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http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24474348-23211,00.html
[quote]SANFL recruiting bill doubles
By Zac Milbank
October 10, 2008 PLAYER transfer fees between state leagues are set to double, leaving SANFL clubs fuming.
Payments - now at $10,000 a player - will increase to $15,000, with a further $5000 to be paid should the recruit play a second season in the SANFL.
The radical move has been moved by the interstate transfer regulation sub-committee and is set to be ratified by the AFL. The SANFL's representative on the sub-committee, operations manager Glen Rosser, voted against the proposal in vain, with opposing state leagues - including the VFL and WAFL - having the final say.
"It's a fairly healthy increase aimed at reducing the number of recruits moving to South Australia - that's the bottom line," Rosser said.
Central District chief executive Kris Grant is leading the charge against the move, saying he was bitterly disappointed with the decision.
"It's another indication that the AFL don't wish us to operate a successful league competition," Grant said.
"They're putting barriers up to stop player movement. They have this perception that we have all this money which is not quite right.
"They want to protect the VFL in particular and aren't really interested in whether we have a successful league competition."
Woodville-West Torrens - having signed 24-year-old Geelong midfielder Jay Cheep from the VFL - will still be prepared to pay the extra money for quality recruits.
"It's probably going to affect Victorian and Western Australian clubs' recruiting more than us," Eagles chief executive John Kantilaftas said.
"We will still go and get the players. Do you think Central won't go and recruit Ian Callinan or Glenelg won't go and recruit Ben Kane? Of course they will. We're not happy paying double the amount but it won't stop us recruiting the best players in the country to the SANFL.
"We just have to be far more careful about how we do that and who we go for in terms of (the player's) character."
The Eagles have also confirmed retired Crow Ken McGregor will play at Oval Avenue for the next two seasons. "I'm pumped to be back with the Eagles. I'm really looking forward to it," McGregor said.
"I've played there most of my life so it feels like I'm coming home."
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