Metropolitan football leagues could soon operate under a salary cap under proposed new reforms to combat escalating player payments.
Under the proposal by a working party established earlier this year by AFL Victoria, a state-wide salary cap could be introduced as early as next season, with specific limits for individual leagues.
The proposal, released on Wednesday, also flags equalisation provisions to support the implementation of the cap.
While the suggested framework is still in the development stage, AFL Victoria general manager Steven Reaper said the working party had asked all the leagues to consider how they would implement and enforce the changes.
“It was made very clear at the corresponding conference at the end of last year that the industry had an appetite to tackle this issue,” Reaper said.
“AFL Victoria through this Working Party has examined a range of possible solutions in order to develop a robust and flexible set of guidelines which will seek to halt the escalating cost of player payments and bridge the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ at community level.
“While we understand the concern across all levels of football regarding these issues and the demand for a quick solution, we are committed to developing a considered set of guidelines and the feedback from League CEOs and RGMs is vital to this approach.”
The working party conducted surveys with 369 clubs from across Victoria, with 83 per cent of clubs in favor of a state wide solution to the player payments issue.
Other factors at play include, a player points system, how to set the salary cap for the various state leagues, as well as an appropriate enforcement model to keep the cap in check.
“The Working Party agrees that any salary cap mechanism needs to be tailored for specific regions to incorporate demographic and geographical challenges faced by individual leagues across the state,” Reaper said.
“It also understands a salary cap needs to be supported by other measures, such as a player points system or an alternative equalisation provision, to have the desired impact on escalating player payments, and must also be enforceable.
“Provisions such as a player points system already operate in some Victorian leagues and if implemented state-wide would also need to be tailored to individual leagues and/or regions.”
Reaper said guidelines to be trialled net year would be announced prior to Christmas.
“A trial will take place across a selection of metropolitan and country leagues next year and be thoroughly examined before being implemented state-wide in 2016,” he said.
