PRESSURE is mounting on the Victorian Country Football League to implement a statewide points cap to curb increasing player payments. A Herald Sun survey of country football club presidents revealed that 59 per cent of clubs want a league cap being implemented.
Many remarked on how hard it would be to police a monetary cap. But with the gap between the richer and poorer clubs becoming wider, it is clear something must be done.
"In our league this year the ladder will be decided on who raises the most money," one major league club president said. "I think if you went around all the leagues, the clubs who pay the most will win the finals.
"It's all to do with money. All clubs do if they want success is raise money to pay players."
Imperials president Ian Roberts said the player-points system implemented in his league, the Sunraysia League, worked extremely well.
"It is the best thing that has ever happened to this league," Roberts said.
"If you want to prove the success of it, the two sides that played off in last year's grand final, which was Robinvale and Imperials, have almost the lowest number of points because we've both promoted and developed our juniors.
"It has been the absolute saviour of some clubs - some clubs needed this to be enforced because they'd just go out and buy premierships and lose all local players. It just decimates the club."
Roberts said the cap should be implemented elsewhere.
"What happens is if you've got another major league close by, they can still come in and poach the players," he said.
"So it should come in everywhere. It's the most transparent system. Salary caps never work because they're too easily cheated. It also takes the pressure off club administrators in terms of finances."
But many feel that it is the clubs that are being held to ransom by greedy players - with more than 80 per cent of club presidents saying that players of today are greedy.
Despite 27 per cent of clubs saying they would not turn a profit this year, 44 per cent admitted to paying more than $50,000 on player payments.
On top of that, 27 per cent of club admitted to paying at least one player in their club more than $500 a game. And
56 per cent said they pay more than six players in their club more than $100 a game.
In a sure sign that the player-payment problem would get worse before it gets better, 36 per cent of club presidents said that amount increased from last season.
By Matt Windley
Article first appeared The Herald Sun August 22, 2009
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