Jason Akermanis faces huge pay cut to play in 2010

[The Coon Dog]

Jason Akermanis faces huge pay cut to play in 2010

Damian Barrett and Mark Stevens | August 19, 2009 12:00am

JASON Akermanis's heart is telling him to play on next year, but he will have to take a hefty pay cut to do so.

Akermanis may have to consider a contract at the Western Bulldogs worth half the $400,000-plus he received this year.

Salary cap problems are weighing on the Bulldogs, who are warming to Akermanis playing a fourth year for the club.

The cut would take Akermanis to below the average AFL player's wage (about $230,000).

Akermanis said last night he was not thinking of his hip pocket.

"If I play on, it will be because I love it, and right now I do love it," he said.

"And only when I stop feeling that love and football becomes a chore will that change my outlook. Yes, money is part of the equation, but it is not all of it."

Akermanis is weighing up options in the media, which would be considerably more lucrative.

The Bulldogs are already fighting to keep full-back Brian Lake and are disadvantaged because they cannot afford to pay the entire $555,000 allowed next year for Additional Services Agreements, money that falls outside a club's salary cap.



Rest of article...

[comrade]

Didn’t we show a profit at the end of last year, yet we can’t pay the $250,000 ASA shortfall?

Seems very strange to me.

I’d rather not show a profit at the end of the year and use the money to take advantage of the ASA shortfall to ensure we are paying our playing group the maximum amount. We’re at a distinct disadvantage if we don’t.

[bornadog]

Didn’t we show a profit at the end of last year, yet we can’t pay the $250,000 ASA shortfall?

Seems very strange to me.

I’d rather not show a profit at the end of the year and use the money to take advantage of the ASA shortfall to ensure we are paying our playing group the maximum amount. We’re at a distinct disadvantage if we don’t.

Yes we should be just balancing the books, who cares about profits. Profits are for shareholders, not for supporters.

[The Coon Dog]

Didn’t we show a profit at the end of last year, yet we can’t pay the $250,000 ASA shortfall?

Seems very strange to me.

I’d rather not show a profit at the end of the year and use the money to take advantage of the ASA shortfall to ensure we are paying our playing group the maximum amount. We’re at a distinct disadvantage if we don’t.

The frustrating thing with this is that we may end up making a profit, which ultimately costs us the ultimate prize. Premierships before profits!

[Mantis]

The frustrating thing with this is that we may end up making a profit, which ultimately costs us the ultimate prize. Premierships before profits!

Premierships bring profits.

Just like in 'Field of Dreams' (sort of)... If you win it, they will come.

Look at the Hawthorn model.

Anyway back to the article, wasn't this news a couple of weeks back... Must have been a slow news day.

[Stefcep]

Who deserves to be paid more than Acker next year? The guy has been the difference for us in as many games as anyone else. So what if it will be his last year, if he's older, its what happens on the field that counts, and this year he's been as good as anyone at the kennel and better than most. Anyway I reckon our window of opportunity with this list will close at the end of next year and that we'll go through a bit of a rebuilding phase after that. In 2011, no Acker, no Johnno, no hahn, no Welsh, no eagle, murph is injury prone

[LostDoggy]

I hope he stays. Like he said, he's loving playing, and obviously loving playing at the Bulldogs. I think he's got one more year in him, so hopefully we can offer him that. He also said it's not only about the money, I feel he wants to do his best to get us that elusive premiership.

In the NRL Brett Finch has come to the Storm mid season from Parramatta, and has signed on to stay another season on minimum wage because he loves playing here and believes it's his best chance at a premiership.

[bulldogtragic]

Offer him a reduced salary next year, but a two year assistant coaching role or ambassadorial role with the club after he retires for some decent coin. I'm sure that would ease the pain of a paycut, knowing there is another two year offer (and two years salary) to go with the media work.

[strebla]

I think he could even be a playing assistant coach next year I have no doubt in my mind that like Westy he spends as much time with the kids as he does with himself did Simpson from Nth have a similar role this year??

[Remi Moses]

I'm an economic neandathal can someone tell me what the hell has the stadium deal has to do with the salary cap?Great the AFL sell us a financial lemon and we pay the priceIf we are going to have a fair playing field how about every side have the same playing field!Perhaps we can get Lake a job with Smorgo's company in an embasader type role

[Sockeye Salmon]

I'm an economic neandathal can someone tell me what the hell has the stadium deal has to do with the salary cap?Great the AFL sell us a financial lemon and we pay the priceIf we are going to have a fair playing field how about every side have the same playing field!Perhaps we can get Lake a job with Smorgo's company in an embasader type role

We pay 100% of the salary cap but really we don't.

Besides the salary cap, clubs can also pay up to $550K in marketing money, we only pay about $300K, so we could pay our players more - except that we can't afford to.