Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham says Swans’ trade bans was one of the AFL Commission’s most ‘disgraceful decisions’

TOM Lynch’s request to join Richmond has opened up old wounds for the Swans, with chairman Andrew Pridham left wondering where the Tigers’ trade ban is after recruiting one of the biggest names in the game.

Andrew Pridham. Pic: Hollie Adams/The Australian

TOM Lynch’s request to join Richmond has opened up old wounds for the Swans and prompted another blast at the AFL from Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham.

The Swans boss was outraged after his club was slapped with a trade ban in 2014 and 2015, labelling the League’s punishment a disgrace.

When Lance Franklin announced his move from Hawthorn to Sydney at the end of the 2013 season all hell broke loose. The AFL integrity department conducted an inquiry into the move and despite finding nothing wrong with the Swans dealings handed them with a two-year ban.

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Swans chairman Andrew Pridham slammed the decision at the time and with the news Lynch is to join next year’s premiership favourites he launched on the AFL again.

“It was one of the more disgraceful decisions that the AFL Commission has ever made,” Pridham said.

Swans chairman Andrew Pridham.

Tom Lynch is joining the Tigers.

“There is no satisfactory answer for the ban, having said that we have all moved on.”

The ban seriously hampered the Swans in the 2014 and 2015 trade periods when Callum Sinclair and Michael Talia were the only players brought in from other clubs. Sinclair was a straight swap with the West Coast Eagles for Lewis Jetta.

Pridham joked Richmond should be penalised more than Sydney because Buddy came from the defending premier rather than the team which had just finished second last (Lynch at Gold Coast).

“Given Richmond were premiers and Tom Lynch comes from one of the bottom clubs and we recruited Lance from the premiers I’m expecting at least a three-year trade ban for Richmond,” Pridham said.

The reason the AFL investigated the Swans at the time of the Franklin deal was they believed Sydney had abused their cost of living allowance (COLA) and put money aside to get Buddy.

“There is a total lack of understanding of how COLA worked,” Pridham said.

“The perception was COLA was a slush fund used to buy extra players but it wasn’t. It was a supplement in every contract of about 10 per cent in every contract. Players expected to receive COLA.”

Lance 'Buddy' Franklin at his first Swans training session. Pic: Phil Hillyard

The Swans chairman said a lot of the negative reaction to the Franklin deal related to the size of the contract ($10 million over nine years) which is currently about to start its sixth year.

“There was a big element of surprise in the industry but we were simply ahead of the curve offering a really long contract,” Pridham said.

“Ironically it’s now common place. In retrospect we were penalised for being ahead of the curve. I don’t think anyone would say it’s anything but a great move after the way Lance has performed over the last five years.”

In other news the Swans have delisted another four players including utility Dean Towers.

Jordan Foote, Angus Styles and Jake Brown were also told they would not be given contracts for next year. Towers played 57 games in six years at the SCG and Foote played six.

Originally published as Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham says Swans’ trade bans was one of the AFL Commission’s most ‘disgraceful decisions’