AFL (non-Swans) off-season moves - 2022 edition

[Bloods05]

As my Bombers supporting mate just texted me, "they don't have Google at the club and so they couldn't find out beforehand that their
new CEO was nuts".

What the hell did they ask him in the interview?

[KTigers]

What the hell did they ask him in the interview?

Interview? what interview?

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I’d have thought his corporate history alone was enough to disqualify him from the CEO position at Essendon.

Did you mean disqualify or qualify?

[liz]

Did you mean disqualify or qualify?

LOL.

[Aprilbr]

Classic Titus.

You get the feeling that as the smallest fish in the biggest pond, in this modern era Norf will never become relevant again, had one big signing in a decade and he may well be found to have been a naughty boy!

The way player movement has evolved, the big clubs will dominate, it's not cyclic, I think in recent seasons we've passed a point where the equalisation mechanisms are now failing the league.

That a GWS academy player wants to leave to 'play for a big Melbourne club', that the best pick GWS received for Jeremy Cameron was used on Bruhn who after two years wants to go home to Geelong for less than the pick GWS used to draft him, that after one season the number one pick wants to go home, that Suns are giving away a pick 10 player and pick 7 for a future second a year after doing similar with former number 9 pick Will Brodie, that Richmond can give a bag of picks to extract two very good mids from GWS thereby fast tracking a refresh and avoiding potential draft failures, that clubs like Carlton, Richmond and Geelong don't seem to have a salary cap as they fit in any number of big contract players, that go home has become a valid excuse to leave a club and that you then say who at home you want to be traded to .....

It's become a mess, the big Melbourne clubs are here to dominate, the small Vic clubs like Norf and Saints are doomed, I fear for GWS and Suns longer term if they continue to be bottom half clubs, they're getting little traction

This is an excellent post and raises many of the concerns about the current draft/salary cap/trade situation that I also have had for some time.

Many respected people in the industry argued at the time of the introduction of free agency, that it would heavily favour a few big clubs over the rest and that is exactly what has transpired. In demand players have much more power than ever before and they are increasingly using it! The AFL is scared of legal challenges based on restraint of trade so they will not abolish it now.

However, our system can be improved to somewhat restore equalisation. I see the three major problems being:
1. An imbalance of players coming from just one State, 60% from Victoria on average.
2. Developing clubs being at a competitive disadvantage in non-AFL States.
3. Salary caps undermined by deals outside of the Cap.

1. This is the hardest to overcome and requires continued investment in, and support for, Academies, junior development and retention allowances.
2. Similar solutions to 1. Brisbane and the Swans seem fairly settled now so its GWS and the Suns that need the most help in terms of player retention. We needed that help in the 90s and got it.
3. Much more stringent enforcement of the Cap by significantly investing in surveillance of clubs and player payments. Forensic accountants could use their magic to uncover rorts and side deals. There appears to be systematic rorting of the Cap going on by some Clubs . It needs to be identified and punished. The AFL knows what each player is paid under the official Cap. Those players who clearly are being under-paid relative to their market worth are where the investigators should start. Look at bank records, tax returns, property titles etc. Players will need to agree in their contracts that they are subject to these investigations just like a bank makes you sign a waiver for it to investigate you before lending money to you. Close relatives, girlfriends etc also need to be investigated although that's a little harder legally. I would also toughen up the rules on marketing deals, especially where club sponsors are involved. A lot of rorting going on there too!

[Ludwig]

This is an excellent post and raises many of the concerns about the current draft/salary cap/trade situation that I also have had for some time.

Many respected people in the industry argued at the time of the introduction of free agency, that it would heavily favour a few big clubs over the rest and that is exactly what has transpired. In demand players have much more power than ever before and they are increasingly using it! The AFL is scared of legal challenges based on restraint of trade so they will not abolish it now.

However, our system can be improved to somewhat restore equalisation. I see the three major problems being:
1. An imbalance of players coming from just one State, 60% from Victoria on average.
2. Developing clubs being at a competitive disadvantage in non-AFL States.
3. Salary caps undermined by deals outside of the Cap.

1. This is the hardest to overcome and requires continued investment in, and support for, Academies, junior development and retention allowances.
2. Similar solutions to 1. Brisbane and the Swans seem fairly settled now so its GWS and the Suns that need the most help in terms of player retention. We needed that help in the 90s and got it.
3. Much more stringent enforcement of the Cap by significantly investing in surveillance of clubs and player payments. Forensic accountants could use their magic to uncover rorts and side deals. There appears to be systematic rorting of the Cap going on by some Clubs . It needs to be identified and punished. The AFL knows what each player is paid under the official Cap. Those players who clearly are being under-paid relative to their market worth are where the investigators should start. Look at bank records, tax returns, property titles etc. Players will need to agree in their contracts that they are subject to these investigations just like a bank makes you sign a waiver for it to investigate you before lending money to you. Close relatives, girlfriends etc also need to be investigated although that's a little harder legally. I would also toughen up the rules on marketing deals, especially where club sponsors are involved. A lot of rorting going on there too!

All good points with realistic solutions.

Enforcement, especially for point 3, can be very difficult to monitor. What may be necessary are very harsh penalties for violations, which encompass players, managers,and club executives, even possibly to include lifetime bans. So even if the chance of getting caught is low, the penalties may not be worth the risk.

Something I would add is for a player to request a trade when not a free agent, he would have to prove a hardship condition, reviewable by a board of examiners. Just claiming homesickness, or wanting to go home, should not be sufficient to leave the club that you were drafted to. The most disadvantaged clubs, GWS and GC, shouldn't have to pay extraordinary salaries to retain players. It only comes apart in the end. The current situation is undermining the AFL's status as a national competition.

