GWS chief executive Dave Matthews believes his club is paying a price for the AFL’s decision to scrap the cost of living allowance (COLA) that was previously afforded to Sydney’s two sides.
The Giants’ salary cap squeeze has been one of the main taking points of the off-season frenzy, especially after they traded Tom Scully for a future fourth-round pick.
GWS stars Dylan Shiel and Rory Lobb have both requested trades, youngster Will Setterfield joined Carlton last week, while Adam Treloar headlines the list of talent to have left in recent seasons.
Matthews denies the expansion club have botched their list management, suggesting they are dealing with the consequences of “being forced to crunch what is a very strong list into a smaller cap than what was anticipated”.
The Giants started life in 2012 with a handful of list and salary-cap concessions, which were steadily phased out in ensuing years.
The removal of COLA, announced in 2014 after rivals raged about Sydney’s recruitment of Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett, wasn’t part of the league’s blueprint for the start-up.
Prior to the change, the Swans and Giants’ contracts were topped up with an additional 9.8 per cent COLA.
“It was phased out over 2015 and 2016, completely removed last year. That’s $3 million of purchasing power that goes,” Matthews told radio station SEN.
“Based on I think a lot of lobbying and some early panic from Victorian clubs about how strong we were going to be.
“COLA was removed essentially off the back of Kurt Tippett and Buddy Franklin going to the Swans … we had nothing to do with either of those two decisions.
“The cost of living in Sydney, and particularly for an expansion team, you need that additional money because the sort of pressure that comes on us to retain our players.”
Matthews argued Victorian clubs and media taking delight in Gold Coast and GWS players returning home were missing the bigger picture.
“Ultimately it defeats the purpose of the AFL’s investment to try and set up a competition that’s well represented in NSW and Queensland,” he said.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan denied the Giants had a talent retention problem, opining they have generally lost players because of the salary cap as opposed to young guns wanting out.
“Sydney is a great city to live,” McLachlan told AFL Trade Radio.
“The vast majority have left because of salary cap issues and them managing their list.
“It’s a reflection of the amount of talent they’ve had.”
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
The recent draft showed that GWS cant keep all the players and plenty of NSW kids have ended up at other clubs - Howard, Brander, etc etc. So people whinge when they lose all these players (due to salary cap) for mismanagement and then whinge that they are getting favours - which is it.?..
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
How many of the 72 players on WC.Freo lists are from WA??
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Ever since its inception, there has been a fair bit of hysteria about GWS especially from the Victorian clubs. It wasn't just the COLA, it was also the GWS Academy, allowing GWS to pick the eyes out of the Riverina, but in the end, that was off the back of a couple of good years which appears to have all but dried up (and at least two of those Academy signings ended up in Victoria after two seasons).
Gary
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure that is only in Subiaco, where there are many pubs, and is a result of the new stadium being on the other side of the city. I am NOR and haven't seen any price wars... tbf, most pubs are owned by woolworths up this way so they don't need to engage in price wars. Beer price, and restaurants, are outrageous in Perth... although, some places are beginning to understand the boom is over and attempting to price accordingly.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Except it is not a level playing field and never will be all states and teams have advantages and disadvantages.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
$6 and $8 pint war ATM - but Perth is very expensive in general.
Cat
Roar Guru
For years now Sydney supporters have been telling us how COLA didn't let them sign extra players, that it was evenly spread. Well this puts that lie to bed.
Bob
Guest
Oh poor GWS having to compete on a level playing field. We are all taking delight watching it come apart for gws and the gold coast because while the afl is pushing the game in areas that don't play it it's costs the other established clubs access to good players and money to prop them up. The footy fan doesn't care about the profitability of the league.
Lroy
Guest
I was back in WA a few years ago, $10 for a regular schooner of beer on tap in Perth, $90 a night for a bed and breakfast in Busselton. I was wanted to stay for a month but cut it back to two weeks because I was going to run out of money. If anyone needs a COLA its the WA teams.