Mark Milligan’s failed transfer to Al-Ahli again shows the problems with A-League salary cap

MELBOURNE Victory were within their rights to dig heels in on Mark Milligan but it is another example of why the salary cap is reaching its expiry date, writes DAVID DAVUTOVIC.

Milligan has seen another opportunity pass him by (AAP Image/Joe Castro)

MELBOURNE Victory were within their rights to dig heels in after Saudi Arabian interest, but the Mark Milligan saga is another example of why the salary cap is reaching its expiry date.

The Socceroo will line up in the Australia Day clash with Sydney FC after Victory issued a ‘hands off’ warning with coach Kevin Muscat understandably desperate to keep Milligan as they launch twin assaults on the A-League and Asian Champions League.

Beyond May the future of Milligan and his young family is unclear, with his contract expiring at the end of the season with James Troisi’s back-ended deal elevating him to marquee status alongside Besart Berisha unless Victory can do some creative accounting.

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Milligan has seen another opportunity pass him by (AAP Image/Joe Castro)

Milligan was open to the Al-Ahli move, but he by no means held the club to ransom or threw the toys out of the cot. Victory has rejected several offers for Milligan, including a dream move to Crystal Palace in 2013 that left him shattered having never played in Europe to this day.

Victory fans consider the implications of the outdated salary cap — the squad and cap limitations are the reason Dino Djulbic, for instance, came and went after a fortnight before returning to Perth Glory — before labelling Milligan a mercenary.

Players union chief John Didulica said the figure of 65 per cent of players coming off contract at the end of this season was too high.

“You don’t have Mark actively spruiking himself around Asia saying I desperately need to get out of this contract,’’ Didulica said on FNR.

“There’s club throughout Asia that (spend) tens of millions of dollars and have an Asian spot, so he (Milligan) is a sought-after commodity in that market.

“Where the urgency is in Mark’s perspective is he’s off contract in four months. If we had a contracting structure in Australia that incentivised longer term deals, that allowed clubs to be more flexible with the way they structured their contracts, you probably won’t have the same volume of players leaving.

“The way the salary cap works — where you have these two rigid marquees and everyone else squirrels in under this salary cap — means that you can’t have genuine contracts with players.

“If we can build an industry where players can have 2-4 year deals with very clear clauses around when and how players can get released, that level of surety and consistency will ensure we don’t have this washing around of players every transfer window.”

Originally published as Mark Milligan’s failed transfer to Al-Ahli again shows the problems with A-League salary cap