ST JOSEPH’S coach Paul Carson says the club “couldn’t be happier” with how its players have responded to an across the board pay cut of more than 30 per cent.
Carson and president Todd Devine met recently with contracted players after confirmation the GFL’s salary cap would be reduced from $145,000 to $100,000.
“It’s a bit of an unpleasant conversation to have,” Carson said. “But it’s been well-documented that this is a global pandemic we’ve gone through.
“Last Wednesday, we gathered the guys together, and Toddy delivered the message that we’re asking our players to take a 31 per cent pay cut on what they were being paid for 2020.
“Everyone was really receptive, and they’re all on board.
“We couldn’t be happier with how the guys have responded.”
LOCAL: LATEST PROTOCOLS UNVEILED
Carson, who, along with his coaching staff and the football department, has also taken a pay cut, says its a reflection of the player’s investment in the club.
“We’re confident we’re a good club, good people lead us, and we pride ourselves on that,” he said. “We like to think that the money side of things is a bonus.
“And with the current climate we’re in, at the end of the day, these guys appreciate just appreciate being able to play footy.
“Don’t get me wrong, they train hard and play hard, but if anything the last six months has taught us, is that you just can’t take these things for granted.
“We’re proud they’ve received it well and are happy to play for unders.
“But these are the times we’re in.”
Carson is confident the list he was going to take into the cancelled 2020 season won’t be any different in 2021.
“We’ve tried to give everyone real opportunity to let us know if anything had changed in their situation,” he said.
“We take real confidence that everyone who was going to pull a Joeys’ jumper on for 2020 is going to do it for 2021, which is fantastic.
“That’s the new guys we’ve added, and the guys that have been there forever and a day.
“And we might get a couple of boys back who had moved on for season 2020.”
Carson said a tentative start date of mid-November had been placed in the calendar for a start of pre-season training.
“We understand the goalposts might move between now and then,” he said.
“But, in a perfect world, we’ll back out at Drew Oval on the 16th of November.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
