Clubs talk on free agencyCaroline Wilson
February 10, 2010 HAWTHORN president Jeff Kennett has called a summit of club chiefs to thrash out the forthcoming spectre of free agency in the belief the AFL and its players are close to an historic deal.
Kennett, who has grave misgivings for the game should the AFL compromise upon its pre-Christmas stand on free agency, has written to his 15 fellow presidents calling for a meeting in six days to update the clubs on his own concerns under the proposed system.
Kennett is understood to have the ideological support of his Collingwood counterpart Eddie McGuire, who has spoken out in opposition to free agency in the past.
The AFL's sub-committee dealing with the significant rule changes that wouldallow players to move to the club of their choice and avoid the trade period after a period of between seven and 10 years' service, re-opened negotiations late last month with the AFL Players Association. Talks between the two parties broke up in December with both parties frustrated at the other's refusal to compromise.
While the AFL was unofficially prepared to amend its 10-year stand to nine, the players' union boss Matt Finnis had taken a harder line than his predecessor Brendon Gale and was not prepared to move beyond an eight-year loyalty period.
More recently the AFL has reportedly softened its stand while insisting that clubs faced with losing their biggest stars would be able to match an offer from a rival club.
Another potential stumbling block could come in the form of a major protest from both the AFLPA and player agents over the AFL's proposal to cap third-party agreements, such as Chris Judd's six-figure deal with Visy, which fall outside the salary cap.
AFL football boss Adrian Anderson, who is leading the negotiations on behalf of the league, has stated that such a rule would prevent the exploitation of total player payments and provide some insurance for the poorer and less successful clubs faced with losing players.
Kennett was unavailable for comment last night but is understood to be determined that all clubs understand the potential pitfalls of free agency while also hoping for a fact-finding session with other club chiefs.
The thoughts of Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon echoed those of several other club chiefs when he told The Age late yesterday: ''Free agency has not been an issue on our agenda. Clearly it is now.''
The AFL had hoped to report on the progress of the free agency talks in December and is now looking to thrust the issue firmly onto the agenda for the next meeting of the AFL board on February 22.
The commission had approved free agency in principle last year in the belief it was inevitable with the introduction of two new clubs with significant draft and salary cap benefits.
Some misgivings arose, though, with the AFLPA's refusal to compromise on seven years along with the proposed restriction on payments outside the salary cap.
Hawthorn fears the AFL has been forced to compromise following a more aggressive stand from the players' union and also, like Collingwood, believes the quality of the competition could be seriously eroded with the majority of players, once free to move, certain to choose the more powerful clubs.
This has prompted the proposed introduction of a rule that the top 25 per cent of money earners in the competition be given the opportunity to remain at their club should it move to match any offer from elsewhere.
The AFLPA has also remained steadfast in its view that any draft choice handed to a club losing a player under free agency receive that compensation not from the club in question but from the draft as a whole.
The prevailing view is that the AFLPA was unmoved by the AFL's push to free up the trade period in 2009 - a move that saw 23 players traded as opposed to six the previous year.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/clubs-talk-on-free-agency-20100209-nppd.html
