Plea to solve assistant coaching ‘crisis’; Opening Round set for 2027 overhaul — AFL Daily

A great has issued a plea over an AFL soft cap “crisis.” Plus the league’s most controversial fixture is set to be overhauled. MORE IN AFL DAILY.

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‘OUT OF WHACK’ PLEA TO FIX SOFT CAP ‘CRISIS’

Former Hawthorn champion Ben Dixon has issued a plea for an extra $1 million be added to the soft cap to solve a “coaching crisis.”

The AFL soft cap spending on footy departments has dropped from $9.4 million in 2015 to $7.9 million currently. Whereas player wages have increased from an average of $300,000 in 2015 up to $500,000 right now.

While there has been a soft cap bump from where it was in 2020 ($6.2 million), Dixon argued it’s not enough.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s First Crack: Preview, the former Hawks sharpshooter suggested there was currently too much strain on assistant coaches working “90-hour weeks” that he thinks should be paid more.

“I want to touch on something pretty serious, I think we’re in a bit of a crisis with coaching,” Dixon began.

“Michael Voss is in the gun, Brad Scott is in the gun. In the media, we’ve got no option but to point it at the senior coach.

“I just want to have a look at the soft cap ... we went through Covid and they made a (soft cap) correction and brought it down to $6.2 million and the players took a hit.

“But since then, the coaches have gone down 15.7 per cent and the players have gone up 67 per cent. It’s just out of whack, for mine.

“The assistant coaches can’t operate on $150,000 a year on 90-hour weeks. It’s not feasible for the families and we’re in inflation.

“They’ve got to pay these guys more money, because they’re IP. They’ve done a PHD when they’ve played.”

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Dixon added that the current pool is coaches is “shallow” and “not deep enough,” questioning if it meant the game was at risk of losing high quality senior coaches in waiting.

“Are we missing the (Craig) McRae, (Sam) Mitchell and (Steven) Kings of the world? Because we’re not paying them enough and they’re going into the corporate world and earning their $300,000,” he said.

“Increase the cap for the coaches another million, take it to $10 million. Take it to a point where you can pay a guy, not $150,000, but $300,000. Keep him there, grow him.

“You had (Adem) Yze, ‘Bevo’ (Luke Beveridge) and ‘Simmo’ (Alastair Clarkson) underneath ‘Clarko’ (Alastair Clarkson) at Hawthorn... this is insane we don’t have the level of depth in coaching right now.”

Kangaroos legend David King posted whether the soft cap and salary cap could be merged to give more power to clubs to allocate funds where they see necessary.

“I wonder if you could merge the two. It’s on the club then and whatever phase you’re in,” the dual premiership Kangaroo said on the program.

“If you want to pour your money into development coaches, the money is there and maybe your stocks are a big light on and you’ve got younger players.

“I just think merge the two and let the clubs run the business for themselves.”

AFL Soft Cap v Player Wage

2015

Soft Cap - $9.4 million

Average Player Wage - $302,000

2020

Soft Cap - $6.2 million

Average Player Wage - $250,000

2026

Soft Cap - $7.9 million

Average Player Wage - $506,000

OPENING ROUND SET FOR 2027 OVERHAUL

Opening Round as we know it is set to for an overhaul, with the 2027 concept set for a brand new look.

Next year’s ‘Round 0’ could feature all 18 clubs, though it will still be weighted towards the northern state markets.

It follows multiple clubs venting frustration towards the controversial fixture, which caused a stir among the wider footy community.

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir ripped the “advantage” clubs that play in Opening Round get against less battle worn opponents the following week.

Meanwhile, Hawthorn’s 18-day break — just three games into its campaign — between Thursday night’s win over Sydney and Easter Monday has also sparked debate.

Already the start of the 2027 season is set to be disrupted, however, due to the MCG hosting the 150th Anniversary Cricket Test between Australia and England from March 11 to 15.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon confirmed on SEN radio this week that the league was open minded to a different look for Opening Round in 2027.

“Whether it’s Opening Round, whether it’s teams having 18 days off between games and the like, is that right from a competition integrity perspective? We will listen to our clubs about that,” Dillon said.

“We have got complexity next year with some venue availability, so the start of the season will look different.”

Seven’s Xander McGuire confirmed the messaging out of AFL house was that Opening Round in 2017 “won’t look anything like it did this year”.

“It’s starting to move and they’re zeroing in on a Round 1 type of fixture where all 18 clubs, soon to be 19 clubs, will be involved in the first week of footy. To get rid of that competitive imbalance,” he said on Agenda Setters.

“But it will still be weighted very heavily towards the northern states to make sure they get the boost or jab they really want out of that start to the season.

“The other element is the Sesquicentenary Test ... my understanding there is they’re starting to accept their fate, that it’s probably more likely they’ll have to move the season back and we could be looking at an October grand final.”

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