bornadog
24-05-2022, 04:07 PM
Link (https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/05/23/longmire-laments-how-soft-cap-slashing-has-left-footy-departments-decimated/)
Sydney coach John Longmire believes the AFL's refusal to raise the soft cap to pre-COVID levels is “not right”.
Numerous figures in clubland, including Collingwood president Jeff Browne and Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, have expressed their concerns at the soft cap slashing in recent months, Longmire the latest to add his voice to the choir.
Football departments could spend up to $9.7 million in 2019, but due to the challenges of the pandemic, that figure has reduced to $6.7 million.
There have been many indications about the cuts taking a toll on staff needing to do more work for less, Longmire claiming his colleagues are “working their fingers to the bone”.
“I’ve got a view on this that footy departments have been decimated,” Longmire told Sportsday.
“When the three and a half million was carved out of footy departments there was going to be less (for) the playing lists, and what happens is you never want to give your players less service, so you’re doing it on less staff and those staff are still on massive pay cuts.
“So I feel for footy departments across the country because they’re all sort of absolutely working their fingers to the bone, and I just don’t think it’s right what the industry is doing to footy departments the way it’s been handled.
“You would have thought there would have been some comeback, but it still seems a fair way off, unfortunately.”
When asked if he’d received any clarity on boosts for next year, Longmire confirmed there was no word.
“Nah, no idea,” he replied.
“It seems like the footy departments are the ones carrying the can, and that’s the way it is.”
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said at the start of the season: “The AFL balance sheet is strong and debt-free. Our clubs have reduced debt and almost all clubs were profitable last year”.
AFL Coaches’ Association CEO Alistair Nicholson has also put the soft cap cuts on the agenda as a “matter of urgency” to address.
Sydney coach John Longmire believes the AFL's refusal to raise the soft cap to pre-COVID levels is “not right”.
Numerous figures in clubland, including Collingwood president Jeff Browne and Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, have expressed their concerns at the soft cap slashing in recent months, Longmire the latest to add his voice to the choir.
Football departments could spend up to $9.7 million in 2019, but due to the challenges of the pandemic, that figure has reduced to $6.7 million.
There have been many indications about the cuts taking a toll on staff needing to do more work for less, Longmire claiming his colleagues are “working their fingers to the bone”.
“I’ve got a view on this that footy departments have been decimated,” Longmire told Sportsday.
“When the three and a half million was carved out of footy departments there was going to be less (for) the playing lists, and what happens is you never want to give your players less service, so you’re doing it on less staff and those staff are still on massive pay cuts.
“So I feel for footy departments across the country because they’re all sort of absolutely working their fingers to the bone, and I just don’t think it’s right what the industry is doing to footy departments the way it’s been handled.
“You would have thought there would have been some comeback, but it still seems a fair way off, unfortunately.”
When asked if he’d received any clarity on boosts for next year, Longmire confirmed there was no word.
“Nah, no idea,” he replied.
“It seems like the footy departments are the ones carrying the can, and that’s the way it is.”
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said at the start of the season: “The AFL balance sheet is strong and debt-free. Our clubs have reduced debt and almost all clubs were profitable last year”.
AFL Coaches’ Association CEO Alistair Nicholson has also put the soft cap cuts on the agenda as a “matter of urgency” to address.