Salary cap: Every country footy grand finalist to be investigated

Close to 100 salary cap audits will be carried out across Victoria this year with player payments for all country grand final teams to be checked.

Every country football team that plays off in a grand final this year will be the subject of a salary cap audit.

AFL Victoria is embarking on a major recruiting drive for suitably qualified integrity officers to cope with the additional checks required for around 50 leagues, starting this season.

AFL Victoria’s community football manager John O’Donohue said an increased focus and commitment to additional resources for tougher salary cap compliance was already underway before this week’s massive call by the Ovens and Murray league board to strip Wangaratta of the 2022 flag

“The end game is to keep every club compliant so that it becomes sustainable and there is an equitable playing field,” he said.

Wangaratta Magpies were stripped of their 2022 premiership this week for busting the salary cap. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Previously clubs were chosen at random for external cap audits with Wangaratta and Yarrawonga both scrutinised following last year’s O and M grand final.

Monitoring processes begin each year with clubs required to submit player payment declarations after round two.

Ongoing checks are carried out by leagues and AFL regional administration hubs.

League salary cap limits were drastically wound back after Covid with the Goulburn Valley coming down from a high of $180,000 to $125,000.

The O and M and Gippsland league also had caps as high as $160,000 before the pandemic.

AFL Victoria’s John O'Donohue.

Mr O’Donohue said he doubted there was an appetite to return to pre-Covid levels.

“It hasn’t found its balance again just yet,” he said.

“We don’t want the salary cap and player points to be prohibitive to clubs being competitive.

“But we want to make sure they’re sustainable and don’t extend themselves.

“Seven years ago there was a huge strain put on volunteers to raise an extra $50,0000, $60,000 or $70,000 to pay players.

“There is now evidence to say clubs have changed the way they manage their finances.”

He urged clubs to stick to the cap’s rules.

“It’s when clubs start getting cute and complicating things that pressure comes on with the administration of it,” he said.