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

[Mr MysteryGuest]

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?

the poorer clubs probably wouldn't be able to afford the deals you're suggesting.

it would make the problem worse not better

 

[iameviljez]

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.

Yep, and all of them were a step below Carey - and in the case of Kernahan, Jarman, McLeod and Roo, two steps below.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

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.

Harley Reid is a weird one to bring up since he's currently at the richest club in the game. Even if West Coast did lose a Harley Reid in this situation. They're the club who could buy literally anyone to replace him.

 

[iameviljez]

Harley Reid is a weird one to bring up since he's currently at the richest club in the game. Even if West Coast did lose a Harley Reid in this situation. They're the club who could buy literally anyone to replace him.

True, but they are also just playing like crap.

 

[Cleric]

Yep, and all of them were a step below Carey - and in the case of Kernahan, Jarman, McLeod and Roo, two steps below.

Darren Jarman won more premierships off his own boot than Carey did.
Carey never won a Brownlow, never won a Coleman, and Ablett Snr and Roo both won more AAs.
Andrew McLeod won more Norm Smiths.
Glenn Jakovich got the nod over Carey for their match ups during their careers.
I'm not saying that means they were better, rather, the gap is not as big as you would like to think.

 

[Purple Suit]

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.

The rich clubs would massively exploit this. If I'm Freo, I'm having a 1 year "Marquee" player every year and just keep switching it. 3m a year for 1 year only. We make that much anyway so our cap just went up by 3m a season and it gets spread around to all the guns who then get unders for the rest of their 7 year contract.

 

[Astro35]

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.

Yes, this would work

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

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?

Wouldn't you just sign a player for $10 million for 1 year and then he re-signs for $100k per year for the next four years and then just keep doing that every year?

 

[iameviljez]

Darren Jarman won more premierships off his own boot than Carey did.
Carey never won a Brownlow, never won a Coleman, and Ablett Snr and Roo both won more AAs.
Andrew McLeod won more Norm Smiths.
Glenn Jakovich got the nod over Carey for their match ups during their careers.
I'm not saying that means they were better, rather, the gap is not as big as you would like to think.

Carey was absolutely the best of era by a long way, nobody could do what he did... and I say that as a Geelong fan.

Measuring "flags won off own boot" or Norm Smiths makes Brad Hill and Ryan O'Keefe better players than Carey.

Obviously Carey never won a Coleman, because he played CHF back in an era when that distinction was clear.

Obviously he never won a Brownlow, because, again, he played CHF. Only three tall forwards (Quinlan, Lockett, Templeton) have won the Brownlow in the last sixty years.

Obviously Carey "only" won seven All-Australians - the guy played CHF in an era where that wrecked your body by age 30.

I should add that Lethal Leigh never won a flag off his own boot, only had one GF where he was in contention for a Norm, never won a Brownlow... ironically, he did win a Coleman with what, at the time, was considered a tiny tally for a winner... and yet he is considered the GOAT.

If the AFL/VFL All-Time Team were picked tomorrow, Carey would be at CHF.

 

[Cleric]

Carey was absolutely the best of era by a long way, nobody could do what he did... and I say that as a Geelong fan.

Measuring "flags won off own boot" or Norm Smiths makes Brad Hill and Ryan O'Keefe better players than Carey.

Obviously Carey never won a Coleman, because he played CHF back in an era when that distinction was clear.

Obviously he never won a Brownlow, because, again, he played CHF. Only three tall forwards (Quinlan, Lockett, Templeton) have won the Brownlow in the last sixty years.

Obviously Carey "only" won seven All-Australians - the guy played CHF in an era where that wrecked your body by age 30.

I should add that Lethal Leigh never won a flag off his own boot, only had one GF where he was in contention for a Norm, never won a Brownlow... ironically, he did win a Coleman with what, at the time, was considered a tiny tally for a winner... and yet he is considered the GOAT.

If the AFL/VFL All-Time Team were picked tomorrow, Carey would be at CHF.

Again, you used hyperbolic statements to make out that any team that had Carey had a massive advantage because he was that much better than everyone else.
Adelaide beat North Melbourne in the GF when both Carey and North were at their absolute peak. They did it with Robran at CHF. They did it with those other inferior players like Jarman and McLeod.
Also, how did GC go with Ablett as the stand out player in the league?

 

[iameviljez]

Again, you used hyperbolic statements to make out that any team that had Carey had a massive advantage because he was that much better than everyone else.
Adelaide beat North Melbourne in the GF when both Carey and North were at their absolute peak. They did it with Robran at CHF. They did it with those other inferior players like Jarman and McLeod.
Also, how did GC go with Ablett as the stand out player in the league?

Yeah, Carey (as well as Ablett) were much better than anyone else. But you ain't winning a lot of Grand Finals if you kick for goal with sub-30% accuracy.

 

[iameviljez]

Wouldn't you just sign a player for $10 million for 1 year and then he re-signs for $100k per year for the next four years and then just keep doing that every year?

That's exactly what you would do. Well played

 

[Cleric]

Yeah, Carey (as well as Ablett) were much better than anyone else. But you ain't winning a lot of Grand Finals if you kick for goal with sub-30% accuracy.

So it made no real difference then yeah? The claim that a rich club would get a massive advantage because they could offer more for one player than other, is not really passing the mustard.
And let's be honest, if you don't think that the rich clubs arnt giving their top players stuff outside their contract, then you are kidding yourself.
Funny how these players end up getting options to buy into a real estate venture at a 1/4 of what it should cost isn't it?
I know an Australian soccer player, who played all over the world, and the amount of business opportunities he got from supporters of the clubs, outside the contract was ridiculous.
He made more from those investments than he did from his wage.

 

[iameviljez]

So it made no real difference then yeah? The claim that a rich club would get a massive advantage because they could offer more for one player than other, is not really passing the mustard.
And let's be honest, if you don't think that the rich clubs arnt giving their top players stuff outside their contract, then you are kidding yourself.
Funny how these players end up getting options to buy into a real estate venture at a 1/4 of what it should cost isn't it?
I know an Australian soccer player, who played all over the world, and the amount of business opportunities he got from supporters of the clubs, outside the contract was ridiculous.
He made more from those investments than he did from his wage.

Sorry, if it makes "no real difference", then what on earth is the point of your marquee player idea anyway?

 

[Cleric]

Sorry, if it makes "no real difference", then what on earth is the point of your marquee player idea anyway?

Maybe go back and read my OP.

 

[GWT6]

No point. The clubs with the most money already find a way to cheat the cap, so it's happening right now and always has.

 

[Choogler]

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

That's why it's important to pick the right player if you are going to make a marquee player your club leader. As amazing as Ablett was, he wasn't an influential leader, and I don't think captaincy sat well with him. Substitute him for a Selwood type who not only could influence those around him but also lead by example, and it would have been a completely different story.

 

[Blackas87]

Nah it punishes teams that draft and develop well.

If you draft 2 stars but can only pay 1 as a marquee player, then the other gets poached by a club that is poor at drafting as their marquee player.

 

[WillHayward]

Stupid idea..will make comp less equal.