Opinion Is it time for the AFL to allow clubs a marquee player outside the cap?

[Cleric]

I think every team needs a star player for their promotion and team performance.
If the AFL allows each club to have one Marque player outside the cap, who teams can pay whatever they want, I think it would foster an environment of player movement to the lesser clubs of a star player that might not ordinarily move to that club.
For instance, WB may have two crazy talented forwards in Darcy and JUH. Neither in any real world would want to go to North Melbourne, but if North could offer one of them 2 million a year for 5 years, where they would only be able to get 1 mill at WB, it would make them seriously consider moving.

What say ye?

 

[Ticky009]

I think every team needs a star player for their promotion and team performance.
If the AFL allows each club to have one Marque player outside the cap, who teams can pay whatever they want, I think it would foster an environment of player movement to the lesser clubs of a star player that might not ordinarily move to that club.
For instance, WB may have two crazy talented forwards in Darcy and JUH. Neither in any real world would want to go to North Melbourne, but if North could offer one of them 2 million a year for 5 years, where they would only be able to get 1 mill at WB, it would make them seriously consider moving.

What say ye?

I would say that instead of those players going to the lesser clubs they will now go to the richest clubs - situation normal.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

I think every team needs a star player for their promotion and team performance.
If the AFL allows each club to have one Marque player outside the cap, who teams can pay whatever they want, I think it would foster an environment of player movement to the lesser clubs of a star player that might not ordinarily move to that club.
For instance, WB may have two crazy talented forwards in Darcy and JUH. Neither in any real world would want to go to North Melbourne, but if North could offer one of them 2 million a year for 5 years, where they would only be able to get 1 mill at WB, it would make them seriously consider moving.

What say ye?

Yes, I agree .
Players like Dustin Martin who generate income for everyone including media should get paid their worth.
The salary cap stops this.

 

[Cleric]

I would say that instead of those players going to the lesser clubs they will now go to the richest clubs - situation normal.

Not if the rich club already had a nominated Marque player. Each club can only have one.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Considering most marque players want to play in Victoria and end up at the Cats inside their cap, why not strengthen them even further outside the cap.

F* me.

 

[PhatBoy]

Considering most marque players want to play in Victoria and end up at the Cats inside their cap, why not strengthen them even further outside the cap.

F* me.

All two of them over the last decade unless you count Ablett who started with us.

 

[iameviljez]

I think every team needs a star player for their promotion and team performance.
If the AFL allows each club to have one Marque player outside the cap, who teams can pay whatever they want, I think it would foster an environment of player movement to the lesser clubs of a star player that might not ordinarily move to that club.
For instance, WB may have two crazy talented forwards in Darcy and JUH. Neither in any real world would want to go to North Melbourne, but if North could offer one of them 2 million a year for 5 years, where they would only be able to get 1 mill at WB, it would make them seriously consider moving.

What say ye?

Nah. The whole point of the salary cap is to stop the wealthy clubs from overpowering the poorer ones like they were able to in the 1970s and 80s.

One of the best things about the modern era has been the way that those clubs have been able to compete on an even-ish playing field with the wealthy clubs.

The Gary Ablett Jr tale is pretty cautionary for those marquee players looking to move for Godfather money. Historically, very, very few players have moved from successful clubs to those much lower down the ladder and thus I don't think your "marquee player" designation is required.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

All two of them over the last decade unless you count Ablett who started with us.

Bailey Smith wants in now too yeah?

C'mon man, you know as well as I do that given the opportunity most would want to go to Geelong, you could take your pick.
Thats not having a crack at Geelong, they are easily the most attractive Vic club.

 

[Handsuper47]

Ablett at Gold Coast kinda proved something like this wouldn't work, not only was he not a good leader they played around him so a lot players didn't get the development they deserve

 

[iameviljez]

Bailey Smith wants in now too yeah?

C'mon man, you know as well as I do that given the opportunity most would want to go to Geelong, you could take your pick.
Thats not having a crack at Geelong, they are easily the most attractive Vic club.

