March calls on AFL to address spending
The Age
April 28, 2007 - 2:09PM
Richmond president Gary March has called on the AFL to address the "widening gulf" in football department spending between the richer and poorer clubs.
March said several presidents of Melbourne-based clubs were concerned about the advantage richer clubs had because they could spend more on coaches, football department staff and training and medical facilities.
The AFL's salary cap only covers the amount of money players are paid, which means the richer clubs - the non-Victorian clubs plus Collingwood and Essendon - can spend as much as they want in boosting their football departments.
March said Richmond, winless in 2007, had appointed their first player development coach this season, whereas their immediate opponent, the ladder-leading West Coast, had "three or four".
March said the league should address football department spending to address the disparity or risk having the bigger-spending clubs perch themselves in the top half of the ladder in the long-term.
"There's a concern amongst a number of us that it's very difficult for the clubs in the bottom half financially to be able to put the resources behind to develop the youngsters," he told the pre-game lunch.
"I'm all for the draft and the way that the draft works and the way we develop our own youth.
"But it's no coincidence that seven of the eight top sides are the ones that are able to spend significantly more in their football departments and most of that money is spent in developing youth...
"Whether there needs to be a cap on total football spending, otherwise I think you're going to see a continued gulf between the haves and the have-nots in the competition because of the abilities they have to be able to put resources behind their youngsters."
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/March-calls-on-AFL-to-address-spending/2007/04/28/1177460027372.html
