THE Melbourne Storm salary cap controversy really has me thinking.
Is there an even playing field with regard to a salary cap or is the system being manipulated through third-party agreements?
The whole reason the AFL and other sporting codes have a salary cap is to bring about equality, but I am interested in the other types of financial agreements and incentives being used to legally "top up'' player bank balances.
The AFL's salary cap for each club is $7,962,500.
This works out to an average $214,000 per player.
While this seems like an extremely healthy and attractive sum, I can guarantee the majority of footballers are paid well under that amount.
In 1986, the AFL introduced a national draft to replace a regional zoning system.
Zoning gave each club a designated geographical area from which choose players. Ballarat was St Kilda's territory.
By abolishing zoning, the AFL successfully created a more even competition and the proof is in the pudding.
Since 1986, every AFL club has had a chance to win a premiership.
All 16 teams have finished in the top four and, better still, all have finished in a top four position since 1997.
There are ways to legally pay players outside of the salary cap though.
An Additional Service Agreement allows clubs to spend up to $600,000 on nominated players each year.
ASA money is approved as a way to pay that player money for additional duties in and around the club.
This can mean using his image for marketing and advertising, rolling him out for extra appearances on behalf of the club, ambassadorial roles and other activities which are above and beyond what is normally required.
The club must keep detailed reports of ASA payments and justify why the player is being paid. This means each activity, appearance or use of image has a dollar value attached and it all must add up at the end of the year.
The ASA system is fairly straightforward but I have major issues with another stream of "legal'' player income through third-party agreements.
A third party or independent arrangement is something supposedly set up directly between a player and, most commonly, a wealthy supporter or non-club sponsoring organisation.
As an example, let's say I have agreed to play for North Melbourne for $200,000 a year.
Instead of North Melbourne having to pay the entire amount, a third party can be quietly sourced to kick in some coin.
While North Melbourne's major sponsor, Mazda, is out of the equation, there is nothing stopping a Kangaroos fan paying me $100,000 to be the face of his business.
The deal between Drew Petrie and the business must be channelled through the AFL's investigations officer Ken Wood to be deemed legal.
If it is approved, North Melbourne is saved from having to pay me that $100,000 and can use it to retain another player or lure someone else to Arden St.
If you want a real example of third-party agreements then you need look no further than Carlton and its captain Chris Judd.
When Judd moved from West Coast to Carlton, he signed on as an environmental ambassador for Visy, a company run by the club's late millionaire president Richard Pratt.
The AFL approved the deal, but there has been widespread debate about the role and its value.
Visy said Judd would be involved in media, community, customer, staff and stakeholder programs, touring Visy facilities, appearing at functions and would be the face of several initiatives.
The AFL says it is looking closely at capping third party agreements to avoid any exploitation and its football operations manager Adrian Anderson has stated investigators will undertake a more "enhanced enforcement'' of rules regarding payments outside the salary cap.
The Gold Coast is already throwing plenty of cash around in an attempt to attract big-name players such as Gary Ablett.
This forced Geelong president Frank Costa to virtually appeal for outside assistance in order to keep the Brownlow Medallist at Kardinia Park.
The AFL's promise to "come down very heavily'' on clubs attempting to dodge the cap by chasing wealthy backers is long overdue in my mind.
A combination of two new teams, free agency and more money coming into the game via the next television rights deal will only muddy the waters even further and clubs will be forced to think outside the square in order to retain and lure players.
- Drew Petrie played his junior football with Ballarat Swans in the Ballarat Football League.
North Melbourne selected him from North Ballarat Rebels as a second-round choice (number 23) in the 2000 AFL national draft.
He made his AFL debut in 2001.
Now 27, Petrie has been elevated to vice-captain this year and has played more than 175 games for the Kangaroos.
Petrie's column is published exclusively in The Courier every second Saturday.
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