Which journo has the gumption to flag Essendon's salary cap?

[Go_Dogs]

It has now reached a point where I can't believe Essendon haven't been called into question.

They have recruited players and paid them above market salary in Smith, Saad, Stringer, they have re-signed players like Daniher, Heppell etc as well as beating what we understand to have been a $900k plus offer we put to Hurley last year. I know I'm missing others which I'm sure the good folk here can point out.

Journalists who peruse this site, this is a call to arms.

Yes, it will take some investigative work.

Yes, some industry people who have turned a blind eye and done whatever it takes to help the Bombers remove the mud they threw all over themselves won't like it.

But please, the integrity of the competition is at stake here.

How can they afford Shiel???? It's time for answers.

[bulldogtragic]

My only point is a salary cap is only 'a cap' when it's enforced. The AFEL won't enforce it. I'm sure they'll all say the money spent on current players and money for aggrieved ex-players is somehow not counted for some (completely made up) legal reason. Essendon and the AFEL want Essendon in the positive news territory, if that means not enforcing it on them but on all 17 other clubs, that's the price we all have to pay for their drugs cheating, and giving them Good Friday footy.

I'd love to see ATO records and/or Victorian payroll tax records for players wages against what figure was given to/& or signed off the AFEL commission. Anyone bet they're the same or accurate?

[Sedat]

Why is this surprising? Essendon haven’t won a flag without salary cap cheating for 33 years (and counting).

[GVGjr]

GD, I've put something on Twitter. By the way, how much did GWS spend last year because they are dumping the dollars in a large way and don't appear to be in the market to get something back?

[Twodogs]

That idiot on SEN (afternoons, a bit of a dork but I just can't remember his name ATM) was replying to a caller today and said "after everything Essendon have been through, I can guarantee that they wouldn't be pushing the boundaries, well I can't actually guarantee this because I wasn't in the room, but surely they would make sure that all their Is are dotted and their Ts are crossed after the problems they have had over the last couple of years." Yeah right, because Essendon obviously learned their lesson over the drug issue. You can tell by all the mea culpas coming out of Tullamarine.:rolleyes:

That's the level of curiosity that our media display.

[Rocket Science]

None, chiefly because they too readily default to the redemption narrative, of a club heroically rising from the ashes.

As if an ascendant Essendon is good for the broader competition so all aboard and gee doesn't it just feel grouse?

Case in point; Sam Maclure an hour ago on Trade Radio (forgive me) excitedly detailing just how buggered they were yet how they've since roared back so quickly, as if we're all supposed to applaud this with reverent awe.

Other clubs need to start going after their less well remunerated, hard, and see where the chips fall.

[The Adelaide Connection]

What we need is for a Woofer who posts on Bigfooty to start a thread, perhaps with a bit of a breakdown on some of their spending as we know it to get the ball rolling. Watch the jilted Carlton supporters get amongst it and turn into Magnum PI.

There are 5,000 users online at the moment and, although I don't frequent BF all that often, I do notice that threads often run into hundreds of pages. Surely if it catches fire there will be a journalist or two out there that'll run with it.

[Go_Dogs]

None, chiefly because they too readily default to the redemption narrative, of a club heroically rising from the ashes.

As if an ascendant Essendon is good for the broader competition so all aboard and gee doesn't it just feel grouse?

Case in point; Sam Maclure an hour ago on Trade Radio (forgive me) excitedly detailing just how buggered they were yet how they've since roared back so quickly, as if we're all supposed to applaud this with reverent awe.

Other clubs need to start going after their less well remunerated, hard, and see where the chips fall.

Surely there are others out there who care for the game, who recognise what's happening and feel a level of responsibility and ownership to look into the issue and ask the hard questions.

[Go_Dogs]

What we need is for a Woofer who posts on Bigfooty to start a thread, perhaps with a bit of a breakdown on some of their spending as we know it to get the ball rolling. Watch the jilted Carlton supporters get amongst it and turn into Magnum PI.

There are 5,000 users online at the moment and, although I don't frequent BF all that often, I do notice that threads often run into hundreds of pages. Surely if it catches fire there will be a journalist or two out there that'll run with it.

I'm tempted to go through all re-signing and trade articles relating to Essendon's list and piece together what I can.... if I could go back 9 years to when I was a Uni student and had the time, I'd be all over it. Happy for someone to copy and paste my post on Big Footy, but I feel it's more creditable being here (and we know this site is frequented by journalists).

[SlimPickens]

Surely there are others out there who care for the game, who recognise what's happening and feel a level of responsibility and ownership to look into the issue and ask the hard questions.

Someone needs to call Eddie and get the ball rolling. You’re spot on with your OP.

[Go_Dogs]

GD, I've put something on Twitter. By the way, how much did GWS spend last year because they are dumping the dollars in a large way and don't appear to be in the market to get something back?

