WAFL recruiting rules rile G7 clubs
Non-aligned WAFL clubs will challenge a change to player concessions for the league's AFL partner clubs after the WA Football Commission revealed a revised set of service conditions.
The clubs, known in the league as the G7, believed East Perth and Peel wouldn't be permitted to recruit from outside their zones after agreeing to be aligned to West Coast and Fremantle for the next five years.
But in a document released this week, Peel have been granted the right to recruit two "non-district" players for the 2014 campaign even though the Thunder will be stocked with a wave of Dockers squad members next season.
The move has outraged several G7 club presidents who believed the WAFC had moved the goalposts on the alignment deal. They feel the partnerships with the AFL clubs will alone make the Royals and Thunder too strong next year and the latest concession was not necessary.
Peel was granted the concession because they finished the 2013 season last on the league ladder. The same wasn't afforded to East Perth because they played in the grand final.
The WAFC can make discretionary decisions on the non-zone recruiting for the two partner clubs, which has upset some rivals.
The WAFL has used a player points scheme to try to equalise the competition but under the partnership deal all existing Royals and Thunder squad members will be deemed to have a one point rating in 2014.
But East Perth will have a salary cap of $182,000, 35 per cent less than the $280,000 on offer to the non-aligned clubs.
The WAFC has also announced a marquee player allowance of $10,000 to be paid to a former AFL player but only after approval from the commission.
The veterans allowance has been doubled to $20,000. But both the marquee player and veteran payments must be included in the salary cap.
