SA Footy

Over a few years we all know about the salary cap and i bet this has been a topic many a time. But i am wondering where we are all at. I feel that the SANFL should either raise it and enforce it and make clubs pay for breaking ie loss of Premiership points, or just plain get rid of it. The SANFL seems to want to kiss the AFL arse and bend over backwards for the AFL to keep them happy. The VFL as we know it was the old VFA but the league went broke and lost a lot of teams because of the AFL's success. I see a point to the Salary cap keeping costs down for the clubs in payments to try and keep the teams evenly matched but this doesn't work in most cases because some clubs are willingly breaking the cap. So i feel it is time for the SANFL to get tough or just give up on the cap. Your Views.

No club has officially broken the cap, but we must have the best bartenders/groundsmen/maintenance men in the world, as I believe they are being paid well above the award...

i think its necessary. but it needs to be seriously administered otherwise its a pointless waste of time.

i think its necessary to build an even and exciting comp. otherwise sanfl will become like english premier league with an enormous gap across the teams. perhaps its already beginning.....

In my opinion the salary cap fails as there are too many ways to get around it --- eg Business owner supporter gives recruit job at much higher pay rates than normally applies --- clubs employ players -- players partners are paid money ---supporter golden hand shake & others -- none of which are illegal as not done by relevant club or by any registered club official.

Worst part about the issue is I can see no other alternate system which will work (given the impossibility to review tax returns).

As a Westies supporter I felt bit sad for Centrals the other year when they were caught (minor amount over I believe) as I understand that the overs were caused by finals bonuses (god saying that hurt)--- perhaps the salary cap should only apply to the main round with finals having separate cap????

Like business, as soon as you have rules a good accountant will find loop holes -- end of day those with money will find ways to use it.

I cant see anything changing with the salary cap. Its not really policed at all, sort of a agreement or something like that. Anyway things will keep going along there merry way, we just hope that all clubs can keep up with the trend.

Oldfella, the SANFL considers DVD players part of the salary cap. That's what caught Centrals out. No $$$ was given to players for their final round performances. Allegedly.

I do remember when there was no salary cap issue, as there was no salary cap. I cant recall exactually, but how long have we had the cap in place?

The SANFL seems to want to kiss the AFL arse and bend over backwards for the AFL to keep them happy.

I should have added here, that this will always be the case as im pretty sure this is a condition of the sanfl getting money from the AFL. But i could be wrong, so someone please correct me if im wrong.

Grand Central - I could remember it was trivial but did not know what, only remembered the $$$ equivelent was minor.

Maybe the salary cap is OK just the way they (SANFL) apply it - it was crap that Centrals got fined when there is worst happening.

There was talk last week that (alledgedly) a southern club was in strife due to a disgruntled player spilling beans - not heard anymore but if the SANFL goes through one club for anything from this then probably all clubs would be nervous

If there's no salary cap then it would be necessary for a limit of interstate recruits otherwise a cashed up club could amass a foreign legion to the detriment of producing locals.

Grand Central wrote:If there's no salary cap then it would be necessary for a limit of interstate recruits otherwise a cashed up club could amass a foreign legion to the detriment of producing locals.

Catch 22. We rely on home grown talent, the cream gets taken by the AFL. If we restrict "imports" they'll play elsewhere, to the benefit of the league they play in, and the SANFL's detriment. The reality is that the highest ranking we can get, is to be the 2nd best comp in Australia, but in the otherside, we can slip further down.

Maybe they should get a wise and undoubted group of uncorruptible people, such as the Reserve Bank Board, to look into all the player payments for each club?

or the tax office

My opinion on where each club sits with regards to the Salary Cap.

Over
Port Adeliade (c'mon, you don't honsetly believe your within the cap?)

Nearing/on Limit
Central District (forced turnovers ease any cap pressure evident)
North Adelaide (players are their for love of kumper only)
South Adelaide (due to imports leaving)
Woodville/West Torrens (hiding their light behind a bushel)

Under Limit
Glenelg (amateur approach to recruiting)
Norwood (no money)
Sturt (no money)
West Adelaide (still in the 19th century)

Punkrooster, you're not too far away there but a couple of your 'Nearing On' are not just breaking the cap, they're making a mockery of it. Can't reveal sources, but South and Centrals are two of the main culprits. The money South is chucking around is scary and look where it's got them....

South people, a question. Wouldn't be more satisfying seeing your team struggle for a few years (or 40) with young, local talent and then experience success with these players? I can't believe any club can maintain any kind of unity with players that are clearly playing for the cash, not for the jumper. The name Cupido springs to mind....

Reveal your sources. Otherwise your speculation is mere muck raking.

We lost a coach over the salary cap issue only a short time ago. He was recruiting and wanted to spend the big dollars. The club didn't.

There's a salary cap?

Is that you Kris Grant?!

rsemmler, to win a premiership you need high calibre players. If you nurture your young local talent and they are quality footballers, they go to the AFL. They are also gone before they are good enough to win a flag for their SANFL club, normally drafted at 17 or 18, these young lads are still learning and get beaten by footballers 21-28 years old by body size and experience. They may turn in to guns and dominate the AFL, but at their tender age they aint going to win you a flag. No mate, recruiting in the SANFL is here to stay, catch up or struggle. I will admit you need recruits who have a bit of a longer term goal for their duration, hard to win a flag with a group that is continually turning over 6-8 players as we have done this year, but I think we have learnt from our errors and needed to rid some bad eggs this off season. Cupido is an exception but one or two of these stars each year around a nucleus of players is a bit of icing.

The salary cap has it's good and bad points eg, keeps costs down for clubs and at the same time each club has enough to pay it's players. The down side is you can't recruit a lot of big name players, you can only get maybe 1 or 2 or even none. Many years ago players might get a pound a game, that's if they're lucky, now it's a couple thousand, if that.

WCP thats very interesting post. Thats all ill say now at this point in time. You might be right, and probably are.....but.......