Footy contracts are a sign of the times

AS football has become more professional in regional areas, contracts have become a necessity.

They give the player and club some security around the terms of their agreement.

Players who sign a contract and then decided they don’t want to play with that club have no right to complain if the club holds them to the agreement.

As soon as you accept any sort of payment you have an obligation to fulfil the terms of the document you have signed.

Sorry, it is black and white, and I have no sympathy for anyone who thinks otherwise.

If you want to have the freedom to move from club to club, then don’t sign a contract or ensure the terms in it provide a get-out clause.

The days of a “nod and wink –  she’ll be all right, mate” are gone.

There is too much money involved in footy these days.

Contracts are there to protect all parties and now we have a salary cap in place there needs to be some sort of checks and balances to ensure the league can police player payments. 

I am all for clubs taking a hard-nosed approach when it comes to player contracts.

Too often clubs are criticised for refusing a player’s clearance, but why?

The club has every right to do so, particularly if it is one of their juniors who they have nurtured through the ranks.

Loyalty works both ways, it shouldn’t always be about what the player wants.

It’s not easy finding players and keeping them is sometimes even more difficult.

Disputes between players and clubs are nothing new, but since the introduction of contracts the playing field has changed.

In the past a player who wanted out of a club could appeal to their local league and, if they were unsuccessful, they then had the option of taking it to a higher entity, AFL Victoria.

In the end most players got what they wanted – not now.

In Sunraysia we could be headed for our first big test as Lauchlan Wade looks to move to Gol Gol from Mildura with one year still to run of his contract.

Mildura have made no secret they want to keep the talented defender and they have every right to do so – they have a contract that says so.

If the Demons’ hierarchy digs its heels in then Wade will be forced to either play for Mildura or stand out of football for 12 months.

We certainly don’t want someone of his age and ability not playing the game – he’s got too much potential, but the agreement between both parties needs to be respected and honoured.

It isn’t a dissimilar situation to what happened last year with Josh Martin when he decided he didn’t want to play with Essendon and District Football League club Keilor.

Martin had signed a two-year deal at the start of 2018, but wanted to leave after one and requested a clearance to another club.

Keilor refused, and were well within their rights.

After a stand-off between both parties, Robinvale Euston president Phil Lamattina got involved and brokered a deal for Martin to return to the SFNL and play out the season with the Eagles alongside close mate Andrew Richardson.

Lamattina made no secret part of the agreement he had with Martin was if he wanted a clearance to another club at the end of the season it would be granted, ultimately that has happened with Martin returning to his original SFNL club, Mildura, for the 2020 season. 

A straightforward arrangement because all parties were clear on where they stood and what was contained in the contract.
If you are uncertain about what is in a contract, don’t sign it.

Players need to understand a contract between them and a footy club is a binding legal agreement, it’s no different to signing a contract for a housing loan – you need to abide by the terms in it.