Who's the best-paid Dog?

[bornadog]

November 17, 2014 - 10:19PM
Caroline Wilson

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The Western Bulldogs' former captain, Ryan Griffen, will remain the highest-paid player at the Whitten Oval next season despite walking out on the club post-season.


It has emerged that the Bulldogs will cover a staggering $800,000 of Griffen's 2015 pay packet as part of the extraordinary exit agreement reached with Greater Western Sydney, where Griffen requested to go.


Desperate to sign the apparently unavailable Tom Boyd from GWS, the club not only traded away its first draft pick to snare the promising young forward on a massive seven-year deal, but also agreed to cover $900,000 of Griffen's four-year Giants contract.


Griffen began training with his new club on Monday after providing the shock of the trade period when he announced he wanted out of the Bulldogs. The club subsequently sacked coach Brendan McCartney and, under trade deadline pressure, went after Boyd.


The Bulldogs remain one of the AFL's most heavily subsidised clubs under the equalisation policy, meaning the competition will indirectly cover Griffen's pay packet.


The 27-year-old joined the Giants under a front-loaded deal because under league rules the Bulldogs could not cover 100 per cent of Griffen's contract. He will earn close to $1million next season and about $1.5million over 2016, '17 and '18.


Western Bulldogs chief executive Simon Garlick would not comment on the Griffen deal when contacted on Monday. He said the deal was subject to a confidentiality agreement.


However, members of the AFL executive were surprised that the financially struggling club had agreed to cover so much of the Griffen contract.


The deal was overseen by club chairman Peter Gordon, a generous Bulldogs benefactor, at a time of deep crisis for the club.


A further $100,000 will be paid to Griffen by the Bulldogs in 2017, his third season with the Giants.


The Griffen money was front-loaded by the Bulldogs, who needed to clear space in their total player payments for Boyd in 2016. As a second-year player he will earn about $200,000 next year and then an estimated total of $6million over the subsequent six years. That record remuneration for a player of his experience has also raised eyebrows among the managers of some of Boyd's talented young teammates.

[bulldogtragic]

Unlike

[bulldogtragic]

Are GWS paying Boyd?

[LostDoggy]

Wow, even the senior football writer of the age doesn't understand the concept of the minimum salary cap spend.

Shit story with references to unsubstantiated AFL executives and player managers. This is nearly bad enough to contact media watch over.

[LostDoggy]

I for one am delighted that the vast majority of our compo to GWS will be paid next year. Means it won't be a burden to us when we actually need the space to re-sign "Boyd's talented young teammates"!

[bulldogtragic]

I for one am delighted that the vast majority of our compo to GWS will be paid next year. Means it won't be a burden to us when we actually need the space to re-sign "Boyd's talented young teammates"!

That's the silver lining for sure. Another option would've been to not pay for RG and use the cash to front load to another player.

[LostDoggy]

That's the silver lining for sure. Another option would've been to not pay for RG and use the cash to front load to another player.

Was part of the deal to get the man we wanted. Would've also been nice to not give up pick 6.

Stick firm Doggies, this is no time for buyers remorse!

[Greystache]

Almost a football story, I'm shocked. Obviously there's gaps in the knowledge given the Age's Head Football writer doesn't watch football, but for a novice this is a reasonable first effort.

[Remi Moses]

Just wow .
Earth to Caroline Wilson, Cooney, Higgins , jones And Griffen gone = shit loads of salary cap space .
Heavily subsidised by the AFL.
So does that mean we shouldn't pay the full amount or even 95% of the cap?
Know your place Dogs should be the headline

[Remi Moses]

I for one am delighted that the vast majority of our compo to GWS will be paid next year. Means it won't be a burden to us when we actually need the space to re-sign "Boyd's talented young teammates"!

Great move . Can someone tell Caro we'll have enough cash to pay Bonts Stringer and the like.

[jeemak]

Jesus Christ.

I've always said Wilson is good as long as she's not writing about your club as she's usually on the money when she does. But this is bullshit of the highest order.

We wouldn't get to 95% without paying Griffen, but that doesn't have any relevance to subsidy anyway. What a *!*!*!*!ing disgraceful portrayal of our club's actions.

[Ghost Dog]

Tokyo Rose takes a break from caning the evil evil Bombers.
Now she is after the heavily subsidized Bulldogs, fritting away good money on footballers.
I say each club pool their funds to make an offer of another kind. Pay you to stop writing!

[Remi Moses]

The Age I know have had staff cuts , but someone tell Caro Griffens 28 not 27.
Also according to the article Griffens on over a mil until 2018!
No wonder he wanted to go there!

[G-Mo77]

Are GWS paying Boyd?

To my knowledge they are in 2015 and hen comes off their books in 2016.

Pretty ordinary article. As a few have said we have to pay 95% of the cap somehow and we pay the same salaries as the big clubs. We can manage to rub enough coins together to get there. It's a continuous perception even from a media person that the lowly Bulldogs can't affords to keep talent. I'd expect to hear that rubbish from some clown in the bar on game day.

[GVGjr]

If all this is true then we should have been able to secure a 2nd round pick off GWS as part of the Griffen trade.