Country leagues support salary cap on growing player payments

COUNTRY Leagues on Adelaide’s fringes say they support a statewide cap on player payments in local football but some question how it would be policed.

There are concerns that underhanded payments to players in amateur football leagues is ge

COUNTRY Leagues on Adelaide’s fringes say they support a statewide cap on player payments in local football but some question how it would be policed.

The River Murray Football League is so concerned about ballooning payments and increasing bidding wars for recruits it has written to the SA Community Football League proposing a statewide ceiling on what an individual can earn.

Hills Football League president Glen Sickerdick believed most hills clubs would support controls because they had strong junior programs to complement recruiting.

“The clubs here that are going really well are the ones that have developed the strong community culture through their juniors,’’ said Sickerdick, who is part of SACFL committee investigating the issue.

“I’m confident most would support (a ceiling on player payments) as long as it was regulated.

“You’ve got to have some sort of penalties there so that you can police it, otherwise it becomes a toothless tiger like the old salary cap.”

Sickerdick said there were one or two clubs in the HFL who were abusing the current lack of payment controls, and paying big money to poach players from the amateur league while neglecting juniors.

No official salary cap currently exists in amateur or country football.

“Some clubs are digging their grave in my opinion which I don’t want,’’ Sickerdick said.

“We are country football and country football is about socialisation, community and everyone coming together.

“It’s about giving juniors the ability to aspire to play A-grade football.”

Barossa, Light and Gawler Football Association president Len Warren admitted his league was probably one of the higher paying in the state.

He said the Applied Player Points System — which effectively caps a club number of recruits — had helped reduce poaching but did not believe a payment ceiling would stop undisclosed payments.

“I think the points system works but the problem is the underhanded payments,’’ he said.

“If you can come up with a way to police it let me know.

“Without a doubt there is culture now where some players shop themselves around and play one club against another… Most clubs have fundraising arms and private sponsors.”

Mr Warren denied reports Barossa clubs had poached players from struggling amateur side Anlge Vale.