Cap gap victory | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Cap gap victory

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06 February 2003 Herald Sun
By MICHAEL STEVENS and DARREN CARTWRIGHT

VICTORIAN clubs yesterday scored a significant breakthrough in their struggle against salary cap concessions.

The big news for heartland clubs came when AFL chief Wayne Jackson confirmed the league was reviewing concessions given to the Brisbane Lions and Sydney.

While Victorian clubs are not clicking their heels just yet, getting the AFL to the table on one of the hottest issues of 2002 is a definite plus.

The AFL has reacted positively after facing a campaign, led by Collingwood and Essendon, against the concessions. Pies president Eddie McGuire declared war on Brisbane and its salary cap concessions hours after last season's Grand Final defeat.

And Bombers chairman Graeme McMahon accused the Lions of snubbing home-grown players and using its $600,000 salary-cap advantage to build "the best football list in the world".

Yesterday McGuire said it was about time the AFL looked at the concessions.

"I welcome the review of the salary cap of our northern friends," he said. "I think it is long overdue and yes, it has become totally inequitable in the past few years."

McGuire said: "I'm glad that a few clubs, notably Graeme McMahon at Essendon, has supported our call, and that the AFL Commission are listening."

Brisbane receives a $600,000 allowance above the $5.937 million salary cap and Jackson acknowledged this was a major beef for Victorian clubs.

"They say we are trying to even out the competition then we give them an unfair advantage," Jackson said.

"On one hand it does help them retain their players and you can ask, `Does it help them retain Queensland players?'.

"That's still being worked through by the AFL administration to be put to our commission in the next couple of months.

"It is a sore point with the Victorian clubs.

"As Leigh Matthews said it has awoken their interests since winning the premiership.

"If the Lions were 12th or 16th they wouldn't be fussed about it.

"We review it from time to time and we are in the process of reviewing and we will do that in the next couple of months."

McGuire said the Magpies' position on the issue was clear and fair. "What we've been saying at Collingwood is in line with readjusting the cutting of the cloth in a number of areas, to make sure that there's 16 sustainable teams in the competition.

"It's not saying, `We don't want them to have it because it will help us win a flag'.

"I don't have any problems with Sydney having some cost of living benefit, but what we have to do is keep it to some reasonable level and also make it across the board so it's not just going to one or two players."

"If the salary cap is the same as everyone's, and there is a bit extra because of expenses based on business practices and everything else, we can live with that."

McGuire said the problem with two clubs operating outside the salary cap was that it had a snowballing, inflationary effect across the competition.

"You can't have one team operating at 115 per cent at the same time and losing the same amount of money as the Western Bulldogs operating at 92 (per cent)," he said.

"This time next year, they just buy all the Bulldogs' players; it's all over."

Jackson said the commission had not formed an opinion, but player retention was not the only reason behind Sydney's 15 per cent leeway.

"There's the cost of living factor in NSW and anyone who says there is not an extra cost of living in NSW is not in the real world," he said.

"Up here (Brisbane) it's the retention factor."

Lions' chief executive Michael Bowers last night questioned whether the AFL would cave into the Victorian clubs.

"The only thing that has changed since the concessions were brought in is that we have won two premierships, but all the market conditions remain," Bowers said.

Coach Leigh Matthews not only wants the AFL to retain Brisbane's allowance but believes it should be available to all clubs.

The Lions have submitted a payment model to the AFL that provides salary cap allowance for clubs which have large numbers of players drafted from interstate.

"There is logic to say any club who gets a lot of kids from outside their catchment area, the scheme should be open to them," he said.
 
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admin

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It's good to have our mate Eddie and Graeme McMahon go in to bat for us on this issue. ;D
I wonder if Clinton or any body from Richmond has been vocal in getting the AFL to review concessions given to Brisbane and Sydney.
 
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Lill Koala

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Clinton Casey has been very vocal on this Rosy - just doens't get the publicity of the Head Master & Big Mac ;)