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  1. #1
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    Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Where are all the critics that said we would lose players because of the Tom Boyd deal? We still didn't spend 100% of the cap in 2016!

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    THE Western Bulldogs’ remarkable cut-price premiership was achieved despite the club paying less than 100 per cent of the salary cap.

    The Dogs have hit pay dirt with their unlikely premiership, cashing in on $1 million in prizemoney as well as sponsor bonuses and merchandise sales.

    Western Bulldogs chief executive Gary Kent said the bonanza would allow the club to pay down debt and declare a big profit.

    But it has emerged not only did the Dogs pay a much smaller wage bill than rivals, they were $1.4 million below the AFL’s $9.3 million football department cap.

    The club aims to continue boosting its football department spend next year in strategic areas and will also pay all of its salary cap.

    The Dogs were down near 95 per cent of the salary cap in 2014-15 before rising to a figure several per cent below the $10.3 million cap this season.

    Having spent under the cap in the past three years the Dogs can bank those savings and use that extra money to pay over the cap under the AFL’s equalisation rules.

    The Dogs believe their success will help them bridge the gap between themselves and the AFL’s powerhouses.

    After making a record profit of nearly $400,000 last year the Dogs can begin eating into their $10 million debt with a bumper financial figure.

    “We have got a pretty big smile on our faces about the revenue and profit coming our way from prize money, merchandise sales, sponsor bonuses and everything in the last month we hadn’t forecast. The figure will be very healthy,’’ Kent said.

    “Last year we were something like $1.4 million below the soft cap and only about four clubs spend it.

    “We (spent less than 100 per cent) of the salary cap and our aim along with retention of the list is to be at 100 per cent.

    “That is our main aim and we have got some savings from prior years so we can spend that plus some more.”

    The Dogs will secure Magpie Travis Cloke for a bargain-basement pick and wage, and could secure extra draft picks if Nathan Hrovat and Koby Stevens leave.

    Essendon confirmed its interest in Stevens, with the club hopeful Lin Jong will accept a two-year contract rather than go to Gold Coast.

    With Will Minson retiring, the Dogs are one of several clubs who will consider finding a back-up ruckman from a relatively barren market.

    The Dogs also hope to expand their reach into the western suburbs next year. Part of that focus is expanding into Ballarat, where the Dogs will play for premiership points against an interstate team at the new Eureka Stadium.

    “The stadium should be finished by May and we have asked for our game to be played in June or July.

    Our preference would be to play Adelaide or Port Adelaide to promote the regional town. The stadium in Ballarat holds 11,000 people,” Kent said.

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  3. #2
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Wow. That gives us well over $1,500,000 in reserve to go shopping with. Plus we got to bank Crameri's wage courtesy of the AFL. We could have as much as $1,800,000 in reserve plus the EBA rise.

    Nat Fyffe here we come!
    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

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  5. #3
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Wonder what Minson and Stevens were on?
    Minson was the AA ruckman when he signed his contract IIRC, and I assume Stevens would be close to the AFL average salary at least ~$300k.

    A surprise coming up at trade time?
    Western Bulldogs: 2016 Premiers

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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Quote Originally Posted by Mofra View Post
    Wonder what Minson and Stevens were on?
    Minson was the AA ruckman when he signed his contract IIRC, and I assume Stevens would be close to the AFL average salary at least ~$300k.

    A surprise coming up at trade time?
    I think so. I'm pretty sure the fine print is use it or lose it on banking cap, plus the salary savings as you say. So if we have to use it, then JMac comments about only being interested in two players (other than Cloke) might very well be two very big names.

    If the club got a $1,000,000 for the premiership, then the players shared in about $500,000 so that should keep most happy for a while too.
    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

  7. #5
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Really need to get the debt dead and buried, it's a real noose around our neck, although interest rates are low.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  8. #6
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Even if we don't do anything much this trade period it gives us a great opportunity to front load some contracts and position ourselves for a big signing in the future.

  9. #7
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    Really need to get the debt dead and buried, it's a real noose around our neck, although interest rates are low.
    Overall it looks ok. If the winners $1,000,000 goes into the footy department, the merchandise sales and sold SC and PC gives us at least $2,000,000 to put to work on the debt side of things. This windfall is just so amazing for setting us up long term.
    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

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  11. #8
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Never even thought about the money side of it. What a brilliant problem to have -- how to spend the winnings!

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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Good news rolls on.
    Another factor will be our added leverage for prime television slots.

    I don't want to lose Nathan, more so than Jong or Stevens. Hope he can be given some incentive to stay on. When you are that small, you have to have a special kind of character to become an AFL player. He's a beauty.
    You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ― Epicurus

  13. #10
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Good news rolls on.
    Another factor will be our added leverage for prime television slots.

    I don't want to lose Nathan, more so than Jong or Stevens. Hope he can be given some incentive to stay on. When you are that small, you have to have a special kind of character to become an AFL player. He's a beauty.
    You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ― Epicurus

  14. #11
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Should also get a massive membership boost next season and also the AFL buying Docklands cant hurt our bottom line either. Everything on the up.

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  16. #12
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    Re: Western Bulldogs believe flag success will help them bridge wage and spending gap on rivals

    Quote Originally Posted by The Dogs Bollocks View Post
    Should also get a massive membership boost next season and also the AFL buying Docklands cant hurt our bottom line either. Everything on the up.
    Yes big recent developments with The Etihad ownership it's the AFL securing the stadium more quicker than first thought. I hope something beneficial now finally will come out of that for our club.
    "Footscray people are incredible people; so humble. I'm just so happy - ecstatic"

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