Clubs will be audited and players’ salaries put under the microscope of AFL Victoria under a plan to aggressively police the proposed new statewide salary cap.
The peak body’s draft submission was unveiled last week and proposes subjecting clubs to detailed financial audits and contract scrutiny to ensure the salary cap isn’t abused.
Any club found guilty of breaching the guidelines would face penalties, including club fines, relegation (where applicable), loss of premiership points, suspension from finals and individual player suspensions.
Clubs that self-report any breaches to the salary cap will be shown leniency while whistle-blowers will be given immunity from potential sanctions.
As well as detailing its salary cap provisions, AFL Victoria released guidelines for how its player points system will be governed.
The total number of allotted points for each team will be up to the discretion of the individual league.
Any player who has played at least one match at AFL level in the past three seasons will command the maximum six points.
State league tier 1 players (VFL, WAFL, SANFL) will command five points while state league tier 2 players (NEAFL, TASFL) will attract four points. They will be joined in the four-point bracket by TAC Cup players and “premium community players.”
A player’s standing as “a premium community player” will be determined by finishing positions in league and club best-and-fairest and goal-kicking leader boards. If a player has played more than 40 junior matches for a club or is a one-club player, they will only cost one point.
There are also additional penalties and deductions clubs will have to negotiate.
A player transferring from one club to another club in the same competition will command an extra point, as will a player who has transferred between more than two clubs over a 36-month period.
Clubs will be able to deduct points for a player returning to their junior club or when a player has not represented any team for 36 months.
Local leagues have now been asked to brief clubs about the salary cap proposal and guidelines and to provide feedback on the planned changes.
