The $1 pubs are also a thing. Dangerfield and Tex got one in Adelaide, so the idea that Dangerfield wouldnt have also been interested in something like that from Geelong is simply crazy.
Any club that can do an off-the-books deal will do an off-the-books deal. Im sure we have done similar things. Though likely not to the level of Geelong and Carlton.
Eddie and the Footy Show got Cloke a 6 year Footy Show deal which just happened to match his Collingwood contract. There is no way he would have ever been on TV if not playing for Collingwood. He was a shocker. Apparently it was $100k a year and he was only on a couple of times a year.
Brisbane were furious with Collingwood a while back, as the Pies and Eddy led the charge to remove the salary cap advantages Lions had at the time in the wake of their losses to the Lions in grand finals. But then later the Pies also tried to heavily court Jonathon Brown to their club using very lucrative Channel Nine contracts as a supplement to his playing contract as part of the negotiations, which Brisbane felt reeked of hypocrisy.