Barellan are 'dead against' the $25,000 salary cap for a shortened Farrer League season this winter and will seek dispensation.
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AFL Riverina announced the new limit on Wednesday, slashing the $95,000 figure that had been intended for this year, as the push continues to try to get senior competitions off the ground in mid-July.
The reduction is in line with the nationwide AFL recommendation that salary caps be cut in half to take into account the effects of the coronavirus shutdown, and then be cut in half again if only half a season is played.
Barellan president Jeff Mickan said while they don't hit the spending limits in an ordinary season, the 74 per cent cut will be too difficult in a nine-round season.
"We're dead against that," Mickan said.
"We had opportunities for feedback when that proposal first got floated and we were dead against it. I understand to reduce it pro-rata, for whatever season there is, but not the 50 per cent reduction to start with.
"We've contracted players based on the $95,000. We don't spend what the salary cap is normally but we organised our season and budgeted based upon a full season and full salary cap.
"Now it's basically a quarter of what we started with. We would've been hoping it was $40,000."
Mickan said they'll seek dispensation, which clubs are allowed to request under the AFL Riverina player payment rules.
"We'll have to. We can't keep our recruited players with that new salary cap," Mickan said.
"We recruit players to fill teams, not to win premierships, which is what salary caps are partly designed to stop.
"I understand there's an agenda to stop clubs getting money sucked out of them paying footballers and it's a good idea in theory to prevent the costs and stresses around raising money to fund that. I can see that."
But Mickan said Barellan has worked hard to improve its financial position and sponsorship income so it can "match what other clubs spend" and budgeted accordingly to be competitive.
They aren't keen to "haggle" with their paid players who they'd already made agreements with.
Barellan's competitiveness has improved in recent years with the addition of experienced Canberra-based footballers and Sean Ellis, Ben Maiden and Alex Lawder are signed for 2020.
"We feel we've got a really good relationship with our Canberra crew. We feel the relationship is quite strong. It's not only money, they do enjoy the club. They drive past a lot of clubs to get here," Mickan said.
Barellan also have reservations about the season running into October.
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