Footy Industry Business Practices & Strategy
I thought I'd start a discussion on 'the business' and 'strategy' for all AFL clubs, including ours. All business related question & conversations welcome.
I'll kick off with the first matter of business, being front loading player contracts.
Owing to the free agency rules with regard to payments in defining the status of restricted or unrestricted FA, will we see a move away from this?
Example 1 is James Frawley at Melbourne. He was so top heavy that his playing price so this (his final) year is so low he is 'unrestricted' meaning he is free to walk without Melbourne matching the offer. So as a case study on front loading it shows two main problems, a) he walks free of charge, or b) he gets paid overs because his manager has them over a barrel.
I understand the circumstances in Frawley's and Melbourne's were unique and an extreme example, but it's a warning to heavily front loading on a player that at contracts end falls under FA rules.
Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023