Salary Cap breaches

[JK]

We all know the decline that the Carlton FC have been in since they had the book thrown at them for breaching the Salary Cap ... Obviously their current state isn't entirely due to this, but a significant portion of it surely is.

And whilst the landscape may have changed a bit (ie, the value of Priority picks), if anyone were to break the Cap again in the future, do you think the league would be as heavy handed with them in accordance with the punishments they have set previously, or do you think a lesser punishment would be dished out having seen the affect is has had on the Blues?

[blink]

I don't think you can attribute all of Carlton's on-field & off-field problems just to the priority pick penalties that they were handed.

Obviously some of the on-field struggles are partly caused by this, but they could have easily drafted a head case player with those picks (ie Crows with Laurence Angwin) and be no better off.

[Booney]

Very good question CP.

I think the AFL should have no thoughts/feelings as to the impact their penalties had upon the club in question.(Carlton).The club,as I recall,made these errors in judgment knowing they were making them,these were not just oversights.I also think the penalties did fit the crime,whether or not the penalties were intended to have such far reaching and ongoing effects are not for us to guess,and I assume were not for the AFL to consider.

Send this question to Andy D,might be some food for thought for him.

[Macca19]

The club knowingly cheated the salary cap. I believe the $1 Million they were fined was the same as what the AFL found they paid players under the table. We must also remember that quite a few other players refused to cough up their details so it was probably a hell of a lot more.

In terms of draft picks...I think it was deserved. You cant blatantly cheat for more than a decade and expect to not get the book thrown at you in the end.

[Brad]

Carlton continue to blame their decline on the AFL harsh penalties, but their recruiting prior to the breaches was ordinary and hasn't improved much since, they have themselves to blame and the arrogance displayed by John Elliott for many years will haunt for a long long time.

[Blue Boy]

The AFL have said that they didnt go hard enough on Carlton !!!

[JK]

Most punters seem to be of the same opinion on the Blues (myself included), but I just wonder whether should a future breach by any club receive similar or stronger penalties that were to resign them to "Easybeat" status, could it impact detrimentally to the health of the competition?

[Booney]

Most punters seem to be of the same opinion on the Blues (myself included), but I just wonder whether should a future breach by any club receive similar or stronger penalties that were to resign them to "Easybeat" status, could it impact detrimentally to the health of the competition?

What does have a detrimental impact on the competition is clubs breaking rules and over paying a list to gain an advantage on others CP.

[JK]

Most punters seem to be of the same opinion on the Blues (myself included), but I just wonder whether should a future breach by any club receive similar or stronger penalties that were to resign them to "Easybeat" status, could it impact detrimentally to the health of the competition?

What does have a detrimental impact on the competition is clubs breaking rules and over paying a list to gain an advantage on others CP.

Most definitely mate I agree, in that situation the AFL are kinda damned if they do and damned if they don't ... Be ironic wouldn't it if one of the clubs breached, copped a painful fine and loss of picks that resulted in them becoming regular cellar dwellars who eventually had to rely on AFL funding to survive...

[Booney]

Fair point mate,but,dont break the rules I guess is the moral of the story.

[FlyingHigh]

Yes, there is a certain irony in that if, say, two other clubs suffered the same fate then it would really start to create an uneven divide between the top few and bottom clubs, when the salary cap, draft picks and the like were designed to equalise the competition.

But hadn't the AFL given Carlton chances, maybe even small fines as well, in order to clean up their act before coming down hard on them?

And more irony blink - Carlton did end up getting Laurence Angwin after the Crows!!

[MatteeG]

Most punters seem to be of the same opinion on the Blues (myself included), but I just wonder whether should a future breach by any club receive similar or stronger penalties that were to resign them to "Easybeat" status, could it impact detrimentally to the health of the competition?

What does have a detrimental impact on the competition is clubs breaking rules and over paying a list to gain an advantage on others CP.

Agreed Booney- unfortunately history shows that in 1995 Carlton won the flag- was this during the period of cheating? If so the flag should be stripped!

[JK]

Most punters seem to be of the same opinion on the Blues (myself included), but I just wonder whether should a future breach by any club receive similar or stronger penalties that were to resign them to "Easybeat" status, could it impact detrimentally to the health of the competition?

What does have a detrimental impact on the competition is clubs breaking rules and over paying a list to gain an advantage on others CP.

Agreed Booney- unfortunately history shows that in 1995 Carlton won the flag- was this during the period of cheating? If so the flag should be stripped!

Not sure about 95 Mattee, but I believe Essendon were busted (and received a fine) for 2000.