Top AFL draftees should sign three-year contracts, says Dave Matthews GWS chief executive

GWS Giants boss Dave Matthews has urged the AFL to increase the commitment young players must show to their first clubs to prevent rival raids.

GWS Giants boss Dave Matthews has urged the AFL to increase the commitment young players must show to their first clubs to prevent raids from cashed-up rivals.

Matthews believes the mandatory two-year contract new players sign should be extended to three seasons, especially for the top draft picks.

Under the current AFL Players’ Association CBA, all AFL draftees placed on a club’s primary list sign a standard, base-pay two-year contact.

However the Giants boss believes that if top picks sign for an extra season when drafted, they will show more commitment to their new clubs, therefore discouraging rival teams to offer lucrative deals.

Matthews’ theory would help avoid poachings similar to the one his club experienced during last year’s exchange period with 2013 top pick Tom Boyd, who left the Giants to join the Western Bulldogs on a reported seven-year, $7 million deal.

GWS Giants boss Dave Matthews calls for changes to top AFL draftee contracts.

The Giants chief executive’s comments also come after the Herald Sun revealed on Tuesday that highly-touted midfielder Angus Brayshaw — the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NAB Draft — is set to be offered a contract extension by Melbourne, potentially for an extra two years, despite no AFL games to his name yet.

Matthews’ Giants negotiated a similar deal last year for their 2013 No. 2 pick Josh Kelly, who signed a two-year contract extension, tying him to the club until the end of 2017.

Matthews said extending an early draft pick’s first AFL contract from two years to three would encourage him to show greater commitment, as well as protect the club he is going to.

“That’s what we did last year with Josh Kelly. And you just wonder with those early round draft picks, for the ... clubs that are down the bottom of the ladder, should they be an immediate three-year contract?” Matthews told SEN.

“The pressure seems to start a little earlier on players these days. The first year disappears pretty quickly.

“Well done to Melbourne in terms of what they announced on Brayshaw, which is exactly the way to go.”

Josh Kelly re-signed with the GWS Giants for an extra two years. Picture: Mark Evans

The AFL held a talent forum in 2014, where some clubs raised the one-year extension to the contracts of all draftees.

However other clubs were hesitant to give all draftees an automatic three-year contact as they might be less likely to commit to a speculative player using a late pick.

Similar to Boyd, another key figure from the club has walked out earlier than expected, with former coach and board director Kevin Sheedy rejoining his beloved Essendon after an eight-year absence.

Despite leaving prematurely, Matthews said Sheedy goes with the “blessing” of the club and that it was an”easy decision” to give Sheedy GWS life membership.

“He’s done his job. He’s been a legend, not just as a player and a coach but then to roll his sleeves up for the AFL to come up and start the new club, he’s just been brilliant,” Matthews said.

“He’s done a lot of hard yards — I don’t think it always gets appreciated down south, in terms of the work that he’s done and the challenge he’s taken on. We don’t have a lot of past players and AFL identities, so I reckon he did the work of about 10 men.

GWS Giants David Matthews Chief Executive Officer has no hard feelings towards Kevin Sheedy. Picture: Gregg Porteous

“If you asked him a few years ago, he probably would’ve thought he’d never go back there (Essendon). But he’s very disappointed in where it’s got to, he thinks a lot about the players and the fans. I think it makes sense for him, both personally and professionally.”

Matthews also refuted claims from AFL great now commentator Wayne Carey, who believes the GWS Giants might not exist in 10 to 15 years time.

The GWS chief executive described Carey’s comments as “completely irrelevant”.

“He’s hasn’t been up assessing our strategy or assessing our books. He didn’t write the strategy for the club, he doesn’t understand the financial model,” Matthews said.

“A lot of these comments are made without any inquiries to the club or the AFL.

“These are generational decisions and there’s a lot of short-term, naive thinking that goes on.

“I know it makes a nice media grab, but to be honest it doesn’t bother us at all.”

Originally published as Top AFL draftees should sign three-year contracts, says Dave Matthews GWS chief executive