Not necessarily - living in Geelong doesn't appeal to a lot of players. The difference is that for those to whom it appeals, there's only one choice, but if you want to live in Melbourne, you have nine choices.

We have missed on a few. Tom Lynch (I think), Bailey Scott (twice), Brodie Grundy, Jacob Hopper and James Frawley were all pretty strongly linked to Geelong.

 

[iameviljez]

Ablett at Gold Coast kinda proved something like this wouldn't work, not only was he not a good leader they played around him so a lot players didn't get the development they deserve

God, what a waste. I know I'm biased, but it was a crying shame that the best years of Gary Ablett were wasted in games that did not matter in the slightest.

I know that he never would have been captain had he stayed, but sometimes even if you're the best player in living memory, you've got to accept your limitations.

 

[PhatBoy]

Bailey Smith wants in now too yeah?

C'mon man, you know as well as I do that given the opportunity most would want to go to Geelong, you could take your pick.
Thats not having a crack at Geelong, they are easily the most attractive Vic club.

He’s had 5 full seasons and never made an AA squad.

Again this is talking marquee players. Of course we are attractive but literally before the finals series even started you’ve got Barrass and Battle nominating that they would like to play for Hawthorn. Countless players nominate Collingwood as a destination.

I have no doubt that there is a subsection of footballers who like the idea of a place like Geelong and it fits with where they want to go, but ‘most’ is a gross exaggeration.

 

[HairyO]

WCE offer $2m a year to Bont and the Saints ask the AFL to lend them $1m so they can keep Brad Hill.

Yes, this would work well.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Bailey Smith wants in now too yeah?

C'mon man, you know as well as I do that given the opportunity most would want to go to Geelong, you could take your pick.
Thats not having a crack at Geelong, they are easily the most attractive Vic club.

I'm sure that for a lot of young men Geelong does not appeal. They would prefer to be in the big city of Melbourne. For those for whom the lifestyle does appeal, such as Danger and Cameron, it is attractive but this is counterbalanced, I think by the large sum of players who would immediately dismiss it for being too far away from Melbourne. I think plenty of Melbourne-born interstate players seeing a return home would not consider Geelong due to where it is.

Probably a considerable reason why players want to come to us is that we are so frequently competitive and playing finals. For many of the players who have come to the Cats over the last several years, they have gone deep in finals and some have even won a flag, so that standard as a club makes it an attractive proposition.

That said, that can all change. If we were to tumble down the ladder, I doubt we'd be able to attract players like we have. Much as it was in the late 90s and early 00s, a mediocre club in a relatively small town away from Melbourne isn't such a great prospect, again, unless you are a player who is particularly inclined that way.

As has been mentioned by others, we've tried to get plenty of players and they haven't come to us, though. Take Travis Boak for example.

Something else that potentially holds us back, and definitely will if continued while we lose standing, is our adherence to a pay structure that sees us trying to not pay exorbitant amounts of money for players. Most players concede that they go to Geelong accepting less than what other clubs would offer, but this is offset partially by lower living costs in Geelong and what comes from playing finals consistently. Again, though, once those finals appearances start to dry up, playing on less money than what you could get elsewhere probably isn't seen as the best option.

 

[oak79]

As much as I'm opposed to this in principle.... As a supporter of a club with too much money I say bring it on!

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Neither in any real world would want to go to North Melbourne, but if North could offer one of them 2 million a year for 5 years, where they would only be able to get 1 mill at WB, it would make them seriously consider moving.

In reality, though, what would actually happen is that a much wealthier club like Richmond offers them a huge deal to come to them and you introduce a divide between clubs based on wealth, which is something that the cap is supposed to prevent, at least in terms of spending on player contracts.

 

[Rob]

Not sure why this is necessary. The AFL doesn't compete for players with any other league and therefore doesn't need to attract superstar players from outside the AFL. The superstars are already playing.

If the AFL wants to pay more to players, then raise the cap. Leave it up to the clubs to decide how to use it. If they want to pay someone $3m a year then they can do that now.

