Salary cap restrictions and a player-points system could be introduced in some Melbourne football competitions next year

A SALARY cap will be trialled in several community football competitions across Victoria next year as AFL Victoria looks to curb skyrocketing player payments.

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A SALARY cap will be trialled in several community football competitions across Victoria next year as AFL Victoria looks to curb skyrocketing player payments.

The cap would be supported by other provisions, such as a player-points system, and would be tested but not enforced in 2015.

But the competitions where the trials would take place are yet to be decided, Local Footy can confirm.

Competitions have been asked to provide feedback on the framework, tabled at the AFL Victoria Community Leagues Conference, and how it could be successfully implemented.

AFL Victoria general manager Steven Reaper said feedback from leagues would be considered before the final guidelines were announced.

“It was made very clear at the corresponding conference at the end of last year that the industry had an appetite to tackle this issue,” Reaper said.

The framework suggests a statewide salary cap should be introduced with specific limits for individual leagues, as well as an enforcement policy.

It was formed after an AFL Victoria working party considered feedback from 369 clubs across the state.

“More than 50 per cent of clubs surveyed also indicated their support of the implementation of a statewide salary cap despite acknowledging that such a measure creates enforcement challenges,” Reaper said.

He said guidelines for the trial would be announced closer to Christmas.

“A trial will take place across a selection of metropolitan and country leagues next year and be thoroughly examined before being implemented statewide in 2016,” he said.

AFL Victoria’s working party included Essendon District Football League chief executive Mark Turri, Eastern Football League boss Phil Murton and representatives from country Victorian competitions.

Clubs across Melbourne have previously expressed misgivings about the impact of rising player wages.

In July, Northern Football League presidents told Local Footy they feared for the future of some clubs unless the issue was addressed.

Presidents from the EDFL and Western Region Football League also expressed concerns.

Western Region Football League boss Bob Tregear said his league would look at trialling parts of the proposal in 2015.

“The big picture is yes, AFL Victoria have been looking at some sort of combination between a salary cap and a points system,” Tregear said.

“There will be some trials of it and we may be part of it. Anything for full implementation wouldn’t be until 2016, but we believe it would help alleviate the competition balance.”

Tregear said any WRFL clubs that breached the trials in 2015 would not be punished.

One EDFL coach, Keilor’s Mick McGuane, agreed a system was needed as player payments continue to rise.

“It is silly season because the market has clearly got out of hand,” he said.