THE AFL is telling clubs it won’t rubber-stamp new contracts for players and coaches, leaving some of the game’s biggest names in limbo.
While the league is yet to distribute an official ruling, it yesterday told the 18 clubs that the finalisation of any new deals would be frozen indefinitely.
With the financial fallout from the coronavirus already smashing the football industry and expected to worsen, the AFL is bracing for significant change.
Clubs have been told to cut $5 million from their balance sheets, while some will lose up to $10 million in crowd revenue alone.
Staff have taken pay cuts, while others have been laid off. The AFL wants the players to take 20 per cent less on existing wages.
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List sizes and the football department soft cap could be among the many financial changes from next year.
As such, no new deals will be signed off at AFL headquarters by total player payments boss Ken Wood.
Player managers contacted by sen.com.au said they would continue to reach agreements with their clients, pending AFL approval.
A raft of players are due to fall out of contract at the end of the year and are now in limbo.
Jordan De Goey, Brad Crouch, Darcy Moore, Zac Williams, Ben Brown and Tom Hawkins are some of the big-name players who need to negotiate new deals.
Jeremy Cameron last month told SEN that talks on his contract extension with the Giants had been “looking positive”, but the finalisation of his deal will now most likely have to wait.
Christian Petracca, Robbie Gray and Scott Pendlebury signed new deals just before the coronavirus hit, but will still have to take pay cuts of some degree anyway.
