Northern Football League salary cap cut confirmed, player point limit
The Northern Football League has slashed its salary cap for 2021, in line with AFL Victoria’s mandate, as it looks to protect clubs from financial ruin in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Northern Football Netball League has confirmed it will slash salary caps for 2021 as clubs battle the impacts of COVID-19.
The decision will allow clubs to start locking in players and protect clubs from cashed up rivals and leagues poaching big names.
Player points have also been confirmed in the wake of the season being cancelled due to the pandemic.
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An AFL Victoria mandate has seen salary caps across local football leagues cut drastically for the next three years to ensure club sustainability coming out of the pandemic.
Top flight competitions in Victoria, including the NFL’s Division 1, will have a uniform $100,000 salary cap in 2021.
That’s a 50 per cent cut on the $200,000 the league’s Division 1 clubs could pay this year.
Division 2 will drop from $135,000 to $80,000 and Division 3 clubs will have $60,000 to spend rather than $80,000.
However, clubs remain confident of retaining their star players with rival clubs and leagues all facing reduced limits.
Neighbouring league Essendon District has set limits of $100,000, $85,000 and $70,000 for its three divisions while the Eastern is expected to set caps of $100,000, $80,000, $70,000, $60,000 and $50,000 across its five senior grades.
The Southern league has proposed a cap of $100,000, $80,000, $60,000 and $40,000 for its four divisions and Mornington Peninsula Nepean has recommended a tiered cap of $100,000 for Division 1 and $90,000 for Division 2.
Player points in the NFL will remain at a limit of 47 in 2021.
The NFNL also confirmed any player contracted for 2020 would automatically drop a point if they remained with their club next season.
As recruiting heats up, the local footy clearance window usually opens in November before closing over the Christmas break and re-opening in February.
In more good news for local footy, AFL Victoria will cover personal accident insurance costs for this season.
The move will save clubs and leagues a significant amount when revenue has all but dried up with no football and sponsors hard hit by lockdowns.
AFL Victoria’s head of community football, Stephen O’Donohue, said the move would bring financial relief to clubs across Victoria.
“The Victorian football community, from the elite to the grassroots, has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects are being felt across every club and every league across the state, he said.
“The Victorian football community have rallied together during this period and remain united as we face the challenges ahead. The decision to waive these fees will reduce some of the financial burden faced by all clubs across Victoria.”
Insurance fees for public liability/management liability and asset protection remain unchanged for 2020.