The AFL has issued an immediate two-year ban on all free agency and trade moves by the Sydney Swans and has threatened to strip the club of its cost of list allowance provision (COLA) if it engages in recruiting non-delisted players.
The league is phasing out a provision enabling the Swans to pay players an additional 9.8 percent of the salary cap as compensation for the higher cost of living in Sydney. The rule is being abolished in 2017, meaning the Swans will have to stand pat with the current roster until then or lose their cap privileges.
The Swans acquired star forwards Kurt Tippett and Lance Franklin in recent seasons, but will now be forced to quell reported interest in disgruntled Essendon ruckman Patty Ryder and Brisbane key defender Joel Patfull.
The club promptly expressed its confusion over the decision and is unsure why it has been handed such a harsh penalty for following a league rule.
“As you’d expect, the Club is very disappointed and we don’t understand why the AFL has made this rule specifically for us considering we’ve complied with their rules,” Swans chief executive Andrew Ireland said in a statement released on Thursday evening.
“While we wholeheartedly believe players should receive the cost of living allowance due to the higher cost of living in Sydney, it was ultimately the AFL’s rule, it wasn’t optional and therefore we included it in every player’s contract.
“It doesn’t make any sense that we’re being punished for something that we’ve been told to do.”
The current free agency period has already seen the Swans lose key defensive piece Nick Malceski to Gold Coast in exchange for just the 39th pick as compensation. The club is now limited to trades for delisted free agents, players through the draft or rookie upgrades.
Greater Western Sydney has retained its COLA provision at levels of $800,000 for 2015 year and $600,000 for the 2016 year.
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