[707]

And apparently, just two days after being appointed, Essendon’s new CEO has resigned.

What a trash club

Everyone on here should thank their God that we are such a professional club. Imagine being an Essendon supporter, such a shambles of a club.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

All good points with realistic solutions.

Enforcement, especially for point 3, can be very difficult to monitor. What may be necessary are very harsh penalties for violations, which encompass players, managers,and club executives, even possibly to include lifetime bans. So even if the chance of getting caught is low, the penalties may not be worth the risk.

Something I would add is for a player to request a trade when not a free agent, he would have to prove a hardship condition, reviewable by a board of examiners. Just claiming homesickness, or wanting to go home, should not be sufficient to leave the club that you were drafted to. The most disadvantaged clubs, GWS and GC, shouldn't have to pay extraordinary salaries to retain players. It only comes apart in the end. The current situation is undermining the AFL's status as a national competition.

It's passing strange how long it's been since any club got seriously pinged for rorting the salary cap. Clubs lost draft picks for serious salary cap breaches quite regularly up until 2002 (Essendon and Carlton repeatedly). But since then only a single case has been detected, and Dirty Kurts double contract was simply too public and farcical to ignore.
So either clubs have mended their ways (ROFL) and we're all mistaken, or the Demetriou/Gilligan leadership is as disinterested in looking into rorting as they were in looking into tanking, drugging or racism.
Is it their pathological obsession with good PR, or old fashioned "Boys Club" corruption or both?

[liz]

Is it their pathological obsession with good PR, or old fashioned "Boys Club" corruption or both?

I finally got around on Saturday to buying a copy of Warner's "The Boys' Club" and I'm now about two thirds of the way through it. It's quite disturbing reading, even though none of it is unexpected and much of it familar. But putting it all together in one book, and linking the incidents via consistent patterns of behaviour, makes it oh so stark. I think it's evident that the AFL will not take action against a club or individual unless their hand is forced by the incident sneaking out of their control of the "news". And only then if they don't have a rug large enough to sweep it under.

[liz]

Something I would add is for a player to request a trade when not a free agent, he would have to prove a hardship condition, reviewable by a board of examiners. Just claiming homesickness, or wanting to go home, should not be sufficient to leave the club that you were drafted to. The most disadvantaged clubs, GWS and GC, shouldn't have to pay extraordinary salaries to retain players. It only comes apart in the end. The current situation is undermining the AFL's status as a national competition.

I don't think this is workable or fair to players. Many of them have good reasons for moving to another club, especially those who aren't getting a game where they are. I don't think there's anything wrong, for example, with Paddy Dow seeking a new club (and indeed, Carlton seem to be pushing him to do so), and maybe not Jack Graham (with his club trying to bring in two midfielders to compete with him for a spot).

My solution, which I've posted in more detail before, is to introduce a salary cap tax on contracts of players moving clubs before they qualify for free agency, specifically a tax on the amount over and above a benchmark that takes into account age and/or years in the system and/or games played. The aim would be to create a system whereby a player is likely to be paid better by the club they were drafted to than by any other club during the period before free agency. It doesn't entirely stop Fremantle throwing a huge contract at Jackson, or Adelaide at Rankine, or the Bulldogs at Tom Boyd, but it will make it more expensive (cap wise) and thus might make them stop and think.

This should reduce the stupidly large contracts thrown at some players before they've shown they are worthy of it and, most importantly, will reduce the pressure on clubs like the Suns and Giants to overpay their young players.

I am not under the illusion that either the current AFL administration or the AFLPA would be interested in a mechanism like this.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I finally got around on Saturday to buying a copy of Warner's "The Boys' Club" and I'm now about two thirds of the way through it. It's quite disturbing reading, even though none of it is unexpected and much of it familar. But putting it all together in one book, and linking the incidents via consistent patterns of behaviour, makes it oh so stark. I think it's evident that the AFL will not take action against a club or individual unless their hand is forced by the incident sneaking out of their control of the "news". And only then if they don't have a rug large enough to sweep it under.

Yep, as a contrast you might read Ross Oakley's book.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I’m still laughing at Collingwood paying $600k a year for five years for Dan McStay. He’s basically a slightly taller Will Hayward, with less defensive pressure and similar stats.

I mean, we like Wil, but there’s no way in the world we’d pay him that.

[707]

I’m still laughing at Collingwood paying $600k a year for five years for Dan McStay. He’s basically a slightly taller Will Hayward, with less defensive pressure and similar stats.

I mean, we like Wil, but there’s no way in the world we’d pay him that.

Paying $600k a season to have Treloar play at the Dogs and Grundy to play at the Dees!

I must say some of the moves at the Pies are difficult to understand but they did make a Prelim?

[Foreign Legion]

Isnt it great that the AFL are letting Grundy take a pay cut 2 years into a 7 year contract so he can get to Melbourne.

Funnily enough I don't think we could have done that with Buddy even if he retired his money would still be on our books while the contract was 'active'

As Orwell said, 'All animals are equal, some are MORE equal than others'.

[Kafka's Ghost]

Regarding the recently-resigned CEO of the Essendon FC, this article explains most cogently why he should never have been considered at any level. I hadn’t realised he’d appointed himself after being the man to find a new incumbent!

https://www.afr.com/rear-window/god-saved-essendon-from-andrew-thorburn-20221004-p5bn6n

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