The Sydney Swans have announced they will appeal in a bid to have their AFL trade ban overturned.
Swans chairman Andrew Pridham has confirmed that the club will front a specially-convened meeting of the AFL Commission on December 15 to contest the restrictions.
The club’s decision on Monday night came just hours after AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan publicly urged Sydney to accept the ban saying, they “can’t have everyone.”
AFL powerbrokers imposed the ban earlier this month, preventing the Swans from trading until the end of the 2016 season unless they abandon their cost of living allowance – a bone of contention for other clubs during Sydney’s recent era of on-field success.
The ruling also stopped the club from signing up any restricted or unrestricted free agents for the coming two seasons.
Pridham wouldn’t expand on the case the Swans will put against the ban, saying it “would be inappropriate and disrespectful of the process.”
McLachlan admitted on Monday that the ban decision was complex, admitting that the Swans had made a “strong and compelling” case that they’d worked within the rules when they contracted the likes of stars Kurt Tippett and Lance Franklin.
However he stood by the “stark” bans.
“I can’t comment on what their view on challenging (is),” McLachlan said.
“We’ve had an ongoing dialogue with the Swans for some time, it’s just been a very tough one.
“There have to be some constraints. You can’t have everyone.”
The Swans expressed their disappointment with the rulings from the moment the edict was handed down earlier this month.
GWS SUPERSTAR
Guest
Dont worry bout Sydney,the GWS boys will make the inroads that are required.
Scott Davern
Guest
If the AFL really thinked Sydney lowered the value of player payments to attract 2 players they live in a fools paradise. what company take resources of a businesses so it cant run. The NRL must laughing so much,finally the swans where making inroads in NRL. Soccer in Sydney is scary ,AFL really have made mistakes because of the debt from the incoming management to Collingwood/bulldogs bad all round
andyl12
Guest
Sydney should forget about this and concentrate instead on rebuilding their "bloods culture" which must be shattered after their GF debacle. Not since Carlton in 1993-1995 has a side been smashed in a GF and recovered to win a premiership. And for Sydney it will be harder than most given that their entire club culture was based on never getting smashed in any game, let alone an important one. Trades or no trades, Sydney have problems which only they can fix, not the AFL.