EDFL 2020: West Coburg president David Gloury talks player payments
An experienced EDFL club president says the coronavirus crisis and likely salary cap cuts could force suburban players to reset their expectations in what he describes “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
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West Coburg president David Gloury says the coronavirus crisis could have a positive impact on suburban football and drive down player payments.
AFL Victoria introduced salary caps in 2017 to address skyrocketing player wages and ease the burden on club volunteers.
Top-flight metropolitan clubs are set to have about $50,000 to spend on players if a reduced season is given the green light.
The caps are also likely to be reduced by at least 50 per cent in 2021 to lessen the financial strain on clubs.
“Maybe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the organisations and AFL Victoria to really try and assist clubs because I think some clubs need help to protect themselves,” Gloury said.
“We all know the ridiculous sums of money that get bandied around in local footy.
“Clubs will always find a way to beat the system, so to speak, but if they did some serious work on the salary caps, maybe this is an opportunity to reset that and reset expectations among players.”
There is a prevailing school of thought some players have been earning more than they deserve for too long and the days of exorbitant payments could be over if lower limits are applied in competitions across the state.
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Reports of powerhouse clubs spending $500,000 on players before the days of salary caps underlined the enormity of the issue and the task less-resourced outfits faced to compete.
But Gloury, who took over as West Coburg president since 2012, said clubs also needed to shoulder some of the blame.
The Burgers claimed the EDFL Division 1 flag in 2014 and spent four years tackling the Premier Division heavyweights before being relegated in 2018.
“We all fall into the same trap,” he said.
“We’re guilty of it like every other club. You get carried away and you think, ‘This is our chance and this is our time.’ You’ll pay an extra $100, $200 or $300 and then at the end of the season you think, ‘Why did I pay him so much money?’
“We’ve all made those decisions and we’re all at fault, but we’ve got to somehow stop that.
“I’m not against players getting paid – that’s part and parcel of local footy – but I do think there’s a ridiculous imbalance. Players are at fault, as are clubs for agreeing to pay it.
“There’s always that competitive tension because there’s relegation and promotion.
“We didn’t want to get relegated from Premier Division, but the reality was we just couldn’t sustain it in Premier Division.
“You’ve got to be prepared to go back and build your club.”
Tullamarine coach David Connell also believes the pandemic will lead to a reduction in player payments.
“I think, long-term, it will be the best thing that happens to local footy,” he said.
“It will even out the competition. I don’t think it will be as scary for clubs to win it (the premiership) and go to Premier.
“It will close that gap a fair bit, I would have thought.”
An AFL Victoria spokesman said in March that there would be a “unified national approach’’ to the sustainability of local clubs “and what sort of downward pressure they can place on salary caps’’.
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