TOPIC:

Anyone that is a part of the A grade community knows that there are multiple clubs out there dishing out sizeable amounts of money to players. It's not just limited to the strong clubs either (Trinity Aquinas, Scarborough the obvious ones), some of the clubs struggling on the field are definitely operating with a payroll (Kalamunda, Wesley Curtin probably moreso in the past).

When will the WAAFL do something about the blatant cheating? It's unfair to the clubs that want to play by the rules and/or simply cant afford to play players.

Maybe start to Audit clubs and monitor there financials.

RedLegs wrote: The clubs already have to supply audited financials to the WAAFL to look at each season. Third party payments direct to players won’t show up in the clubs books though.

The WAAFL is introducing a player points system next season. It would want to be a lot better than the model put out for comment recently though. How can an ex-AFL key forward or 200 game WAFL Premiership key defender be a lower points value than a 20 year old kid who can’t get a game of WAFL Reserves? Which one is most likely to be paid to play by a club?

Redlegs I think you are highlighting the problem, too many people in amateurs shout "look over there" when talking about the paying of players.

Expanding your scenario who do you think a club is most likely to come to an arrangement with.

The ex AFL forward who is likely to have been on over $300K for 5-6 years. That's better than $15,000 a game.

The 30* year old WAFL 200 gamer who now has an established professional career and whose 'real' best mate has got a coaching gig
Or
The 20 year old Uni student just surviving on $200 a week Austudy or the 20 year 3rd year apprentice electrician getting $15ph, both who come to the club pre season holding a clearance form to a country club who has offered them some coin..

You can make a case for each being paid..

You’re correct Voice, you can make a case that everyone could be getting paid if you wanted too. Or as is the case now, you can argue that everyone just plays with their mates and nobody gets paid.

The scenario I think RedLegs was suggesting is a WAFL listed kid coming back to a WAAFL club on a Type 2 permit because he hasn’t been selected that week in WAFL reserves is worth equal or more points than highly experienced and talented ex-WAFL League and AFL players.

www.wafooty.com.au/download/d/_GNh0SVn1m...BFFuaRsY6MRIlzD7L9Uk

I’d doubt the permit player is getting paid by the WAAFL club and there will always be questions about whether former professional and semi-professional players, who have a significant value in paid WACFLs, are abiding by the amateur status of the WAAFL.

Agree with TT, at least it's a start, possibly driven by the new blood on the board that's been injected over the past few years.

TT. The local player policy allows for permit players as you say or ex wafl coming back the there original WAAFL club on the lowest points. This will stop players chasing the cash but won’t stop cash payments altogether. I’m happy with the current proposal a there will always be room to improve the model once it is in place.

You can honestly not sit here & tell me that every club in the A & B Grade competition dont pay players. Its always going to happen like it does in every "Amateur" competition in the country, legal or not.

These clubs attract quality players to their club and its easy to see why they sit top of the tree.
Nth Beach have 6 senior sides & 2 colts sides, which highlights why they are the powerhouse that they are.

boothead wrote: You can honestly not sit here & tell me that every club in the A & B Grade competition dont pay players. Its always going to happen like it does in every "Amateur" competition in the country, legal or not.

These clubs attract quality players to their club and its easy to see why they sit top of the tree.
Nth Beach have 6 senior side & 2 colts sides, which highlights why they are the powerhouse that they are.

Welcome back Boothead, Darwin must have finally gotten the NBN

The logical solution is to implement a player points system like they do in the WAFL and every league in Victoria and SA.

You can fudge payments to players by many means but you cannot fudge a points system.

The WAAFL should do what the Adelaide Football League (formerly the SAAFL) did - allow payments but implement a points system. Clubs cannot stack their side with ex-AFL, WAFL or country talent to the detriment of a competition as clubs cannot field a team worth more than a certain number of points in their 22 each week.