Gold Coast Suns face limited trade period due to tight salary cap crunch

BATTLING Gold Coast is the last club many would expect to have a full salary cap given their lack of on-field success, but the Suns face a significant wage bill that is set to limit their ability to make big moves in the trade period.

The Suns sign were forced to pay a premium for draft picks Jack Bowes, Will Brodie, Jack Scrimshaw, and Ben Ainsworth. Picture: Adam Head

GOLD Coast plans to fix a surprise salary cap crunch by 2019 but will be limited in the upcoming trade period by an extremely tight cap.

The battling Suns are the last club many would expect to have a full salary cap given their lack of on-field success but have a significant wage bill in comparison to the talent on their list.

Chief executive Mark Evans has tasked new list manager Craig Cameron with fixing the problem by the 2019 season so the Suns can again be aggressive in trade discussions.

The departure of Tom Lynch to Richmond will ease some of those concerns but the Suns simply have too many players on too much money for their output.

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The Suns sign were forced to pay a premium for draft picks Jack Bowes, Will Brodie, Jack Scrimshaw, and Ben Ainsworth. Picture: Adam Head

Factors involved in the cap crunch include:

■ Having to effectively pay a retention premium across the board to players given their managers continually link them to moves south

■ The back-ending of multiple deals after an injury crisis forced the club to pay more in injury payments than initially accounted for, forcing the club to push back portions of some contracts into future years.

■ Multiple players being awarded pay rises under the AFL’s CBA rise of 20 per cent last season.

■ Handing big contracts to some of its experienced recruits among those to come to the club on healthy wages.

■ Being forced to hand top 10 draft selections lucrative deals to extend their contracts to four seasons, with Will Brodie, Ben Ainsworth, Jack Bowes and Jack Scrimshaw on bigger wages than many players of their experience.

The Suns have confirmed interest in Cat George Horlin-Smith. Picture: AAP

The Suns have already knocked back interest in Sydney’s Jake Lloyd, who was seen to want well over $500,000 a season to come north.

When Lynch leaves it will ease the salary cap squeeze but the Suns are determined to build methodically rather than throw that cash at a quick fix.

Initially they had hoped their window might start in the 2017 season and their wage bill was paid out accordingly.

Instead injuries and player departures mean they are yet to play finals in their eight-year history, with a decision still ahead of co-captain Steven May.

The Suns are keen to add Richmond midfielder Anthony Miles and Gold Coast onballer George Horlin-Smith but will lose Lynch, Matt Rosa and Aaron Hall

We’re obviously interested (in Horlin-Smith),” Dew said this week.

“We know he has come from a good system, he’s durable, he’s a pro and he might be looking for a greater opportunity.”

Originally published as Gold Coast Suns face limited trade period due to tight salary cap crunch