Greater Western Sydney Giants CEO Dave Matthews has called for the AFL to supply amounts "north of a million dollars per year" across the Queensland and New South Wales region for much needed ambassadorial roles. This comes in a sustain effort to make sure higher profile players, such as Tom Lynch, stay at expansion clubs.
Matthews has acknowledged that ensuring the league's top line players staying put in their clubs presents a massive challenge as is, but especially if they are based in New South Wales or Queensland. The notion of losing star players to other clubs constantly crosses his mind, he added.
He believes it can be combated, however, claiming that these proposed AFL-funded payments can help other clubs with their assurance in marquee players, but also help sustain the game for the future.
"It's a smart investment for the AFL, as we continue to push the game in New South Wales and Queensland" Matthews told SEN on Friday.
"The best promotional assets the game has are the players. If you've only got 45 players on the Gold Coast and 45 in Western Sydney and they're unrecognisable and they're not being given the opportunities to promote the game as heavily as they can, then we're selling ourselves short."
Through the past several seasons, the Giants have lost a number of a high quality players, including Adam Treloar and Taylor Adams (Collingwood) and Tom Boyd (Western Bulldogs).
Matthews holds a deep concern that if the AFL don't step in, and address this ever-growing issue, then the problem of retaining marquee stars will only worsen through time.
Collingwood President Eddie McGuire turned down the proposal, telling News Corp on Friday that "AFL can't distort the salary cap".
Matthews, showing no bother for McGuire's remarks, responded by stating that its only natural for those clubs in a position where they are trying to recruit Tom Lynch to hold such an conflicted opinion.
