Collingwood president Eddie McGuire calls on the AFL to give Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs $2 million each

HAVE YOUR SAY: THE AFL should consider giving the Demons and Bulldogs $2 million each to spend on players, says Eddie McGuire.

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire says the AFL should consider giving struggling clubs Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs $2 million each to spend on players.

The Magpies boss is of the firm opinion that both clubs are in big trouble unless they receive strong help from the AFL.

McGuire's solution is to give both clubs an enlarged salary cap and a cash injection, which would allow them to spend up on uncontracted players.

"The thing that you have to do to have equality in football is have 100 per cent of the salary cap paid, because at the moment you still have clubs that don't pay 100 per cent of the salary cap,'' he said on Triple M yesterday.

"You have other clubs like Sydney who are paying about 110, 115 per cent with all their advantages, even back-ending, front-ending contracts, all that type of stuff.

"Also with these new sides, the GWS and Gold Coast, because they have front-ended a lot of their contracts, they are really going to come in at an advantage and that's where the Bulldogs and Melbourne are absolutely getting screwed to the wall at the moment.

"I was thinking possibly what we need to do is look at making sure the AFL allow Melbourne and the Bulldogs to pay not only 100 per cent of the salary cap but maybe give them 110 per cent to keep the players they have got by giving them extra money and to get into the free-agency market.

"If they get an extra $2 million, for example, they could go and get four blokes at $500,000. You would go from being a cellar-dweller to being a pretty good side pretty quickly."

McGuire's idea comes as it is revealed the Demons could be faced with a $5 million black hole over the next two years, given poor crowd projections, payouts to key staff and revenue shortfalls.

New Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson has already forecast a huge loss this season and said little would change next year if the revenue base did not grow.

The Demons have just wiped out a $5 million debt, but face being plunged deep back into the red, given its horrific season.