BRETT STUBBS, Mercury

TIGERS president Steve Old has called for open slather on player payments by scrapping the TSL salary cap.

The TSL salary cap is $80,000 a season, with all payments to assistant and specialist playing coaches to be included, but Old said axing the salary cap would end speculation and rumours on player payments.

“I’m not a fan of salary caps. My theory is if you can’t police it, why have it?” Old said.

“Hypothetically, if Glenorchy and the Tigers wanted to pay $300,000 and they could afford it, why shouldn’t we do it? There has got to be very clear processes in place put in for AFL Tas to monitor clubs to make sure they are not breaking themselves, but in the end if a club can afford it, why not?

“I don’t think any club is in a position to go stupid with their salary cap, but in the end I think

[payments outside the cap] is happening anyway.

“If you can’t monitor it, just open it up and we can be open slather.”

The old statewide league folded as clubs went broke trying to buy premierships by buying players, but Old said clubs had evolved since then.

“There are some very smart operators running football clubs now and they do run it like a business so they are not going to put themselves in that position,” he said.

“If everyone is honest with the contracts they sign and where their budgets are at and they keep updating AFL Tas with their financials, then AFL Tas can oversee it.”

The Tigers have taken a step backwards this year, going from four wins last season to just two with two games to go as injuries and underage representative football hit the club.

Old said the club would undertake a full club review from the president down to the boot studder.

Coach Adam Henley was yet to be reappointed and would be part of the review, but Old was happy with his work to date and part of the review would be making sure he had the support he required.

“It is not all about wins and losses for us, it is about the culture and other things,” Old said.

“But if you are not getting the wins you’ve got to be respectful to your members and supporters and review what your club is doing.

“We are slightly disappointed with our on-field performances but we do have reasons for that. We would like to improve that.”

He said the Tigers would be challenging Huon region SFL players to step up to the TSL as well as scouring the country for a ruckman and other key position players.