AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon concedes the sport might have a problem on its hands when it comes to long-term contracts.
Melbourne star Kysaiah Pickett and young Docker Hayden Young have inked enormous nine-year extensions in recent times, while Harley Reid is being linked with mind-boggling figures for his next contract that could stretch to well over a decade.
Buddy Franklin famously signed the grandaddy of all contracts at the time when he left Hawthorn for the Swans, a nine-year, $10 million deal that stunned the AFL, although he at least managed to play out the deal.
Dillon's concern revolves around any player that ultimately can't fulfill a long-term commitment and what that would mean for the respective club and its salary cap.
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It means potential maximum-term contract stipulations will be part of the discussion when the AFL has its next Collective Bargaining Agreement meeting.
“Concerning is not the right word,” Dillon told Gerard Whateley on SEN when asked about the length of some recent deals. “But it is something we are keeping an eye on.
"We put in place some guard rails a few years ago to ensure that clubs signing off on them is going through correct procedures.
“It’s a tick for players as it brings certainty, but when you have fully guaranteed contracts in a cap system and when a long-term deal doesn’t go right, that’s a problem.
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Dillon is staying across some other leagues, including America's NBA, which has a maximum contract value rule that is dependent on a player's years of experience.
“The NBA has maximum value contracts, I don’t think we go down that road," Dillon added.
"But there is something in a max term contract that is something to talk to the Players' Association about and I think it will be on the table in our next CBA.”