AFL news: Collingwood players won’t take across-the-board pay cuts

St Kilda and West Coast players have responded to the AFL’s salary cap cuts by taking across-the-board pay cuts. Will Collingwood be forced to follow suit?

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 08: Matthew Flynn of the GWS during the 2019 JLT Community Series AFL match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Adelaide Crows at UNSW Canberra Oval on March 08, 2019 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Collingwood won’t enforce an across-the-board pay cut to meet the AFL’s reduced salary cap requirements for this season.

The Magpies are in a much more comfortable position with their cap this year after making big calls to trade out star midfielder Adam Treloar and Jaidyn Stephenson in the exchange period.

Treloar has suffered a calf setback in pre-season training and is racing to be fit for the Round 1 grudge match against his former side on Friday March 19 at Marvel Stadium.

In recent years, the Magpies have asked some of their biggest names to take pay cuts and back-end payments to help the club relive some of the bursting pressure on their cap.

But rather than go to the same well again this year and adopt a standardised cut for every player, Collingwood has approached the matter on a player-by-player basis depending on when their most recent deal was signed.

It means some players may receive a bigger cut of up to nine per cent whereas others may only take a three per cent hit.

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Collingwood will not follow other clubs by making across-the-board pay cuts.

The AFL announced last year the salary cap would come down nine per cent to $13.17 million this year in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

St Kilda and West Coast have agreed to accept an across-the-board seven per cent cut out of fairness to the players who are forced to take bigger hits based on their latest contract date.

St Kilda co-captain Jarryn Geary last week said the approach was driven by the playing group.

“We didn’t think as a playing group it was fair that some players were going to take a 9 per cent pay cut when others were going to take a 3.5 per cent pay cut,” Geary said.

“We felt it was right to bring it in line so everyone took the same whack, which is 7 per cent, and it probably puts us in a better position going forward.

“It probably means we don’t have to juggle as much money next year and beyond so we will be able to keep (the list together).”

Clubs are unhappy that they feel the AFL’s salary cap crunch has been sheeted to them, resulting in some clubs deferring some payments to 2022 and 2023 as part of heavily back-ended deals.

List sources said it could result in many clubs confronting a Collingwood-style cap crunch in two or three years.

The Magpies are now in a much stronger position to retain their top young talent and priority stars in coming years after trading-out Treloar and Stephenson against their wishes last year.

Collingwood prioritised new deals for captain Scott Pendlebury, star ballwinner Jordan De Goey and All-Australian key defender Darcy Moore after clinching superstar ruckman Brodie Grundy on a monster contract.

GIANT CHANCE FOR RUCKMAN AFTER LONG WAIT

Jon Ralph

Greater Western Sydney will hand uncapped sixth-year tall Matt Flynn their starting ruck position after the untimely shoulder injury to recruit Braydon Preuss.

The Giants confirmed on Thursday they could only create list room for a summer rookie such as ex-North Melbourne utility Majak Daw if Preuss’s injury was season-ending.

But Preuss is expected to miss four months and return mid-season after reconstructive surgery on Thursday.

GWS football boss Jason McCartney confirmed Flynn’s exciting summer had him poised to get his first games of his career after an ill-timed ACL injury in mid-2019.

FULL LIST: THE PHANTOM’S SUPERCOACH ROOKIE RANKS

Matthew Flynn is set to be given his chance as GWS’ No. 1 ruckman.

The 200cm, 100kg ruckman is an aggressive, athletic ruckman who had been pushing Preuss all summer.

The Giants also have Shane Mumford in good shape should he be called upon, as well as emerging ruckman Kieren Briggs.

All Australian Toby Greene is in some of the best shape of his career after an off-season honed by an intensive boxing routine.

Clubs continue to consider key position players as backup for summer rookie spots after inopportune injuries.

Daw was disappointed not to be settled into defence last year at North Melbourne but despite being better suited in the back half is happy to push his wares at Melbourne.

Paddy McCartin is likely to play for Sydney’s reserves team.

Great landing spot for McCartin given it allows him footy to prove he is good enough and the mid season draft gives him an avenue to get back on an AFL list https://t.co/VdhRg1kWFu

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) February 18, 2021

At Carlton, former Demons full back Oscar McDonald is making a strong case to be put on the club’s list.

Former St Kilda No. 1 overall pick Patrick McCartin has not been called up to train with an AFL club despite being keen to return to the league.

But the Herald Sun understands he is expected to play football with Sydney’s reserves team in the new-look VFL competition.

His brother Tom McCartin is being settled into defence for the Swans this summer, with Sydney at one stage considering him for a rookie spot in last year’s rookie draft.

He is understood to be confident he has more football left in him despite repeated concussions after medical clearance to return to football.

Originally published as AFL news: Collingwood players won’t take across-the-board pay cuts