Australian Football League side Essendon and not St. Kilda is "likely to have to pay former player Jake Carlisle's contract" at St. Kilda this year as he serves his year-long drug ban as one of the "Essendon 34," according to Michael Gleeson of THE AGE. St. Kilda does not believe it has to pay Carlisle during his ban "and that non-payment forms part of a compensation claim against the Bombers by Carlisle" -- and by all players banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport -- for Essendon's role in the drug case. Port Adelaide with Paddy Ryder and Angus Monfries and the Western Bulldogs with Stewart Crameri will be in the "same position as the Saints regarding non-payment to the players for this year" while they were banned. The AFL is negotiating with the banned players, Essendon and the other three clubs over paying the players, "as they seek to negotiate a settlement with the players for actions they may take against the club, and potentially the AFL, without going to court." St. Kilda CEO Matt Finnis said, "The unique circumstance here is that, if players lost earnings, they would have a claim most likely against their former club [for those earnings]. So I think what the AFL is trying to do is avoid a whole lot of legalese and see whether that can be worked out." St. Kilda has budgeted for Carlisle's salary, which is more than A$500,000 ($354,400) a year, but will "also seek to have that salary component removed from their total player payments given they are not paying the player for the year" (THE AGE, 1/31).
