WAFL arms tied over cash woes
The WA Football Commission is considering cutting payments to WAFL clubs for players drafted into the AFL system under a raft of proposals to cover a looming funding black hole.
A meeting of the WAFC's finance committee was due to be held last night to vote on tough budget changes for the 2015 season, including a potential reduction in payments for draftees.
Each WAFL club has been paid $35,000 over the past seven years by the commission for every player taken in the AFL national draft as a reward for developing young talent. Players selected in the rookie draft earn their club $15,000. Funding for the payments has been traditionally sent by the AFL to each State's football commission to be divided up amongst the responsible clubs.
_The West Australian _can reveal the WAFC is weighing up shaving money off the payouts to help meet its own financial commitments. The commission is facing a funding shortfall of close to $1 million in 2015.
National insurer AAMI has ended its five-year association with the WAFL, while Patersons will only renew as naming rights sponsor for Subiaco Oval on a substantially reduced deal.
The WAFC is also under pressure from the AFL to pour more resources into the State elite academy program, with plans to appoint an extra under-18 coach.
_The West Australian _understands other proposals include asking each WAFL club to contribute up to $50,000 to secure a broadcaster for the State competition next season to replace the ABC.
Changes to the coaching and management grant of $580,000 received by each club have also been floated.
South Fremantle are among those that would be hit hardest by any payment cut, with up to half a dozen strong draft prospects.
Jarrod Pickett has been touted as a potential top-10 draftee, while Jarrod Garlett, Billy Frampton, Matthew Ah Siu, Cameron Loersch and Haiden Schloithe have all attended either national or State combines.
Bulldogs president Haydn Raitt said it would be devastating if payments were slashed.
"With the number of people the commission have got up there, if it was my business I'd have to start looking at heads," he said.
"They want us to be sustainable; they want us to be better managers. We've taken that role on and all of a sudden this year after budgeting has been done for most clubs, they're talking about cutting the draft fees.
"I don't know what's happening up there."
A WAFC spokesman said the draft payments were being reviewed as part of the budget process, which must be finalised by tomorrow.
"At this stage, there's been no commitment made either way into those fees," he said.
