AFL Victoria confirms player points cap will be introduced in 2016, with salary cap likely a year later

COMMUNITY football salary and point caps will be in force by 2017, AFL Victoria has confirmed.

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COMMUNITY football salary and point caps will be in force by 2017, AFL Victoria has confirmed.

In a statement issued on Monday, the governing body confirmed a statewide player points system would be introduced next year.

A salary cap is expected to be rolled out across “the vast majority of leagues” by 2017.

AFL Victoria community football and engagement manager Brett Connell said most competitions supported the introduction of a points cap from 2016.

“Through this consultation process, feedback indicated support for a phased-in approach of the Community Club Sustainability Program in particular more information requested on the operation of a salary cap before it’s fully implemented,” Connell said.

“The working party will continue to work with leagues and clubs on the formation of a comprehensive salary cap policy and envisage it to being operational in the vast majority of leagues by 2017.”

AFL Victoria expects to release the final details of the player points cap in September.

Connell said clubs would be provided with “extensive” education on how the policies would work.

“Any policy will be accompanied by an extensive education program outlining the roles and responsibilities of clubs and leagues and include enforcement provisions,” he said.

“As a result of feedback, the working party has submitted an application to the AFL in relation to altering the National Player Transfer Regulations to allow the registering of players to occur prior to Christmas.”

AFL Victoria first released details of the proposed salary and points cap in May.

Clubs could be hit with fines, relegation and be suspended from finals if they breach the rules.

Clubs are expected to be randomly audited under a system similar to the Australian Taxation Office, with the measures trialled in several competitions across the state in recent months.

More than 80 per cent of clubs surveyed by AFL Victoria indicated a system was needed to regulate skyrocketing player payments.

Leagues and local commissions will be able to decide their own points limit, but it will have to be given the green light by AFL Victoria.

In June, Northern Football League chief executive Peter McDougall said consistency across neighbouring competitions would be crucial for the measures to be successful.

THE PROPOSED POINTS SYSTEM

Six points: Players who have played at least one AFL game in the past three years and are not a “home player”.

Five points: Players who have played at least five VFL, SANFL or WAFL state league matches over the past three years and are not a “home player”.

Four points: Players who have played at least five TAC Cup matches or five senior NEAFL or TASFL games in the past three years or are classed as a premium community player.

Three points: Senior community players and transferred junior players

Two points: Development community players

One point: Home players

What is a home player? A player who has played more than 40 games with a club at under-17 level or lower or a player that has only played at one club.