Geelong coach Chris Scott has launched an extraordinary attack on the AFL’s free agency system, saying he and the club don’t support it.
The Cats were victims of the most high-profile defection since free agency’s introduction when Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett left for Gold Coast.
Several raiding attempts later – from the chief executive to the chef – it’s clear the Cats are no fan of the system, and Scott believes he isn’t alone.
“I don’t think there are many people, maybe apart from some of the players, that like free agency,” Scott said.
“The easiest solution is to abolish free agency.
“The AFL is working really hard with the clubs and all stakeholders to equalise the competition and give everyone a fair chance … (and) free agency flies squarely in the face of that.”
Declaring free agency part of “the era that we live in”, Scott was clear in his disdain for what the system has done for Geelong.
“Geelong’s been attacked pretty hard not just at a player level but with its coaches, with its administrators, with its chef at one point,” he said.
“We’ve lived through it with (Gary) Ablett.
“We’ve lived through it with (Harry) Taylor), we’ve lived through it with (administrators and football staff) Brian Cook and Neil Balme and Steven Hocking and Stephen Wells.”
“We aren’t in favour of it but we understand that’s the reality so we’re trying to take a mature approach.”
That has extended to making their own moves in the market, with successful moves for Josh Caddy and Jared Rivers, and an unsuccessful attempt to secure Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak.
The Cats are rumoured to be in the mix for wantaway Melbourne key forward James Frawley but Scott declined to discuss the issue, calling it distasteful and disrespectful.
Frawley’s coach Paul Roos had his own thoughts on the system on Tuesday morning, saying he saw the system morphing to give clubs more rights in the future.
“Down the track, you may see players not coming out of contract, or being traded the year before,” Roos said.
“At some point it may get taken out of the player’s hands.
“That’s the trend (overseas) but we’re not at that point now.”
Adelaide forward Tex Walker declared himself no fan of the free agency system on the weekend, and Scott agreed its removal would help club culture.
“My simplistic view of it, without free agency we’d have more loyalty,” Scott said.
“Most players, most really good players given a choice would play at one club their entire career.”
Malahka
Guest
I am sure everyone wants to see Geelong vs Hawks or Carlton vs Collingwood every 3rd week...
Bosk
Roar Rookie
I actually agree with you that fewer teams would equate to a higher standard of football, which is already stretched thin and will deteriorate further now that GC & GWS have hoovered up most all the available draft talent. The number of Victorian clubs needs to shrink, but which clubs sacrifice themselves for the greater good? They won't go voluntarily, and they can't be pushed so long as the AFL is reluctant to reduce the number of teams knowing it will result in a corresponding drop in worth of the TV Rights that essentially fund the sport. Of course doing away with the salary cap would essentially be precipitating the end of small Victorian clubs like Footscray, Norf, St.Kilda & Melbourne so you can be absolutely sure they would never agree to such a measure in the first place. Could the AFL pass it anyway without the support of half the Victorian clubs? Perhaps, but then we get back to the point that a reduction of teams means a reduction of TV Rights. At some point the game will need to stop expanding and begin consolidating, but with modern economic corporate culture being so ridiculously fixated on the fanciful notion of unlimited growth I don't see it happening anytime soon.
Franko
Guest
Nick Stevens, Des Headland, Chad Wingard??
Macca
Guest
I wouldn't say he was lucky Moose - he got through to Pick 30 odd to go to Collingwood there is more than luck involved in that.
Dalgety Carrington
Guest
The AFL is the ultimate employer, the clubs are essentially departments. So any idea of free trade restraint being tested in court is a bit silly.
Andy_Roo
Roar Guru
Anthony Rocca
Cat
Roar Guru
So many things wrong with that statement.
Franko
Guest
Sorry, was drafted to Collingwood but was banned from playing, so had to be traded the following year.
Franko
Guest
Agreed. No mention from Scott on the father-son rule that Geelong have done so well out of. Hawkins Snr 182 games, Bews Snr 164 games, Scarlett Snr 183 games all drafted father-son. Craig Ebert 171 games, sorry Brad is not eligible. I wonder if he'd be chirping had they landed Boak. (I'm in favour of Father-Son and Free Agency)
Franko
Guest
Brett Chalmers. Refused to play for anyone but Collingwood, got drafted elsewhere, career fizzled out to nothing.
Lroy
Guest
Ok, let me know the name of the 17 year old who refused to play for club the first club he was drafted too and let me know how his AFL career went will you??
Lroy
Guest
Yes, you are right, Manchester United were saved by the EPL salary cap and the EPL is the richest competition in the world because they pander to mediocrity. People love paying big bucks to watch Tranmere Rovers on pay per view. Your reasoning is ridiculous. Fewer teams meana a better product, bigger crowds, more corporate dollars, more cash to the top talent. The ones who shouldnt be there can go back to the VFL or state leauges or amature leagues, thats were your 320 joe shmoes belong. I suggest you read Voltaire "better to keep your mouth shut an let people think you are a fool, rather than open your mouth and confirm it"
Cat
Roar Guru
Let's see Lroy, remove the salary cap and draft, within 5 years you'd see the demise of several clubs Bulldogs, Saints, Suns, GWS, Brisbane, Port, North, and Demons among them. At 40 players per team thats 320 jobs lost in 5 years, on top of that the TV rights deal would shrink by 50% or more so the income into the game would fall, so despite the removal of the salary cap most players would be on less dollars *if* they could even get a job. Glad you aren't in charge of the Union. Sometimes it pays to look beyond the immediate.
Moose
Guest
Ball had to place himself at the mercy of the draft and hope he could get to the club of his choice. He was lucky, but it was in spite of the system in place, not because of it.
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Probably Lroy because the draft & salary cap were implemented to protect many of the players' employers from financial ruin - I suggest you do a bit of reading on VFL/AFL history and you'll discover Fitzroy's demise and South Melbourne's defection to Sin City can be attributed largely to their inability to spend enough on talent to keep up with clubs like Carlton & Hawthorn back in the 80s when there were no restrictions on player movement. Players are not forced to play for clubs against their will. If they are unhappy with their current employer they are perfectly capable of requesting a trade elsewhere or throwing themselves into the draft. This system has worked well enough for many players, like Luke Ball for instance.
Lroy
Guest
I agree, imagine the temerity of some of these players, thinking they should be involved in the decision making process about their own careers, really they are selfish sometimes. Ive never understood why the players association didnt take this whole draft and salary cap thing to court.. they would shoot it down in a heartbeat... but I guess they must be happy to see administrators make all the cash.
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Another day, another Scott sister whinging to the media about whatever.
Cat
Roar Guru
In its current half-ars*d implementation, yes it should be scrapped, or better yet go back to America and learn the other half of what actually makes free agency a viable system then implement that too.