Cornes' trade fix: Criteria for AFL super max contracts

Following reports the AFL is planning a monthly sit down with club bosses to discuss changes and alterations to the game, Kane Cornes and David King tabled some of their proposals.

Last week, King laid out his plan to “clean up the mess” that is the AFL season start and finish dates and implement a better structure around the amount of time players are spending away from training.

King suggested that players have their own time between the end of the season until after Christmas, and from January 1, they are back at pre-season with Opening Round slated for later March and a mid-October Grand Final.

Adding to the list of proposed changes, he and Fireball co-host Cornes had three suggestions.

“One of the things I would do, I’m having trouble getting my head around this,” King said. “I have no idea why the Rising Star is affected by suspension.

“If you’re the best young player in the comp and are voted the best Rising Star, what does it matter if you have been suspended? It’s not the Brownlow.

“Sam Darcy should have been the Rising Star. He could be the best player in the comp this year, next year, the best for the next five years, the best in the land and he didn’t win the Rising Star because of a suspension.

“I don’t understand that.”

Addressing another hot topic, King explained how he would put the burden of living costs back onto the AFL when it comes to staff covered by the soft cap.

“ A lot of arguing about cost of living for assistant coaches and the staff in soft cap,” he said. “A lot of costs involved – particularly Sydney. Why wouldn’t the AFL – across the country – sort housing?

“They could future proof the game by investing in real estate and buying housing for coaches to reside in and take that cost off the table.

“The AFL would own those houses and they’re powerful enough to do that. Current coaches live in it and when you lose your job you’re out. It’s money in the bank anyway. I don’t see a downside.”

King was not the only one with pitches for the AFL.

A long-time critic of the long contracts beinbg handed out across the league, Cornes wants a tiered system brought in which would reward loyalty and talent and remove a club’s ability to overpay stars that are yet to prove themselves.

With power very much in the player’s hands, Cornes explained: “I would have different contract tiers. You need to have met certain criteria that you have to reach to qualify to be a marquee supermax contract.

“Whether it’s you must be an All-Australian or something. I would also limit the length of term. You may be only allowed two super max players at your club.

“We want the best players in the game getting the biggest money. Supermax deals, but you have to hit criteria to qualify.

“I would also being back the loyalty list. If a player has been there 12 years or something, they go outside the cap. Let’s make loyalty worth while to the clubs.”