The AFL will consider tweaking the rules surrounding the controversial “salary dump” trades as well as the contract lengths for top picks in the national draft.
Geelong was the first club to exploit the newly-introduced salary dumping, taking pick No.7 and Jack Bowes, as well as his $1.6 million contract, off Gold Coast’s hands for just a future third-round pick.
But according to The Age, the league will look at preventing prospective clubs from “smoothing out” the remaining money that players they trade in are on.
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For example, in the Cats’ case, they were able to spread Bowes’ money over four years, even though the 24-year-old only had two more years left in his contract with the Suns.
Rival clubs have reportedly suggested to the AFL that in future, a club like Geelong in this instance should have to be made to honour the existing terms of the Bowes deal and include all of his salary in the next two years of player payments.
Bowes said he was disappointed to be pushed out of the Suns.
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“I found out the day before my exit review my manager had been speaking to the club for the back half of the year,” Bowes told 3AW.
“I sort of told my manager I didn’t really want to speak to him until the end of the season, to focus on footy and we were having a good crack at the VFL premiership, so just wanted to focus fully on that.
“I guess the day before my exit review my manager called me and said the club wanted me to explore my options. I was obviously a bit disappointed at the time.
“I was able to have some great chats with the club and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me and I’m really looking forward to the next chapter.”
But Bowes was excited by the prospect of continuing his career with the Cats, saying that Geelong had been interested in recruiting him for some time.
“They’ve always been interested in myself and my abilities,” he said.
“They’ve got a role for me down there which is great, that was part of the decision-making process.
“I sat down with Chris (Scott) and Patty (Dangerfield) and all the coaches there.
“They’re really excited to have a role for me there. I think they’re really keen to play me through the midfield and I’m really looking forward to that.”
Meanwhile, after an epidemic of homesickness swept through the AFL recently, with players like Jason Horne-Francis, Oliver Henry and Tanner Bruhn all returning back to their hometowns within just two years of entering the league, initial contracts for first- and second-round picks maybe lifted from two years to a mandatory three years.
