Swans open to AFL review
Swans CEO Andrew Ireland says he has no issue with the AFL reviewing the Sydney cost-of-living allowance
Sydney Swans CEO Andrew Ireland said the club would be willing to forgo their cost-of-living allowance if a review showed the club did not deserve addition compensation.??
Ireland's comments came after the AFL commission yesterday proposed a review of Sydney clubs’ cost-of-living allowance, which entitles the Sydney Swans and GWS an additional 9.8 per cent of the salary cap to cater for the city's higher cost of living.??
But the Swans CEO yesterday said that he was confident a review would show the cost-of-living allowance was required for Sydney clubs.??
"If it is not dear to live in Sydney, then we shouldn't get the allowance," he told the Herald Sun.?
"We have got no qualms about the review. We have nothing to hide. We are happy for it to be done.??
"It is always the way that when you win the premiership there is more scrutiny on these things and clearly the AFL have had clubs approach them to question it, but we are confident when the AFL does its review, which it has done in the past, it will show the cost disparity is there."??
Ireland pointed to a recent study by PriceWaterhouseCooper as justification for the additional funding, with the review identifying that Sydney was only second to Tokyo as the most expensive city in the world.??
He added that while a number of AFL players are payed well for their services, a move to the Harbour City as a teenager or young draftee would be more difficult financially than in other cities.
"If you are a young guy, try paying $500 a week for a one-bedroom unit," he said. ??
"If anyone looked at the ABS stuff around at the moment, the disparity exists."??
AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou yesterday said the league could use the Australian Bureau of Statistics and third parties to examine Sydney's additional salary cap allowance.??
"The commission did feel that, not because of the Sydney Swans and their premiership, but the last time we reviewed this was five years ago and maybe it was time it is appropriate... we get some more information and bring it back to the Commission to have a look at."
