EFL 2019: Doncaster East to fight for compensation for loss of star signing Sam Rowe
Doncaster East has revealed the club will fight for compensation from the AFL to help offset a significant financial hit after star recruit Sam Rowe was “pulled from under us”.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Doncaster East president Mark Solanakis has revealed the club will fight for compensation from the AFL to help offset a significant financial hit after star recruit Sam Rowe was “pulled from under us”.
Rowe had signed with the Lions for 2019 but it was announced last week the ex-Carlton defender had agreed to terms with St Kilda.
The 99-game backman signed under AFL pre-season supplementary selection period (SSP) rules after Dylan Roberton decided to sit out the season to deal with an ongoing heart condition.
EFL: HAMILL LOOKING AT PUTTING PANTHERS ‘ON THE MAP’
EDFL: STRATHMORE STILL A FLAG CONTENDER
NAB LEAGUE: CHARGERS RUCKMAN NICK BRYAN ON RECRUITERS’ RADAR
VAFA: GEORGE VOYAGE TO LEAD LEAGUE INTO NEW SEASON
WRFL: CENTURY GOALKICKER SIGNS AT NORTH FOOTSCRAY
Solanakis said Doncaster East was proud and “absolutely stoked” Rowe had secured another opportunity to continue his career at the top level but was disappointed an AFL representative had not contacted the club.
Had signed with @footyefl club @DoncasterEastFC. https://t.co/AP18vIVv63
— Toby Prime (@T_Prime2) March 14, 2019
He said the Lions only found out the day before the announcement that Rowe would be playing at St Kilda this season.
Solanakis said the club would be asking for as much as $200,00 from the AFL.
“He was our marquee, we advertised, we did a lot of things around him. We were having sponsorship coming in purely because of Sam,” Solanakis said.
“It’s going to cost us significantly but put the finance aside, we’ve got a lot of pressure on us to back up this year (after last year’s Division 2 flag) and he was going to be instrumental. We were looking at him kicking 70, 80 to 100 goals.
“I’m hoping at some stage someone (from the AFL) rings us, just a representative.
“At the end of the day, we do need to discuss this because it can happen to other clubs and our reality is, we’ve now lost arguably someone who was going to be very significant to us in our cause and we can’t replace him now.
“How do you replace this? It’s an awareness thing to work out what you can do because we’re going to suffer significantly on and off the field.
“We will very simply hope that the AFL actually gets on the front foot.”
The SSP was introduced last year to allow clubs to sign delisted players if a spot on its list opens up through retirement or long-term injury.
Rowe was delisted by Carlton after a seven-year career at the end of last season.
His signing at Doncaster East helped the Lions earn premiership favouritism.
Solanakis said the club would ask for compensation.
“It’s got nothing to do with St Kilda and Sam, this is more the AFL and a suburban club, the grassroots that they talk about,” Solanakis said.
“This will happen again … this is a great thing for footy, AFL (the SSP) but at the end of the day, I’m the president of Doncaster East Football Club and that is my interest.
“We hope the AFL call us and do discuss things like that but also ways of giving someone at the club a heads up a bit earlier if this sort of stuff is happening.
“This is not to blame anyone, mate. There is no bad blood anywhere, just a courtesy call to see what’s going on and whether we want to meet and have a discussion.
“A bit rattled, you can probably tell, my head is still absorbing how we try to tackle this.”
Solanakis said the Lions would look to replace Rowe on their list.
“I suppose the frustration here is he came across on minimal bucks — it was nowhere near what people expect,” he said.
“The points have freed up but the salary hasn’t so we’d have to keep it at a pretty reasonable rate. This is what just compounds our frustration because we know we can’t pick up anywhere near that sort of quality for what we were paying out.”
The AFL has been contacted for comment.
Dual flag Cat, ex-Pies livewire light up local footy carnival
A two-time premiership Cat and a ex-Collingwood favourite were in action as players from across the state locked horns in a First Nations sports carnival.
‘Going for some elite talent’: AFL utility joins Castlemaine
Castlemaine has already signed two star recruits, including a former GWS Giant, but coach Michael Hartley feels he is “talking to most of Victoria” to add more names.