Player cost under scrutiny

THE Working Party established by AFL Victoria to examine the escalating costs of player payments at community level has provided an update to Metropolitan Community League CEOs and Country Region General Managers (RGMs).
The Working Party presented the update at the 2014 AFL Victoria Community Leagues Conference in Healesville and requested League CEOs and RGMs consider a proposed framework addressing the issue.
The suggested framework which is still in the development stage includes three major elements:
(1) A state-wide salary cap – with specific limits for individual leagues.
(2) Equalisation provision(s) – to support implementation of a salary cap.
(3) An appropriate enforcement policy.
AFL Victoria General Manager Steven Reaper said the Working Party had now asked league CEOs and RGMs to consider how such a framework would function in their league/regions and would consider their feedback before announcing guidelines to be tested in a selection of competitions, without enforcement provisions, in 2015.
“It was made very clear at the corresponding conference at the end of last year that the industry had an appetite to tackle this issue,” Reaper said.
“AFL Victoria through this Working Party has examined a range of possible solutions in order to develop a robust and flexible set of guidelines which will seek to halt the escalating cost of player payments and bridge the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ at community level.”
“While we understand the concern across all levels of football regarding these issues and the demand for a quick solution, we are committed to developing a considered set of guidelines and the feedback from League CEOs and RGMs is vital to this approach.”In determining the appropriate framework, the Working Party has considered research derived through an extensive survey completed by 369 clubs across Victoria.
“The development of an AFL Victoria-led state-wide solution was backed by 83 per cent of clubs who responded to the survey,” Reaper said.
“More than 50 per cent of clubs surveyed also indicated their support of the implementation of a state-wide salary cap despite acknowledging that such a measure creates enforcement challenges.”
Reaper said guidelines to be trialled in 2015 would be announced prior to Christmas.
“A trial will take place across a selection of metropolitan and country leagues next year and be thoroughly examined before being implemented state-wide in 2016.”