The Australian Football League has had further recent discussions with the Sydney Swans Football Club in regard to the club’s options for trading during the upcoming 2015 NAB AFL Exchange Period.

In 2014, the AFL Commission had resolved as part of the enhanced equalisation measure that were introduced including a soft cap on football department spend that the phased removal of the COLA for both the Sydney Swans and the GWS Giants FC over the 2015-2016 seasons would happened over this period. At all times, the Sydney Swans have complied fully with the AFL’s rules around the Total Player Payments (TPP) and the use of the COLA payment. The Swans and the Giants were permitted to retain COLA levels at $800,000 for the 2015 year and $600,000 for the 2016 year, but with a restriction placed around Sydney for the trade period regarding free agents or traded players coming into the club.

As part of the club’s transition away from its use of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) payment to honour existing contracts, it was determined that the Swans would be allowed to compete for the services of any players whose contract offer was at or below the average wage for a listed-player in the competition who has served more than two years in the competition.

AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon said the Swans had raised with the AFL that the upcoming Exchange Period and List Lodgment dates may present a number of potential eventualities including losing a player whose contract was beyond the average-wage mark and the club would not be able to adequately replace that player with the restrictions in place.

Mr Dillon said the club and the AFL had agreed that the Swans would be permitted to replace one player who leaves the club as either a free agent or as part of a trade, with a contract offer of up to $450,000 per year. If the club chooses to replace a departing player with this option, the Sydney Swans’ transitional COLA amount of $600,000 for the 2016 season will be lowered by 9.8 per cent of the traded-out player’s contract, if that player was contracted for 2016.

“At all times, the Sydney Swans have complied fully with the AFL’s Rules, and the club has been in regular discussion with the AFL Executive about how it may approach the Exchange Period with the prospect that a senior player may elect to leave the club and how he may be replaced,” Mr Dillon said.

“The AFL has sought to work with the club to reach an effective solution to allow Sydney to participate in the trade and free agency process, while acknowledging that its current COLA payment that does not apply to 16 other clubs across the AFL, is being phased out of the competition.”