A-League players "may have to wait for much longer than normal to be offered new terms as clubs wait on a potential bonanza from a new TV deal," according to Tom Smithies of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Despite "a swath of players coming off contract at the end of the season," and permitted to talk to other clubs in three weeks’ time, club officials have "warned that new deals for the majority will be difficult to formulate until the new broadcast deal is struck." It is expected that the grant distributed to each club -- currently A$2.5M ($2M) per year -- "will rise substantially," with players guaranteed to receive 30% of any increase secured by Football Federation Australia from its broadcast partners from next season. But until "exactly what that increase is known" -- and what the salary cap then rises by -- "players are being warned that contract talks for many will be put on hold until deep into this season." It is believed that under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, next year’s salary cap will rise from A$2.5M to at least A$2.8M ($2.2M) -- but "could climb as high" as A$3.1M ($2.4M) "depending on what sort of deal FFA secures, most likely from a combined contract struck with Fox Sports and a free-to-air station." In theory, clubs could "offer deals to players now with a built-in agreed percentage increase dependent on a new broadcast deal -- but club CEOs are also keen to keep some discretionary spending, to allow for extra signings" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 11/8).