 

[Cleric]

Nah. The whole point of the salary cap is to stop the wealthy clubs from overpowering the poorer ones like they were able to in the 1970s and 80s.

One of the best things about the modern era has been the way that those clubs have been able to compete on an even-ish playing field with the wealthy clubs.

The Gary Ablett Jr tale is pretty cautionary for those marquee players looking to move for Godfather money. Historically, very, very few players have moved from successful clubs to those much lower down the ladder and thus I don't think your "marquee player" designation is required.

But it won't matter
Each club still has their cap.
Take this as an example. In 3 years time, WB has a number of A graders, including Sam Darcy and JUH. WB can only nominate one player as their Marque, say Darcy. He might get 2 mill a year. Then every other players salery has to fit inside the their cap.
Then, say NM don't have a listed Marque player, they then approach JUH with a 2 million dollar a year contract. WB can't match it without killing their cap space, so JUH can stay at WB for 1 mill, or go to NM as their Marque player for 2 mill a year.
How can the rich clubs gain a benefit that say NM can't?
It adds another trigger for high level players to look at moving to a less wealthy club than stay at a strong one.
It adds another layer of list management strategy as well for BF to post 1000s of threads about.
If you don't agree, tell me how it would help the big clubs?

 

[iameviljez]

Then, say NM don't have a listed Marque player, they then approach JUH with a 2 million dollar a year contract. WB can't match it without killing their cap space, so JUH can stay at WB for 1 mill, or go to NM as their Marque player for 2 mill a year.
How can the rich clubs gain a benefit that say NM can't?

Because the rich clubs have more money than North Melbourne. A club like Geelong - who is basically drowning in cash - will have much more money to throw at a megastar than a poor club like North.

The moment that you institute this "marquee player" rule, 17 clubs will make Godfather offers to Harley Reid. And the amount that is in that offer will depend on how rich that club is.

 

[Freomaniac]

So we are following the A-league? LoL

What's the salary cap next season? 17 million?

I think you can have a player on 1 million a year and still be fine.

 

[jackag24]

Terrible idea.

Imagine the inequality that would make in a list knowing you're the "marquee" player

Or what your team mates might think of you.

Not to mention the idea benefiting rich clubs even more.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I think every team needs a star player for their promotion and team performance.
If the AFL allows each club to have one Marque player outside the cap, who teams can pay whatever they want, I think it would foster an environment of player movement to the lesser clubs of a star player that might not ordinarily move to that club.
For instance, WB may have two crazy talented forwards in Darcy and JUH. Neither in any real world would want to go to North Melbourne, but if North could offer one of them 2 million a year for 5 years, where they would only be able to get 1 mill at WB, it would make them seriously consider moving.

What say ye?

How about "no".
The AFL needs major simplifying of list rules, not more additions and exemptions.

 

[Cleric]

Because the rich clubs have more money than North Melbourne. A club like Geelong - who is basically drowning in cash - will have much more money to throw at a megastar than a poor club like North.

The moment that you institute this "marquee player" rule, 17 clubs will make Godfather offers to Harley Reid. And the amount that is in that offer will depend on how rich that club is.

Sure, but you can only do that for one player, then you are out of the game.
There is no one player that much better than the next 18.

 

[iameviljez]

Sure, but you can only do that for one player, then you are out of the game.
There is no one player that much better than the next 18.

Sometimes, yes there is. Carey and Ablett Jr were both head and shoulders above their colleagues and that will happen again.

There is a massive gap, though, between the top five players in the AFL, and players 13 through 18.

 

[Cleric]

Sometimes, yes there is. Carey and Ablett Jr were both head and shoulders above their colleagues and that will happen again.

There is a massive gap, though, between the top five players in the AFL, and players 13 through 18.

Nah. When Wayne Carey was playing you had Lockett, Dunstal, Kernahan, Ablett Snr, Darren Jarman, Mark Riccuito, James Hird, Andrew McCloud, Michael Voss at just a quick thought.