Players not happy with Folau's millions: Cox
TIM CLARKE
June 3, 2010 - 11:15AM
Israel Folau's monster pay packet to convert to the AFL has left many existing players angry, according to West Coast star Dean Cox – but the All-Australian ruckman did not blame the rugby league star for making himself rich by changing codes.
With the new Greater Western Sydney team poaching Folau to become one of the faces of the club, the size of his reputed $6m contract has been the main talking point with those he will be playing against in 2012.
Criticised by Brisbane coach Michael Voss, and player agent Ricky Nixon, Cox said this morning the contract offered to the 21 year-old was a coup for one player – but a slap in the face for dozens of others.
"Good on him for getting it – and I think it is great to see other codes coming into the AFL and playing," Cox said.
"But it probably does not sit well with a lot of players that he gets paid that money without doing anything. He is not a proven player.
"If he comes into the system and dominates for three or four years then he is worthy of collecting a pay cheque like that.
"A lot of the second-tier players will be saying: 'All the money goes to these players, and I have been at the club for a long period of time'."
Matt Finnis, CEO of the AFL Player's Association admitted that while players they had spoken to had not opposed the move, but also expressed concerns over the money offered to Folau.
"Many included in their comments a recognition that the announcement would significantly boost the effort to expand the game into Greater Western Sydney," Finnis said.
"But many of those same players also voiced concern about how much Israel was to be paid: 'Too much money but it has put them (GWS) on the map', said one. This seemed to capture the general mood.
"One player manager told me that he had fielded a number of concerns from his clients on the issue in the past 24 hours."
Nixon, who manages one of the competition's highest-paid players in Nick Riewoldt, said no club football person he had communicated with yesterday was in favour of the Folau deal.
''Not one person at all has supported it,'' he said.
''I've been surprised by the number of vitriolic text messages and phone messages by players and coaches,'' Nixon said of the response to the Folau contract, announced on Tuesday in Blacktown.
GWS chief executive Dale Holmes has downplayed the size of the Folau contract, saying that the reported figures of $1 million to $1.5 million a year were ''significantly overstated''.
Nixon questioned how a player such as Folau - who, in effect, is paid by the AFL - could be paid more than the game's best. ''How can a player who's never shed any blood or tears in the game be paid more than the No. 1 player in the game?''
He said the Folau signing sent a message to AFL players. ''The message the AFL is sending to players is 'if you get offered a truckload of money, take it'.''
Mindful of the potential for backlash and jealousy among current AFL players, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou took the unusual step of sending a letter to club players, coaches and administrators explaining the rationale behind signing the rugby league stars.
