SOUTH-WEST football fans must wait a week to discover the player points caps to be imposed on their clubs.
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AFL Victoria has released its policy covering the newly created player points system, slated for introduction in 2016.
The system, which allocates points to players based on their football history, forms half of the Community Clubs Sustainability Program (CCSP). The other half – a salary cap – has been delayed until 2017.
But fans hoping the release of the finalised points system would include the cap imposed on each club were left disappointed.
AFL Victoria Western District region boss Lachy Patterson said the commission would ratify the caps at a meeting next Wednesday.
The commission covers the Hampden, Warrnambool and District, Mininera and District and South West District leagues.
“I’ve got confirmed figures with all the leagues but I need to ratify them with the commission next week,” Patterson said.
“They’ve been ratified with the (CCSP) working party.
“One thing we’ll find with all the points caps in 2016 is as long as we can get every club under 50, that’s a really good first step.
“Our region, we don’t have huge (player points) numbers but in some leagues around Victoria there are 60, 70, 80 points in some teams.”
Patterson said the points caps would start high in 2016 and come down in years that follow. He said enforcement in the first year would likely focus on education as opposed to punishment.
One thing we’ll find with all the points caps in 2016 is as long as we can get every club under 50, that’s a really good first step.
- Lachy Patterson
“That’s something the commission still needs to discuss. Obviously we have been given the flexibility to decide on that in year one but it’ll probably be a case-by-case basis,” he said.
“If there’s someone out there blatantly breaking the rules for personal gain, there will be punishment. But if there’s an administration error or a misunderstanding of the policy, we’ll look at it on a case-by-case basis.”
Patterson said feedback from clubs overwhelmingly suggested AFL Victoria delay the introduction of the salary cap for 12 months.
A handful of regions in the state – but not Western District – will have a “soft cap” in 2016. But formal implementation won’t be until 2017.
“The feedback is ‘we understand the reasons for the salary cap program but please make sure you get it right, make sure the enforcement provisions are done properly, make sure the education process for clubs, administrators, volunteers and players is done properly’,” Patterson said.
