AFL Victoria outlines proposed statewide salary cap and points system measures for community football

CLUBS could be hit with fines, relegation or be suspended from finals if they breach a salary cap set to be introduced across Victorian football.

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CLUBS could be hit with fines, relegation or suspended from finals if they breach a salary cap set to be introduced across Victorian community football.

AFL Victoria has released a draft Community Club Sustainability Program, which includes details of a proposed salary cap and player points system.

Clubs will be randomly audited under a system similar to the Australian Taxation Office, which would be further developed in consultation with the AFL Integrity Unit.

Under the proposed system, players would be required to sign standard statewide player contracts and a statutory declaration when negotiating with clubs.

Immunity would be provided to whistleblowers and leniency given for self reporting of cap breaches, should the system be adopted.

The measures have been developed by an AFL Victoria working party after a survey indicated 83 per cent of clubs believed a system was needed to regulate player payments.

The proposed player points system, which would operate alongside the salary cap, would involve six tiers.

Footballers who have played AFL in the past three years would be graded at six points, while ‘home players’ would be worth just one point.

The top community players — those who have placed top five in their club best and fairest, top 10 in the competition best and fairest or led their club’s goalkicking over the past three years — would be ranked at four points.

TAC Cup players would be allocated the same level, while footballers with state league experience over the past five years given five points.

It is expected local commissions and leagues will decide on the total points allocation clubs are allowed.

The measures will be trialled in some competitions in coming months before being rolled out next year.

Leagues have been asked to meet with their clubs and provide further feedback on the proposed changes.

Previous feedback provided to AFL Victoria by surveyed clubs suggested some feared for their future unless regulations were put in place to curb rising player payments.

The working party included representatives from country and metropolitan competitions and AFL Victoria.

OTHER FINDINGS

— 63 per cent of surveyed clubs paid every player in their senior team.

— Seven per cent of clubs paid reserves players

— 83 per cent of clubs supported the introduction of a statewide player contract