Gold Coast’s salary cap is finally in a strong position after several years of struggle according to SEN’s Tom Morris.
With the likes of Jack Bowes and Will Brodie leaving the club in recent years in salary dump trades, Morris says that’s one aspect that has helped the club’s financial situation return to a healthy level.
Morris also revealed that a pair of senior players moved to help the club’s situation by smoothing their contracts over a longer period to give the Suns much-needed cap relief.
“For the first time in years, their salary cap is actually in a really good position and in a position of strength to actually attack the trade period,” Morris told SEN Breakfast.
“It hasn’t been like this for probably since we can remember at the Gold Coast Suns.
“Here’s why, late last year David Swallow -the heartbeat of the club along with Jarrod Witts and Touk Miller – quietly extended his contract by one year to the end of 2025, he was contracted to the end of 2024.
“Alex Sexton quietly extended his contract to the end of 2024, he was out of contract at the end of this year.
“Both players offered to do this after Jack Bowes and Will Brodie were traded out, because they felt like they needed the club needed more salary cap relief and that they wanted to smooth their contracts over another year.
“So Bowes and Brodie were set to make a combined $1.25 million this year and they wouldn’t have played, that’s nine per cent of the salary cap that they would have made playing VFL.”
With the club now having money to spend, Morris believes Gold Coast are now in a position to pay star forward Ben King whatever he decides if he opts to remain at the club with a young gun also signing a long-term deal that could turn out being a bargain.
“So, what’s the upside of this?” Morris said.
“Well, Jarrod Witts and Ben King are locked in until the end of 2024.
“They’d love to be able to re-sign Ben King and this allows them to then pay Ben King essentially whatever he wants at the end of next year if he decides to stay.
“Matt Rowell is signed until 2025, Jack Lukosius 2026, Touk Miller and Noah Anderson 2027 and Bailey Humphrey (is signed until) 2028 on a deal that at no stage exceeds $600,000.
“If you can imagine Bailey Humphrey playing in four to five years, it’s an absolute bargain as well.
“What I’m saying here is, it’s probably taken three or four years of pain and there’s been some serious pain and some collateral damage, but the Suns are finally now in a stable salary cap position.”
As well as having a position of off-field strength, the Suns are building on-field with a 6-6 record to their name as they sit outside of the top eight on percentage after 12 rounds.