Deal or No Deal ? NO DEAL !

[H_T 2,941]

No Deal between AFL and players

AFLPA media conference to follow in 1 hours time.

"While we are thoroughly disappointed we will continue to talk to the AFLPA. We think we have done everything we can to provide the best possible deal. There is no more money for the players."

[Samsara 65]

Greed is absolutely taking over the game from all courts...AFL, AFLPA, Scully...

[diesel 420]

Greed is absolutely taking over the game from all courts...AFL, AFLPA, Scully...

Thinking about the amount of money I spend every year on football I'm not sure another cent could be squeezed from me so they might want to get it sorted.

The AFL can carry the can for their ill conceived GWS push will suck money out of the game for little benefit for the next 20 years until it folds or moves where it belongs, Tassie.

I see the player demands for a percentage of takings as a bit of an ambit claim. Yes their careers are short but the systems are there now to ensure they can live normal productive lives after footy.

[Striker475 696]

I've decided that the AFLPA are actually getting greedy in my opinion. And some of it, such as the retirement packages, just stinks of a cash grab since it's the older players pushing it.

[Guest Jack Donaghy]

I can't help but think this is selfish by the players.

It's not like the AFL is just sitting on money, or pumping it out to shareholders or team owners.

It's all pumped back into the game.

[Guest Jack Donaghy]

The players want a retirement fund?

Fine. It can come out of their pay cheques.

[daisycutter 28,723]

I can't help but think this is selfish by the players.

It's not like the AFL is just sitting on money, or pumping it out to shareholders or team owners.

It's all pumped back into the game.

....and the GWS black hole

[H_T 2,941]

Thinking about the amount of money I spend every year on football I'm not sure another cent could be squeezed from me so they might want to get it sorted.

The AFL can carry the can for their ill conceived GWS push will suck money out of the game for little benefit for the next 20 years until it folds or moves where it belongs, Tassie.

I see the player demands for a percentage of takings as a bit of an ambit claim. Yes their careers are short but the systems are there now to ensure they can live normal productive lives after footy.

I think I speak for many when I say, things are getting tighter out there with expenses, bills, and allowances for memberships and so forth to appreciate the good things in life - even banana's...lol.

I think the AFLPA will find the League is steadfast in not budging from the current offer and might have to come to the realisation that that was the best offer.

Not signing re: their images for promotional means...hmmm.

[The Jacks 0]

If you were a player would you be looking for a slightly bigger piece of the pie given all the circumstances? I certainly would be.

Have any of you ever asked for a pay rise? Doesn't sound like it...

[Craig Drinker 179]

It's become fashionable for players to be in dispute with leagues at present. NBA, NFL (Although that one has been resolved), La Liga ,Serie A .It seems our boys are deciding to follow suit.

Also I thought it was a bit cheeky (and lazy)n of GWS to pinch the nickname and colours for their team straight from the San Francisco Giants baseball team.

[Guest fitness]

I am firmly in the AFL's corner on this one. Finnis is coming off second best by firstly backing down on the 'percentage of revenue' model, and continuing to push for changes to the offer without citing valid reasons. Yes it's his job to do the best thing by his players - just as player managers' roles are to do the best deal for their own players - but doesn't mean I have to like it, or that it's good for the game.

[rpfc 27,676]

The NBA revenue share is around 58% of money going to the players.

And it is destroying nearly all clubs as their owners pump up the debt and chase the dream.

Thank god we don't have 'owners' as such in the AFL.

Edited September 15, 2011 by rpfc

[Guest Jack Donaghy]

If you were a player would you be looking for a slightly bigger piece of the pie given all the circumstances? I certainly would be.

Have any of you ever asked for a pay rise? Doesn't sound like it...

That's a poor analogy.

I'm happy for players to progressively get larger contracts individually over their career as they progress and develop.

The principle has players earning more when they earn it. Just like a raise in a normal job.

That's not what the AFLPA is fighting for.

The minimum should be raised, I agree, but then the maximum needs to come down.

It's simply too high. Teams mismanaging their lists and paying their better players too high a percentage of the cap are a serious problem.

The AFL guaranteeing the players a percentage of earnings is not a viable solution.

[old dee 23,256]

I have thought a bit about this pay dispute over the last few months.

I support the AFL here stick to the current offer.

If it came to a strike and there was no 2012 season ( worst case I know )

I would be fine a year without AFL is not the end of the world.

I have a friend involved with Uni Blacks and go to 2 -3 of their games most years.

May be sad to say that I actually enjoy those games more than the AFL.

I actually feel envolved, you are close to the action, see the players during the breaks

Hear the coach address the players and have a couple of drinks after the game.

With the AFL I am totally removed from the players and all associated contact.

