Some of the AFL’s biggest names would be paid outside the salary cap as part of a new marquee proposal from clubs

AFL clubs want to pay marquee players outside their salary cap — similar to the controversial Chris Judd-style Visy deal — and the ex-Blue’s once teammate Kade Simpson has backed the proposal.

Chris Judd signed with Carlton, with a lucrative deal with Visy coming on top of his salary.

Carlton veteran Kade Simpson says a marquee player payment plan has merit.

The Herald Sun revealed this week clubs are pushing to pay at least two starts outside the salary cap under the radical scheme.

“It’s sort of that American style, NFL style,” Simpson said.

“It could be something for consideration. If that is going to help with salary cap and keeping players on the list and all that sort of stuff, there is obviously a lot of ifs and buts about how you could go about it.

“But I think everything is sort of on the table after this situation, so I think the AFL and clubs need to consider all options.”

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Chris Judd signed with Carlton, with a lucrative deal with Visy coming on top of his salary.

Clubs have identified benefactors and businessmen who could fund the special arrangements.

Top player agent Colin Young told the Herald Sun on Wednesday night: “I’ve had several conversations with a couple of clubs that would like to see marquee players introduced.

“Even if it’s just during this period of the next three years where we are rebuilding the industry.”

A senior club figure told the Herald Sun: “It is a way to bring new money into the game. Everyone is looking for revenue to help save footy. Every club knows these sort of people who can help.”

A marquee player system is used in the A-League in which every club is allowed to pay two players outside the salary cap.

It has helped the A-League attract big international stars including Dwight Yorke, Alessandro Del Piero, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell.

Carlton superstar Chris Judd was famously paid outside the salary cap under a contentious $250,000 a year arrangement with cardboard giant Visy.

But the AFL stepped in and made the Blues include the final year of the Visy deal in their salary cap as it blocked any similar arrangements.

The AFL stopped a lucrative third-party deal for Gary Ablett from former president Frank Costa in 2018.

The money would have counted outside the Cats’ salary cap to help promote Costa’s property business.

The game’s biggest players remain in the dark about whether their contracts will be paid in full beyond this year.

The AFL blocked a deal for Gary Ablett to be paid outside the Cats’ salary cap.

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Leading figures said it was expected that as many as 10 players and 25 per cent in wages could be cut from each list, possibly staggered over several years.

The next generation academy programs, designed to recruit multicultural and indigenous talent, are also in danger of being scrapped.

One club boss said negotiations over a revised TV deal for 2020 was the crucial factor in determining the extent of the cash crisis.

The salary cap was due to hit $14.5 million next season, including a player marketing allowance of $1.2 million per club, but the AFL has declared its intent to renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement with the AFL Players’ Association.

The player union agreed to a review as part of the emergency pay deal struck with the league in March as a result of this year’s COVID-19 crisis.

Players took a 50 per cent reduction and have agreed to a series of prohibitive restrictions in order for the game to return and revenues to flow back into the industry.

List sizes are tipped to be cut from about 45 to 35 in 2021, while the football department soft cap of $9.7 million could fall below $6 million in 2021.

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Clubs and player agents are anxious for clarity.

“It’s urgent,” Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said yesterday.

“We are in the mindset of knowing broadly what confronts us and there’s no doubt that our club and our industry will be smaller than it was in 2019.

“Exactly how much, we’re not sure how that looks.

“It’s still a work in progress but we have had to take very drastic action for 2020 and that will roll into 2021, no doubt about it.

“We’re really optimistic and positive that we’re starting footy again but no-one should forget that the economic impact on the industry has been really severe and it will be for years to come.”

Thomas said he expected the extent of the AFL cuts to be announced “within two or three weeks”.

“We’re just moving from one big moment to the next but … I don’t think it can go much longer than that,” Thomas said.

Collingwood and Richmond will restart the season on Thursday, June 11. A South Australian showdown between Adelaide and Port Adelaide is also on the cards for Round 2.

Originally published as Some of the AFL’s biggest names would be paid outside the salary cap as part of a new marquee proposal from clubs