Bombers apologise for post-season pay bungle; players assured of full monthly payment
Essendon players will finally receive their November payments in full, but the pay dispute hasn’t been the tranquil post-season transition the club had been hoping for.
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Essendon has apologised to its playing group and adjusted payments to ensure 100 per cent of their monthly wages are made for November after an embarrassing post-season pay bungle.
The Bombers had to backflip on their plan to withhold nine per cent of players’ pay for last month, which angered sections of the playing group.
The players had been unaware of the club’s intentions until they received an email at 8pm on Friday night.
“I have apologised to the players for how this matter was handled,” Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell said.
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“We should have done it better, we needed to do it better, and we will do it better moving forward.”
It came as the AFL recently detailed total player payments for the clubs in 2021 would be $12.1 million — which was down nine per cent from this year — due to the financial pressures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Admitting the Bombers’ players had every right to be “disappointed”, Campbell said the club would work hard to better communicate with its players in the future.
“In recent days, I have had productive discussions with members of the leadership group and playing group, including captain Dyson Heppell, and the players are aware the club was not acting with any ill-intent,” he said.
“I’d like to thank the players for their understanding. We look forward to working through this with them over the coming weeks to finalise the process.”
Under that aborted Essendon deal, high-profile “pre-agent” Zach Merrett would have had his wages docked by 9 per cent, despite receiving only a 3.5 per cent cut in 2021 as a player with a deal expiring next year.
The AFLPA said earlier this week players who would defer 5 per cent of their 2021 salaries into a later year should feel confident they would still receive that money.
Under the player union’s modelling, 15 of the league’s 18 clubs have enough cap space to immediately afford the league’s pay cut.
The Herald Sun believes some clubs have floated with players a 7 per cent pay cut across the board next year and warned they would have to cut a player if it could not gain agreement.
But many of those clubs were already under salary cap pressure that would have seen them asking players to back-end contracts, with players unwilling to agree to cuts of that scope.
DONS SECURE STEWART
One piece of Essendon’s goal kicking puzzle in 2021 has been solved with James Stewart signing a two-year contract extension.
Stewart, 26, missed all of the 2019 season with a persistent groin injury and played his first game in 790 days in this year’s round nine clash against Brisbane.
He then played nine consecutive games and booted 11 goals from his 10 matches in 2020 and after Joe Daniher’s move to Brisbane, Stewart looms as an important player for the Bombers.
“2020 has been such a unique year and on reflection, I have absolutely loved the challenges that have been brought about from it. I feel like I have grown both as a person and as a player during this time,” Stewart said.
“I’m looking forward to developing my game closely under ‘Truck’ (coach Ben Rutten) over another pre-season as we move into the 2021 season.
Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro said Stewart was a “real quality key tall forward”.
PLAYERS TOLD TO TRUST BACK-ENDED DEALS
Footy’s stars have been told by their union not to fear back-ended deals under a new pay deal as Essendon goes back to the drawing board after its disastrous negotiations.
The AFLPA said on Monday the players who would defer 5 per cent of their 2021 salaries into a later year should feel confident they would still receive that money.
Under the player union’s modelling 15 of the league’s 18 clubs have enough cap space to immediately afford the league’s pay cut.
But three clubs with salary cap issues will have to go to players individually and make individual changes to deals that will see them get under the 2021 cap.
The Herald Sun believes some clubs have floated with players a 7 per cent pay cut across the board next year and warned they would have to cut a player if it could not gain agreement.
But many of those clubs were already under salary cap pressure that would have seen them asking players to back-end contracts, with players unwilling to agree to cuts of that scope.
Clubs have warned the back-ending of deals is a recipe for disaster, but AFLPA general manager of legal and player affairs James Gallagher said the average deferred amount per club is about $300,000, which is only 2 per cent of the 2022 salary cap.
But as AFL clubs hit out at the league’s new pay deal, which will save the AFL $23.4 million, it has emerged many players are scared to defer their salary after Adam Treloar’s experience at Collingwood.
Players who are contracted past 2021 will receive a 3.5 per cent pay cut overall but take an 8.5 per cent pay cut in 2021 receiving 2.5 per cent extra in return in both of 2022 and 2023.
Gallagher said the deal was agreed to by 99 per cent of players and was the fairest model to spread the pay cuts equally.
He said players would be paid despite some having to sacrifice 5 per cent of next year’s salary until a later date.
“The deferred payments are locked in for any player who signed their 2021 contract pre-COVID. Under the agreed mechanisms, the average deferral for a club into next year or the year after is just under $300,000. When you apply that to the current 2022 TPP limit, it makes up just over 2 per cent of that cap,” he told the Herald Sun.
“Players have a contractual entitlement to any payments that have been ‘back-ended’ and there should be an expectation that they will be paid. That would be the case with the deferred five per cent.”
As one veteran list manager said on Sunday: “It’s a recipe for disaster. It’s a complete balls-up.”
Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell has admitted the club bungled the execution of an attempt to cut player wages by 9 per cent this month until it could come to an arrangement with players.
Under that aborted deal, high-profile “pre-agent” Zach Merrett would have had his wages docked by 9 per cent despite receiving only a 3.5 per cent cut in 2021 as a player with a deal expiring next year.
Gallagher said Essendon would have to work with its players on individual deals after conceding its mistake.
“Any variation to a player’s contract and the pay they receive has to be agreed between the club, player and manager.”
“Clubs aren’t able to unilaterally make changes to what players are paid.
“We’re there to assist players and it was brought to our attention on Friday evening. There were good conversations with players, player managers and the club on Saturday. It’s on the record from the club that there were some communication errors and we expect it will be resolved between the club and players in line with what’s been agreed in the CBA discussions.”
AFL FIGURE IN LINE FOR DONS JOB
– Jay Clark
AFL competitions general manager Rob Auld has emerged as a contender for Essendon’s vacant head of football position.
The Bombers are on the hunt to find a replacement for Dan Richardson who was moved on last month after three years in the job.
Auld, who works closely with AFL operations boss Steve Hocking, is highly rated for his work with the league’s second-tier competitions and hubs this year.
Auld is popular within the football industry and is seen as someone who could help address some of the issues within Essendon’s playing ranks and football department this year.
He also has a broad knowledge of the football industry after a stint as Tasmania AFL chief executive.
Essendon has scoured the country for a new right-hand man for senior coach Ben Rutten after a difficult 2020 season which led to Joe Daniher, Adam Saad and Orazio Fantasia’s departures.
The club wants to make an appointment before pre-season training begins.
Hawthorn football boss Graham Wright and West Coast footy chief Craig Vozzo, who are both highly-respected in the industry, were both touted as top targets for Essendon but won’t be leaving.
Former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott was also linked to the role.
Richardson has been linked to the AFL’s vacant head of umpiring role, which has been vacated by Grant Williams.
Originally published as Bombers apologise for post-season pay bungle; players assured of full monthly payment
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