It just feels better and I know they are playing for the sake of the game Not $1million

[demons1964 3]

Players want a bigger sum of money after the massive tv rights deal, that's fair enough. If i was playing a game such as AFL for a living against the big bodies involved in the game i would be wanting a 'superannuation' scheme involved. We've all read the stories about players who cannot work later in life due to their playing days. It's about player security in the future, why wouldn't you want something to fall back on if your playing days are numbered. Better than getting spat out of the AFL machine and left behind.

[Pennant St Dee 11,771]

Players want a bigger sum of money after the massive tv rights deal, that's fair enough. If i was playing a game such as AFL for a living against the big bodies involved in the game i would be wanting a 'superannuation' scheme involved. We've all read the stories about players who cannot work later in life due to their playing days. It's about player security in the future, why wouldn't you want something to fall back on if your playing days are numbered. Better than getting spat out of the AFL machine and left behind.

A good reason to up the draft age to 20/21 years that way

Clubs wont be drafting on potential alone

Players can complete school and finish Uni or an apprenticeship and then have something to fall back on

The players can play WAFL, VFL,SANFL whatever league whilst finishing school, uni & apprenticeships and be earning money as well as developing an understanding of how hard the ordinary working man has it.

The players will come in with bigger bodies and plenty of games behind them

I can see this my improve the ridiculous scnario we have no where 21/22 year olds come straight out of school at 18 into the AFL system without any regard for the average fan/worker do the initial two year contract then all of a sudden they are having big dollars thrown at them and really they are still only kids

[praha 10,553]

The NBA revenue share is around 58% of money going to the players.

And it is destroying nearly all clubs as their owners pump up the debt and chase the dream.

Thank god we don't have 'owners' as such in the AFL.

Spot on.

[Striker475 696]

Time to lock them out, Vlad. Don't approve of you often, but right now you're making the right call. It's a joke when the players demand literally the TV rights in player wages, the biggest chunk of the pie.

I agree with the rookie stuff. But the retirement fund smells of a money grab from older players who will, funnily enough, be retiring in a year or two, and the rejection of the pay packet is a poor call. Admittedly, I'd love to know what the median wage would be under that proposed AFL system, but I wouldn't expect it to be too much different.

(AFL offered players what would amount to an average wage of $1.38million over 5 years, or approx $280,000/year

[SidVicious 121]

Demetriou and co can now reap what they've sewn. The AFL has can't expect anything else after creating an atmosphere of greed and deception with their rules. Jimmy warned them about this months ago.

[Jack Jack 415]

With the recent recruiting of GWS and the ridiculous money being thrown around, I'm sure the general public will think that they're being greedy.

They're being greedy.

[daisycutter 28,723]

With the recent recruiting of GWS and the ridiculous money being thrown around, I'm sure the general public will think that they're being greedy.

They're being greedy.

it all started when he allowed the Judd/Visy rort of the payments system

[Choko 493]

Time to lock them out, Vlad. Don't approve of you often, but right now you're making the right call. It's a joke when the players demand literally the TV rights in player wages, the biggest chunk of the pie.

I agree with the rookie stuff. But the retirement fund smells of a money grab from older players who will, funnily enough, be retiring in a year or two, and the rejection of the pay packet is a poor call. Admittedly, I'd love to know what the median wage would be under that proposed AFL system, but I wouldn't expect it to be too much different.

(AFL offered players what would amount to an average wage of $1.38million over 5 years, or approx $280,000/year

Hold on.

The AFLPA on behalf of its members has rejected the offer, which it is entitled to do.

The PA has backed down on claims for a revenue sharing arrangement and backed down on a number of other matters. In rejecting the offer, they rightly say that if they are dropping the revenue share arrangement, they don't want a 5 year deal, because that deal is too long to project the impact of the current wages. That's also a risk for the PA (see Optus in the news today?), because there may be less money on offer in 3 years. The PA also adjusted its increases to 7%, 7% and 6% over the 3 years (it was 11%, 5%, 3% x 3) as an ambit position but recognising that the deal the AFL had offered was front-loaded.

The AFL upped its offer despite saying it had no more money. The AFL misled the media yesterday shockingly when they said that the PA was being disingenuous by trying to simple steal the best bits of a front loaded deal (where in fact the PA changed the loading). So they are both playing games, but the AFL is worse.

And if the players have an over-inflated sense of expectation, it is because Vlad has created a system in which Geelong's best player is on $600K, and a 30 gamer with dodgy knees is on $2M.

[dee-luded 2,958]

Greed is absolutely taking over the game from all courts...AFL, AFLPA, Scully...

Greed has a Grip on the whole West.

[Face Your Demons 175]

If the work experence kid where i work was getting 2 million next year, i would be looking for more as will

[Choko 493]

If the work experence kid where i work was getting 2 million next year, i would be looking for more as will

LOL exactly.