Bulldogs president snarling over proposed salary cap
The Southern league Division 1 salary is set to come down to $100,000 next year but Highett president Lex Marshall is adamant it should be lower as clubs take stock from the coronavirus pandemic.
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A $100,000 salary cap will apply in all first-division metropolitan football next year but a Southern league president wants it reduced further.
Highett’s Lex Marshall says the player-payments ceiling should come down to $75,000, arguing clubs need to consolidate their finances before hitting six figures.
Marshall said clubs would face a difficult 2021 season as there was uncertainty over whether sponsors and even supporters would return.
He said costs should be reduced as much as possible, including with the salary cap.
The Division 1 cap in Southern was $150,000 in 2019 and initially was to be lowered to $37,5000 for a shortened season this year.
In the end it was set at zero.
Next year the Southern, Eastern, Essendon District, Northern and Western Region leagues will all set the cap at $100,000 as football tries to take some steadying steps from COVID-19.
Southern is proposing it stand at $80,000 for Division 2, $60,000 for Division 3 and $40,000 for Division 4.
Clubs are being asked to complete a survey on what they think the amounts should be.
Highett president Marshall said he would set it no higher than $75,000 in the top division.
“We don’t need players demanding top dollar when clubs can’t afford it, and if the clubs have a real good look at themselves they’d agreed with me,’’ he declared.
“It’s not sustainable in local football, not at the moment with the way things are.
“We’ve got to pull our horns in across the board ….it’s going to be difficult next year because it’s going to be very different. We’ve all got to reset and put everything in order and we’ve got five or six months to do that and make sure we’re sustainable for years to come.’’
He said clubs would soon find which players were playing for money rather than the jumper.
Marshall said the cap should be a maximum of $50,000 in Division 2, $30,000 in Division 3 and $20,000 in Division 4.
SFNL chief executive officer Lee Hartman said he believed the caps being proposed for Division 1 and 2 would be unaltered. But the Division 3 and 4 clubs are keen for their payment limits to drop further.
“When we floated it with them that was the instant feedback we got,’’ Hartman said.
“They were saying it should be more like $30,000 (Division 3) and $20,000 (Division 4).’’
Hartman said he had spoken to Marshall about Highett’s view, but the league was already coming down from $150,000.
He said Southern clubs could potentially lose players to other leagues if it went lower than $100,000.
The neighbouring Mornington Peninsula Nepean league is also likely to have a $100,000 salary cap.
Marshall’s comments came after Bentleigh coach Peter Pirera said some Southern clubs would have to make adjustments to fit under the cap next year.
He said they could “only hope’’ players would accept the situation and be prepared to play for less money.
“We all want to lock our players in, especially the clubs with good lists, and we’re one of those … and I think it’s going to come back to the players,’’ Pirera said.
“It’s going to have an impact but none of us knows how serious the impact will be.
“It’s not just Bentleigh footy club, it’s the Eastern league, the Essendon District league, all of the leagues, and it’s going to come back to club loyalty and how much these guys want to play for the club that’s looked after them for God knows how many years. You can only hope they understand that.’’
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