive clowns who wouldn't dare do something sensible for the national game.

I think gold coast's position, and if coniglio (sp?) leaves GWS as tipping points.
Another might be Lynch delivering Richmond a flag at same time GC finish last.
Or maybe all 3.

[jono2707]

The reason players leave GWS isn't because of the cost of living in Sydney (and it's cheaper to live in the west than in the east), it's because players are being lured to established clubs with strong supporter bases where they can play in front of big crowds of passionate and adoring crowds. Those factors haven't been at play with the Swans for a number of years now. But it is more expensive to live in Sydney's east, and the AFL should be considering ways to counter this.

[stevoswan]

I won't be holding my breath for any change to what deluded Victorian officials and fans now see as Eddie's 'level playing field'.....a conversation may start but will be quickly discounted and swept under the carpet by the same forces of jealousy and evil that brought about the COLA ban in the first place.

[barry]

The reason players leave GWS isn't because of the cost of living in Sydney (and it's cheaper to live in the west than in the east), it's because players are being lured to established clubs with strong supporter bases where they can play in front of big crowds of passionate and adoring crowds. Those factors haven't been at play with the Swans for a number of years now. But it is more expensive to live in Sydney's east, and the AFL should be considering ways to counter this.

I think its a bit of a myth that GWS players live in Sydney's west in and around homebush.

Cost of living is one aspect of player retention, but there are many other factors which also need to be factored in.
Its kind of crazy that GWS or GC is expected to compete for players against the Collingwood's of the world and the victorian opportunities, paying the same base salaries.
You could build a super-team out of players who have left GWS or GC over their existance.

[dimelb]

Interesting.

Markw, I can’t access the article, does it talk about the accommodation allowance which does assist the lower paid players?

And dimelb, are you suggesting a Qld retention allowance ( not a COLA) ?

Thanks for picking that up Meg, and yes, I had in mind the retention allowance. I wasn't thinking of the cost of living in Brisbane and Gold Coast, but I wouldn't be surprised if the costs there had risen.

[Markwebbos]

There was a surprisingly balanced conversation about "equalisation" for the four northern clubs on the Realfooty podcast. Jimmy Bartel now employed by the Giants had some measured things to say, particularly about lack of commercial opportunities and the cost of medical and fitness staff with AFL experience.

[Mark26]

I won't be holding my breath for any change to what deluded Victorian officials and fans now see as Eddie's 'level playing field'.....a conversation may start but will be quickly discounted and swept under the carpet by the same forces of jealousy and evil that brought about the COLA ban in the first place.

I'm reading Sherrin: The Family Behind the Football at the moment. Syd Sherrin was on the Collingwood Football committee and was the vice president for 20 years. In essence, the very family whose name appears on our beloved football and who helped shape the specifications of the ball itself were heavily involved in the Pies club.

I quote "Though a Collingwood man through and through, Syd knew that all clubs needed to be financially sound. In 1930 he paid two pounds to be a life member of the South Melbourne Football Club. His financial commitment, along with other patrons at the time, was required to keep South Melbourne bouyant back then. This was a generous donation from a man who truly loved Australian Rules football."

How different are the characters of Eddie and Syd? Both leaders of the Collingwood FC. One trying to enable and keep the competition healthy. The other trying to cripple interstate teams to maintain a Vic bias.

[Markwebbos]

More including the unfairness of the “go home” factor

Category: | Herald Sun

GWS Giants are pushing for a player retention allowance and a soft cap exemption to properly recognise the imbalances of being an AFL outpost in western Sydney.

Sydney is both Australia’s most expensive city and also the producer of far less AFL talent than Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide and Perth...

“If you want to be equal in terms of the salary cap and third-party payments, but you have the least amount of players who come from that area (NSW), in the most expensive city — that by its very definition is unequal,” Campbell told The Daily Telegraph.

[KTigers]

More including the unfairness of the “go home” factor

Category: | Herald Sun

GWS Giants are pushing for a player retention allowance and a soft cap exemption to properly recognise the imbalances of being an AFL outpost in western Sydney.

Sydney is both Australia’s most expensive city and also the producer of far less AFL talent than Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide and Perth...

“If you want to be equal in terms of the salary cap and third-party payments, but you have the least amount of players who come from that area (NSW), in the most expensive city — that by its very definition is unequal,” Campbell told The Daily Telegraph.

I thought the fact that Steve Coniglio had to fly to Melbourne last week to get his knee operated on just said it all. Even with medical
issues there just isn't enough specialist footy orientated services in Sydney to help the players and the clubs. Everyone likes to think
footy in Sydney has come a long way since the Swans had to train at Erskineville Oval, but in a lot of respects it hasn't.

[stevoswan]

I'm reading Sherrin: The Family Behind the Football at the moment. Syd Sherrin was on the Collingwood Football committee and was the vice president for 20 years. In essence, the very family whose name appears on our beloved football and who helped shape the specifications of the ball itself were heavily involved in the Pies club.

I quote "Though a Collingwood man through and through, Syd knew that all clubs needed to be financially sound. In 1930 he paid two pounds to be a life member of the South Melbourne Football Club. His financial commitment, along with other patrons at the time, was required to keep South Melbourne bouyant back then. This was a generous donation from a man who truly loved Australian Rules football."

How different are the characters of Eddie and Syd? Both leaders of the Collingwood FC. One trying to enable and keep the competition healthy. The other trying to cripple interstate teams to maintain a Vic bias.

It says so much about the tribal 'attitude' of today's society and the sense of entitlement some believe they have over other sections of the community today, compared to back then......sigh.