GWS still have major issues with their salary cap and player payments according to Sam McClure.
While the Giants have seen various high-level players depart the club in recent seasons in Jeremy Cameron, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Tanner Bruhn, Zac Williams, Bobby Hill among others, McClure believes they still have too much money tied to their highest profile players.
Speaking on the Tradies Podcast with Mitch Cleary, McClure revealed that the Giants have a large portion of their cap taken up by just five players.
McClure: “The Giants’ cap is still an issue, three years running now, it’s still a major issue.
“It doesn’t help when you’ve got five guys earning a million bucks a year.
“The five guys that they’re playing five million bucks to is Toby Greene, Lachie Whitfield, Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly and Nick Haynes.”
Cleary: “Nick Haynes? Nick Haynes is on a million dollars?”
McClure: “Yep, this year and next year.”
Cleary: “Is that back ended deal?”
McClure: “That’s a back ended deal.”
Cleary: “That’s a lot of money for a 30-year-old.”
McClure: “That’s a lot of money, I think he turns 31 next month off the top of my head.
“So that’s five million of your $13 million (salary cap) going to five guys.
“We spoke about this last week, that’s not an issue when you’re finishing top four, but when you’re finishing at the other end of the ladder, it makes it hard.”
Cleary: “Especially when you need to re-sign guys like Tom Green and Finn Callaghan was just done.
“That’s where these guys like Bruhn and other mid-tier and kids get pushed out because they don’t have the money.”
Considering so much of the club’s cap is already taken by experienced players, McClure pondered what that could mean for restricted free agent Harry Himmelberg who comes off contract at the end of the season.
McClure believes the key tall could attract offers of $700,000 a year from rival clubs as he weighs up his next move.
“If I’m Harry Himmelberg, I want to stay at the Giants, but I want $700 (thousand a year),” McClure said.
“I think he’s a genuine swingman, he can play forward or back.
“If I’m Himmelberg, I want to stay there because I’m settled, and I like it.
“But where do I fit in financially? Also, it’s, ‘I’m not getting any younger, are we going to win a flag under Adam Kingsley?’.”
Himmelberg turns 27 in May and has 128 games to his name with the Giants since making his debut in 2016.