GWS clearly haven’t managed their situation well. At least they have acknowledged it and are shedding cash, perhaps in part to have a treasure chest to offer Kelly next year. I can’t understand how Essendon aren’t giving players and draft picks away for the same reason.

[Testekill]

Only have to look at Dyson Heppell being a multicultural ambassador in 2017 despite having zero ethnic background. Stank of the AFL giving him a paying gig to make up for the previous year.
Also Zaharakis but he didn't do any injecting.

[mjp]

...and draft picks away for the same reason.

This is the part I don't understand...don't you have to use 1x 1st round pick every 3-years (minimum).

If you give up one for Smith (2017) then a 2018 + future first (2019) for Shiel, how are you complying with that rule? Pretty sure Hawthorn are in the same boat.

I have heard this is a flexible rule but it shouldn't be - it is there to protect teams from themselves...you actually need occasional injections of youthful talent to remain competitive...coaches and footy managers who continually dip into the 'recycled' player well are doing their supporters a disservice by acting this way. Last year Port and Essendon attracted all these super-star players...how did that work out? West Coast retired well credentialled vets in Mitchell and Priddis and put faith in their younger players...how did that work out??? If you continually recruit experienced players over kids, there is going to be a time when you are 100% going to be on the wrong side of it...I look at the scrambling being done by Geelong at the moment and, well, I know I would rather have the Dogs list than the Cats list (on the provision that we are able to retain our key players in Bont, Macrae and Boyd come contract extension time).

Back on point, I am not really too bothered by what Essendon are doing salary wise - at some point, you have to pay the piper...and just like the Swans losing Tom Mitchell (supposedly) because of the strain of the Franklin deal and the Bulldogs losing out on a box of paper clips because of the onerous Boyd deal, at some point the cheques have got to be cashed. I don't have faith in the AFL to do much but they will hold clubs to account re- competition governance...

As for the Bombers, I know we don't want to admit it over here but they actually have some talented players on their list (who they drafted) who will be looking for pay rises in the near future...how they manage to keep them will be interesting.

[Sedat]

GD, I've put something on Twitter. By the way, how much did GWS spend last year because they are dumping the dollars in a large way and don't appear to be in the market to get something back?
Back-ended contracts for the likes of Jeremy Cameron are biting then hard for next year.

[Doc26]

Back-ended contracts for the likes of Jeremy Cameron are biting then hard for next year.

Quite surprising Cameron hasn’t got a father the plastics can put on their books.

[Funke disco]

Call me cynical but I can't help but feel that when the EFC reached "settlements" with some of the 34 (or 33, I can't remember) players they payed overs for an undisclosed fee, that way managing to keep some players on their books for less money. It might be tin foil but from a list management perspective it makes sense.

[FrediKanoute]

AFL website saying that Shiel will take less money to move to Essendon. Why?

[The Adelaide Connection]

AFL website saying that Shiel will take less money to move to Essendon. Why?

Because the mysterious brown bags full of bonus cash that arrive on Essendon players doorsteps don’t have to be claimed on tax?

[Go_Dogs]

Call me cynical but I can't help but feel that when the EFC reached "settlements" with some of the 34 (or 33, I can't remember) players they payed overs for an undisclosed fee, that way managing to keep some players on their books for less money. It might be tin foil but from a list management perspective it makes sense.

Surely any payments have to be captured under the salary cap regardless?

[bulldogtragic]

Surely any payments have to be captured under the salary cap regardless?

They're meant to under the wording of the cap. The argument from both aEssendon & AFEL would go along 'well they are extraordinary once off payments that relate to private settlements to do with injury or possible injury. They are not taxable payments. As such we determine these private payments that do not attract the interest of the ATO as they are not income should be viewed in the context as being in the spirit of counting towards the salary cap. The golden rule approach, not the literal rule approach'.

Which is bullshit. Complete horseshit. You break it, you buy it as far as I'm concerned. But that's my best guess at how gun players somehow all signed on for 'officially' less than other clubs were offering, and can still go after and get Shiel. Anyone even bad at maths knows this doesn't make sense. But the AFEL doesn't care and its up to them to care. The media won't risk their accreditation like Stalinist USSR. Government won't withhold funding or demand scrutiny using their agencies. But the worst is yet to come. If they don't finish top 4 this year, we will see Josh Kelly there next year on 'less money than he could get elsewhere'. Until this drug cheating club wins a flag for the AFEL, this will keep happening. But since no one will stop it or wants to stop it, the custodians of the game from 17 other clubs have to take one for the (drug cheating) team.

[Go_Dogs]

So Essendon, Hawthorn, Geelong and Collingwood must all be bursting at the seams. GWS are shedding money but seem to be up against it to be able to offer the sort of money that we will have for Josh Kelly.

I wonder how quickly the narrative around this will change and these clubs will suddenly be in the race?