EFL club Doncaster East demands $200k compensation after losing star recruit Sam Rowe

A suburban football club wants financial compensation after losing its star recruit Sam Rowe to St Kilda on the eve of the season.

Sam Rowe in action for Carlton last year. Picture: Michael Klein

Suburban club Doncaster East could demand as much as $200,000 from the AFL as compensation for losing Sam Rowe to St Kilda on the eve of the season.

Lions president Mark Solanakis told the Herald Sun his club had not heard from the Saints after being “rocked” by Rowe’s sudden departure under the AFL’s new supplemental selection period rules.

Solanakis stressed he had no problem with Rowe leaving to resurrect his league career, but argued the AFL needed to show a duty of care to grassroots clubs.

GAMBLING HELL: WHY CHRISTENSEN LEFT CATS FOR LIONS

ROBBO: TIGERS’ SEASON OF REDEMPTION STARTS NOW

TV DEAL: AFL’S PLAN TO FIX WORRYING RATINGS SLIDE

He said the Eastern Football League club would now suffer from a loss in gate takings and sponsors - the latter wanting to commit only because Rowe was on-board.

“I’d be throwing $200,000 at them and then working backwards,” he said.

“I’m a little bit disappointed. You’ve got organisations as big as the AFL and people like us.

“Sam signed his contract. Obviously we’re not going to hold him to it, but he signed a contract with us.

“I do feel as though we’re insignificant for something so significant to happen to us on the eve of the season with no heads up or a call afterwards from St Kilda.

“People have to understand how vulnerable grassroots clubs are. All clubs are vulnerable and you’re only one or two years of mismanagement away from it being, ‘bad luck’.”

Sam Rowe was given an AFL lifeline from St Kilda. Picture: Getty Images

Solanakis said it was the AFL’s duty to contact Doncaster East and that he wouldn’t “cast the first stone” in the conversation unless the silence from head office dragged on.

“No mistake about it, it’s really rocked us. When you talk about costs, there’s all sorts of costs,” he said.

“There’s no blame anywhere, I just really hope the AFL or even the Saints reach out.

“We were actually pinching ourselves, to be honest. Here was Sam Rowe, fresh out of the AFL and he told us he’d kick 100 for us.

“I don’t want to sound like a mercenary, but we’ll be making an assessment of what the financial impact is.

“It’s hard because I don’t think I’ve met anyone better than Sam Rowe in my life as just a decent human being.

“The AFL are the governing body, I think they need to work through this.”

The AFL is yet to return calls.