New Blue Jack Martin (left) is on a heavily front-ended contract.Credit:AAP
Gold Coast recruit Jack Martin,who is contracted on close to $1 million this year and nearly $2 million over the first two seasons,is on a heavily front-ended deal (a total of about $3.1 million plus incentives over five years) that was designed to fend off the likes of Melbourne in the pre-season draft. The Martin deal,clearly,has been enabled by Carlton’s additional five per cent.
The Blues had sufficient room to pursue Sydney’s Tom Papley and Giant Stephen Coniglio,plus Martin,though it is unclear whether they would have room for all three had Coniglio chosen Carlton rather than sticking with the Giants.
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Skipper Patrick Cripps,one of the game’s elite players,was not paid more than $1 million in 2019,and has a further two years to run on his contract including this season.
The Brisbane Lions used the banking system to pay 102 to 103 per cent of the salary cap in 2019,when they had imported Lachie Neale from Fremantle.
Under the rules,a team that doesn’t spend the space saved from the two previous seasons loses that opportunity if the extra money isn’t spent in the third year.