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AFL CENTRAL Victoria clubs now know what salary cap they will be bound by next year, but still face a wait before their player points figure will be officially locked in.
AFL Central Victoria has sent off its player point recommendations to AFL Victoria and is awaiting approval before they can be confirmed.
However, AFLCV regional manager Carol Cathcart has said no club would be worse off for 2021 in terms of what their allocation was to have been for this year.
"The AFLCV commission is very mindful of the fact that we want to make sure clubs can retain their players and we want to assist them in making sure they have sufficient players and that has been considered when we put our proposed points to AFL Victoria," Cathcart said on Thursday.
AFLCV's player points values across its four leagues - Bendigo, Heathcote District, Loddon Valley and North Central - this year ranged from 38 to the maximum allowed by AFL Victoria of 47.
The AFLCV commission is very mindful of the fact that we want to make sure clubs can retain their players and we want to assist them in making sure they have sufficient players and that has been considered when we put our proposed points to AFL Victoria
- Carol Cathcart - AFLCV regional manager
One of the key components of the player points system, introduced state-wide in 2016, is for a player's value to be reduced for each year of service to a club.
However, because there has been no season in 2020 and therefore not the minimum five games required by a player in either seniors or reserves to have a point stripped off, there will be no deductions granted for this year.
For instance, a player who was recruited as a four-pointer for this year will stay four points next season rather than dropping to three.
Meanwhile, the Bendigo league's salary cap of $125,000 for next year looks set to be one of the highest in the state following the COVID slashings.
The league's cap is dropping from $150,000 this year - a reduction of 16.6%.
The Heathcote District, Loddon Valley and North Central leagues all have salary caps of $106,600 set for next year.
"With our salary caps we're mindful of what's happening in the regions around us and what we've tried to do is that in bringing the caps down we want to make sure our clubs have the capacity to not only retain their players, but recruit similarly to the regions around them," Cathcart said.
"We've also tried to take into consideration the different revenue streams our clubs have to those in the city and how remote some of our clubs are and their low population bases, which means they have to rely on recruits to field a team. A lot has been taken into account in the salary cap figures for next year."
Across AFLCV's four leagues there have been salary cap cuts of just over $85,000 - $25,000 for Bendigo, $23,400 for Heathcote District and North Central and $13,400 for Loddon Valley.
2021 SALARY CAPS
Averages based on paying full amount:
BENDIGO
(22 players, 18 games)
Salary cap: $125,000
Cut from: $150,000
Percentage cut: 16.6%
Average per game: $6944
Average per player: $315
...........................................
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT
(22 players, 16 games)
Salary cap: $106,600
Cut from: $130,000
Percentage cut: 18.0%
Average per game: $6662
Average per player: $302
...........................................
NORTH CENTRAL
(21 players, 16 games)
Salary cap: $106,600
Cut from: $130,000
Percentage cut: 18.0%
Average per game: $6662
Average per player: $317
...........................................
LODDON VALLEY
(22 players, 16 games)
Salary cap: $106,600
Cut from: $120,000
Percentage cut: 11.1%
Average per game: $6662
Average per player: $302
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