Rally to extend star's career

[BulldogBelle]

Craig Stephens from JAS Stephens wants to organize another fundraiser for the club, this time for Aker....

Rally to extend star's career
The Herald Sun
Mark Stevens | August 20, 2009

IF IT'S good enough for Jamason Daniels, it's good enough for Aker. On December 15 last year, about 100 influential Dogs supporters gathered at Whitten Oval for a "rookie fundraiser".

They chipped in $50,000, which allowed the Bulldogs to select teenager Daniels in the rookie draft the following day.

Now the man who organised that rally is ready to do it again to save Jason Akermanis.

Craig Stephens, managing director of Yarraville real estate agency JAS Stephens, said yesterday he needed only the approval of the Dogs' football department to organise a fundraiser to boost Akermanis's potential pay packet next year.

"All it will take is one call from Rodney Eade and we'll rustle up a night to get Aker across the line," Stephens said.

"Last year, I got a phone call from Rodney at the 11th hour and within seven days we organised a night before the rookie draft.
"Don't worry, we can't afford to lose someone like Aker if he wants to play on."

Click HERE to read the remainder of the article....

[AndrewP6]

This Craig Stephens fella ought to be knighted. What a champ. LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN!

[Remi Moses]

Aker and lake will be at the club next season. Whata joke that we have to resort to an auction to keep Aker at the club. So called "Football Socialism''

[Desipura]

A salary cap is a salary cap, he cannot contribute to it. All Jason can do is help pick up another rookie or 2. Unless he employs Aker as a part time real estate agent, now that could work!

[Mantis]

A salary cap is a salary cap, he cannot contribute to it. All Jason can do is help pick up another rookie or 2. Unless he employs Aker as a part time real estate agent, now that could work!

Do some research.

The club is allowed to pay an extra $550K per year outside the salary cap for marketing/ promotional work. At present we pay only $300K as we can't afford(??) to pay any more. If Craig and friends were able to raise some money for the club they could increase the amount they pay out which could be put into Aker's contract.

[Desipura]

Do some research.

The club is allowed to pay an extra $550K per year outside the salary cap for marketing/ promotional work. At present we pay only $300K as we can't afford(??) to pay any more. If Craig and friends were able to raise some money for the club they could increase the amount they pay out which could be put into Aker's contract.

I don't need to do research buddy. I stated that Jason cannot contibute to the salary cap, which he cannot. (Perhaps you should have read my post properly before you responded)
I actually was not far off the mark when I suggested that Aker would have do something outside of playing footy to get paid more which would enable him to get paid outside of the salary cap.

[The Coon Dog]

A salary cap is a salary cap, he cannot contribute to it. All Jason can do is help pick up another rookie or 2. Unless he employs Aker as a part time real estate agent, now that could work!

Of course he can!

Doesn't matter where the money comes from as long as its included in the salary cap (or marketing component where we're a bit short).

[Desipura]

Of course he can!

Doesn't matter where the money comes from as long as its included in the salary cap (or marketing component where we're a bit short).

Are we not currently paying players 100% of the salary cap?

[Jasper]

Seriously, why would the supporters of a Western Suburbs club, Melbourne's poorest socio-economic area, have to contribute money to pay someone who has probably made more than $3m in his football career.
If he wants to play, take the cut.
It's not like any other team will trump our offer for a man of his age.

[LostDoggy]

Seriously, why would the supporters of a Western Suburbs club, Melbourne's poorest socio-economic area, have to contribute money to pay someone who has probably made more than $3m in his football career.
If he wants to play, take the cut.
It's not like any other team will trump our offer for a man of his age.

A fundraiser for a millionaire..... Surely he can play for a measly 200k

[LostDoggy]

A fundraiser for a millionaire..... Surely he can play for a measly 200k

We must remember that Aker has not asked for this fundraiser, and he has not given any indication that he will not play for below market value -- if anything, every sign is that he will do so, as long as he still enjoys playing.

Just want to be careful that we don't bag the wrong people if we disagree with the idea.

[comrade]

Frankly, the timing of this is terrible and for all his good intentions, Craig Stephens has probably put his hand up where it’s neither wanted nor needed.

His fundraising efforts are fantastic, but he should be directing his attention to securing an extra rookie again, rather than trying to gather support for another year for Aker, when Rocket hasn’t even made a list management decision regarding his future and the man himself has suggested he’s happy to take a cut next year.

[LostDoggy]

We must remember that Aker has not asked for this fundraiser, and he has not given any indication that he will not play for below market value -- if anything, every sign is that he will do so, as long as he still enjoys playing.

Just want to be careful that we don't bag the wrong people if we disagree with the idea.

Quite right. He needs to weigh up a number of matters, not the least of which is to decide whether to hang up the boots or to go into the media where he would make that sort of money anyway.

At the end of the day he still has a responsibility to look after his family financially, to the best of his ability