Round 20 is upon us and Darcy Parish is yet to re-sign at Essendon.
History would tell us that smells fishy.
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Out-of-contract AFL players who are on the move infamously drag out contract negotiations in the last season of their contract until after the season finishes, at which point they announce their intentions to leave.
But Parish has voiced his desire to stay in red and black beyond 2023, though there would be suitors should he wish to pursue other options.
Bombers supporters’ edgy impatience, then, is understandable.
And until Wednesday, the future of Parish’s star teammate Mason Redman was also undecided.
Speaking on his podcast Tradies, 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary shed some light on what the hold up could be all about.
“People have been asking, ‘Hang on, why has it taken until round 20 for Mason Redman to sign, and Darcy Parish still to be unsigned?’ given, in history, it’s usually around the mid-season bye when players make their call,” Cleary said.
“The CBA (collective bargaining agreement) has been a bit different this year; the AFL is still working on it.
“At a lot of clubs, what happens when a player signs a contract, they’ll have a ‘CBA uplift’ clause in there, where, just using speculative numbers, if the CBA were to rise by 15 per cent in two years, the player is entitled to that (increase). So, if you sign a $600,000 deal (and), in two years, (the CBA) rises by 15 per cent, your contract’s worth $690,000.
“It looks after the player, so they’re not left behind.”
Superstar players like Patrick Cripps, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, who are all on long-term deals which are likely to span over multiple CBAs, are safeguarded by such clauses.
But not all players have a CBA uplift clause in their contract, such as Izak Rankine, who signed at Adelaide ahead of this season for big money, but money that won’t change based on the new CBA.
“And speaking to other clubs today,” Cleary continued,” I’ve since learnt that Essendon is a club that doesn’t put these (clauses) in all their contracts, and that’s what is the thought out there in terms of why the haggling for Redman only just signing, and there being a standoff in recent weeks around Darcy Parish, who’s been vocal about wanting to stay.
“Geelong’s there ready at first slip if he was to decide to nick off and walk down the highway back to Geelong, but he’s wanting to stay at Essendon. And that’s where the haggling has fallen, in my view.
“Speaking to other clubs and agents, Essendon’s history is not always do they put these CBA lifts in the deals.
“It’s just one of the little quirks.”
Asked why the Bombers may have historically taken this stance with contract, Cleary suggested it could be for flexibility or simply to save money.
“And Essendon is seen as one of the clubs right now that has the most salary cap space in 2023 at their disposal,” Cleary added.
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