A NEW salary cap system aimed at curbing the importation of paid players will be introduced to the River Murray Football League in 2008.
Every club has been allocated a certain number of points according to where they finished in the 2007 minor round, with players recruited from other leagues attracting a points value.
Jervois, Imperials, Ramblers and Mypolonga, the top four clubs for 2008, have been allocated 10 points, while Mannum receives 13 points and Meningie and Tailem Bend 16 points each.
The system will apply to all 2008 recruits, with senior players already registered in the RMFL attracting a zero points value.
A player recruited with AFL experience will cost a team five points and a player with SANFL experience will cost four points.
Players recruited from stronger “category one” leagues, such as the SANFL reserves along with the Southern, Great Southern, Hills, Barossa Light and Gawler and SA Amateur leagues will attract three points.
Players recruited with more than 10 senior games experience from most other leagues in Australia will attract two points, while players recruited from the Mallee and Mid Murray leagues will attract zero points.
To promote the development of young local players, an under 17.5 player that plays in a club’s A grade side will reduce its points tally, as they would be classified as a “minus one” point player.
A player returning to his RMFL club from another league will not attract any additional points, while players transferring from one RMFL club to another will attract three points, unless it is the club they played for as a junior, where they attract zero points.
Severe penalties apply for a club that breaks the points system, including fines of up to $1000 and loss of premiership points.
The new salary cap system was divulged at a series of meetings between all league clubs in August.
For a number of years clubs have had salary cap restraints but the system was not transparent and could easily be rorted, according to RMFL secretary Peter Dalwood.
Dalwood said the league had taken the direction in an effort to curb the importation of paid players in favour of developing local young players.
He expected the system to take two to three seasons to become effective.