If the big clubs go to the effort of blooding youth to the point that can potentially compete for trophies with their local talent in key positions then power to them i say, We shouldnt fear this.I've thought about this also and actually it will hurt us. Any time you can exempt money from the cap, the big clubs win.Yeah that could become a problem signing long term prospects. But that's where I'd love to see a home grown player rule expanded. If a player lines up for a HAL club's NPL or NYL side an agreed amount (50 games if the amount of games is increased in the future) then until that player leaves the club their wages are exempt from the cap. The clubs can begin focusing on locking in as much of their talent as possible without worrying about room in the cap. Then the cap can be used to sign better players to fill in the gaps that the development systems aren't meeting.
I agree it would be great to see aufc offer longer term deals for the kids, but then we reach an impossible impasse due to the cap. Offer a long term deal to the current kids and risk missing out on a Mabil and Mcgree the year later due to having already committed valuable roster positions and cap space to underperformed players who are now on a long term deal.
-keep the cap
-keep marquees
-Allow incentives or credits to clubs with an in house approach.
Everyone wins
It will also mean the club will take a more long term approach with youth as replacing them would be a costly exercise as far as the cap is concerned.
Adelaide can basically afford to pay the cap and no more, keeping say Strain, Mileusnic, Elsey, AP out of the cap doesn't help us as we've got no extra $$$ to spend.
I also wonder if these arguments would be null and void if $400k-a-year-flop Baba was actually playing and playing to his potential.
South Australians out of contract at years end:
Troisi
O'Doherty
Tongyik
Inman
R.McGowan
Plus the ones we already have
That is rather unlikely thogh given the lack of chances the big clubs offer their youth, and why should they bother anyway if they can afford players like honda ninkovic or toivenen.
I do see your pont but nothing can possibly be fool proof and it atleast offers incentves to generate players.
I totally reject that we could not spend outside the cap though, you yourself said baba is a 400k strker and isaias is reportedly 300k. Thats roughly 700k over the cap in marquees already. Being able to pay an extra 50k for a local player may be the difference in keeping them and building mini dynasties or keeping them long enogh to earn transfer fees.