NEW CLUB salary cap alterations are only the start of changes to player payments which will ensure the survival of football in region, according to AFL Western District commercial and operations manager Matt Ross.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
AFLWD announced it was following the state's top football body and bringing in a two-step reduction to Allowable Player Payment caps.
The first element is a 50 per cent initial decrease to existing approved APP caps, which was supported by players in a survey conducted by The Standard last week.
The second step is a further pro-rata decrease based on number of matches re-fixtured relative to the original number of scheduled matches.
The Hampden league has a $140,000 salary cap, $170,000 modified cap for Portland, the Warrnambool and District has $90,000 while it is $70,000 for both Mininera and South West District leagues.
Player point allocations for the 2020 season have not been modified as part of the reduction.
READ MORE:
Ross said the two-step cap reduction had been accepted by all four leagues and their clubs.
"It will have a positive impact on the clubs as the cost pressures are removed and any reductions to those caps will give benefits to those clubs," he said.
"We couldn't go directly to cutting the cap completely but this reduction is at a sensible level.
"We are also encouraging clubs to have discussions with their players about payments and whether they take no payments or not there is still some sort of cap that allows payments to their payers."
Ross said it was possible more changes could be made to salary caps beyond 2020 to help clubs recover from the effects placed on them by the coronavirus pandemic.
He added that it could be the start of a big reform to APP caps.
"There is a fair chance future caps won't be the same as before," he said.
"The reductions have been discussed for some time and this is a good opportunity to have a serious look at caps and what is sustainable."
How it works
Step 1: Apply 50% reduction to original APP Cap - 50% x $140,000 = $70,000
Step 2: Apply pro-rata reduction to cap calculated in step 1 based on number of matches re-fixtured - 9/18 x $70,000 = $35,000
In this scenario of the HFNL playing a half season, the APP cap would be a revised $35,000 for 2020.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.
Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
