SA Footy

I hope that one of the issues that the SANFL will address over this summer will be the issue of raising the match payments & appropriate salary cap for the reserves of the SANFL. I hope that the newly formed SANFL Players Association dont have to lobby for this, rather that the SANFL will take on this issue and deal with it appropriately.

As I am aware, the current match payment is $50 and has been that way for the past 10+ years which suggests immediantly that CPI increases dont hit the radar of the SANFL.

I will conced that it does not matter how much we pay the lads in the reserves, there is always going to be some amatuer side that can top that figure. Yet the point is about recognising the blood, sweat and tears that reserves players have to go through each week for the club.

The commitment to training at an SANFL club is huge, considering if you are attempting to hold down a job and raise a young family, you are going to be burning the candle at both ends and run a real risk of burning yourself out in the process.

My thoughts would be that a minimum of $250 - $300 a game would be appropriate.

Thoughts?

$ 250 +++ ?That would require a significant rise in the salary cap wouldn't it??

Current payment is $75 - went up from $50 in season 2006.

75 take out tax. some people get more than that playing div 7

cd wrote:Current payment is $75 - went up from $50 in season 2006.

might be that for the eagles but I was talking to a Sturt reserves player last night and he told me he got $50 a game. Also a mate of mine who played in the reserves at North has signed with a D1 club for next season for considerably more than the figures quoted here.

The aim is to play at the highest level. Don't reward mediocrity. If he went to the Division 1 club & got dropped to THEIR reserves he wouldn't get paid anything!

I would have thought the salary cap would or should only include payments to league players. An increase of $200 to each reserves player would equate to an extra $80000+ to the costs of running a footy club.

IMHO the cap should be increased significantly, and reserves payments set to a level more in line with the dollars a player can earn in amateurs. I know we won't be able to match the amounts being paid by country and the higher amateur divisions, but even an increase of $100-$200 would at least slow the drain we are currently experiencing.

Lets be realistic here. How many Div.1 players could command a fairly regular spot in a league side. NONE or bloody close to it.
If these blokes want to forge a career they do the hard yards at league clubs and hopefully get rewarded later on.
Clubs couldnt afford to give all reserves players say a $100 a week rise.

Info only
All clubs agreed to raise the reserves limit from $50 to $75
This was an increase to club costs of approx $10,500 per annum in cost of a reserves team.
Was part of the determination in rises to the Salary cap limit.

Heater 31 - I guess from your info was up to each club to negotiate with their players the rate going to be paid - I assumed that all clubs went to the $75 payment to keep it even across the league.

CENTURION wrote:The aim is to play at the highest level. Don't reward mediocrity. If he went to the Division 1 club & got dropped to THEIR reserves he wouldn't get paid anything!

I agree. If a player leaves a reserves side to play amatuers, he's basically giving up on a league career and thats players you dont need in the reserves. The reserves is all about playing those who want to play league football.
If you raise match payments you will get players who are happy with the $$$ playing reserves and will stay there, taking the spot from a youngster who genuinely wants to play league.

The reserves should virtually be an u23 team with a few overage players that are either coming back from injury or regaining some form. I think most clubs treat it that way.

Having said all this, I agree that the match payments should be more than $50, but not to the levels of $250-$300.

Alot of players leave SANFL clubs 4 amateurs or country 4 the $$$ (obviously),some because they realise they havn't got what it takes,yet those that leave 4 the $$$,the club don't need anyway,League clubs need loyal-determined & focused young players that want 2 do the hard yards & are their 4 the right reasons(play league football).It could take 2 years or more for those players that are prepared 2 sacrifice their time 2 achieve that goal, their for i believe they deserve $150 a game.

cd wrote:Info only
All clubs agreed to raise the reserves limit from $50 to $75
This was an increase to club costs of approx $10,500 per annum in cost of a reserves team.
Was part of the determination in rises to the Salary cap limit.

Heater 31 - I guess from your info was up to each club to negotiate with their players the rate going to be paid - I assumed that all clubs went to the $75 payment to keep it even across the league.

yeah maybe he got less for being it his first season there I don't know

The point that I feel is being missed here is the fact that Reserves Players should be in some way rewarded for the sheer effort that they have to put in training wise to be a part of the club. How many hours a week are required + match day, for a match payment of $50?

If we seriously want to believe that the SANFL is the second best league after the SANFL, then there should be some distinction in this area.

From what I have heard it aint much better in the league either

It's probably time the SANFL Players Association & the SANFL got together, & worked out a base payment system for Reserves & League Footballers.
For arguments sake:
Reserves $125/game
League $250/game

Clubs would then have work within (an increased) Salary Cap, knowing that at minimum, it would cost them (over a 20 game season) $25000 Reserves, $50000 League- $75000 all up.
Let say the current Cap was $375000, clubs would have $300000 in the kitty to spread that above the base player payments for League players- maybe with contracts capped at $40,000?

All of these figures are speculative, but CPI would need to be tacked on each year (a defined % at the end of the season for next year, so all clubs are on equal footing), so that $40000 in year one, is say $42000 in year two etc, reserves players base payments increase each year

Punk Rooster wrote:It's probably time the SANFL Players Association & the SANFL got together, & worked out a base payment system for Reserves & League Footballers.
For arguments sake:
Reserves $125/game
League $250/game

Clubs would then have work within (an increased) Salary Cap, knowing that at minimum, it would cost them (over a 20 game season) $25000 Reserves, $50000 League- $75000 all up.
Let say the current Cap was $375000, clubs would have $300000 in the kitty to spread that above the base player payments for League players- maybe with contracts capped at $40,000?

All of these figures are speculative, but CPI would need to be tacked on each year (a defined % at the end of the season for next year, so all clubs are on equal footing), so that $40000 in year one, is say $42000 in year two etc, reserves players base payments increase each year

I had always assumed that below AFL and SANFL levels they all played for the love of the game and hoping to get into the professional league levels.
I'm not sure we should pay sports players, pop stars, or politicians - that might reduce the numbers and improve the quality.

I probably misunderstand the point a few are making but I am sure that reserves match payments are not part of the salary cap -- only the $$$$ paid to the 21 league players in each of the league games played --- anyone?

or another angle on this Psyber-
If we don't renumerate Reserve level players for their time & effort on the track (which is the same effort as required to play league), then we have No's 30-42 deserting the Reserves comp to gain better pay at Amateur level.
What happens next is, players 43-55 start playing reserves, so the talent is spread thinly & you have players in the reserves, who might not be up to it (to a decent standard anyway)

As you can see, the overall standard has the potential to drop, not improve.
Paying our reserves players a fair wage ensures the standard is maintained to it's highest, which in turn should strengthen the senior side.

We need to reward the ressie boys for playing in the magoos alot better because there is some serious coin being offered by SAAFL andcountry clubs for a decent reserves player. The same happens in the Hampden league in Victoria if you are a half decent ressies player in the Hampden league some of the local league clubs will offer you a bit of petrol money to go and play for them.

disgrace....$50.00 or $75.00 for the same workload on the track .....I'm shocked