More like two months. Mariners won’t be going anywhere near the finals. At the most, three months, as i’m pretty sure contracts wind up in early May. Nonetheless, it will still hurt a bit.
And while the Mariners probably don’t want to help their local rivals develop a player to play against them next season, they can’t exactly be choosy in which players to play or leave out. Their squad has been rubbish.
They probably should’ve had a new contract under his nose before he was free to negotiate with other clubs… same as Wales last season really.
So the Mariners loan signings are Sam Graham who was struggling for minutes in league two and anohter guy whos yet to make his professional debut
This. They really seemed to have dropped the ball. Again. Their football department is non existent so it’s not really surprising. Disappointing for local fans though.
Perhaps they had offered him a contract, but he refused it knowing that there would be other offers on the table.
That is so ridiculous, its scarcely believable.
The guy has been one of their shining lights during the most drab of seasons for the Coasties.
How on Earth can you now bin the guy because he’s signed what must be an improved contract with another club?
Nah, screw him, who cares. He will get booed off the park if he comes near the field.
The club has been grossly negligent in this but the player could have shown some respect and give the club a right of reply. The Mariners were the only club that gave him a professional contract, have him play first eleven and give him his big break.
Instead, at the very first opportunity, with Vince Grella in his ear (early December), he meets with McKinna and signs with the Jets.
Wales was a different situation. We gave him a contract for one year and he wanted two. Club would not budge.
More stupidity from the Mariners because he was dirt cheap and a local boy.
City are also signing Tottenham forward Shayon Harrison on loan
Might get some spurs fans along to their games.
I’m not thrilled by all of these loans - I hate the idea of clubs routinely bringing in players for half a season.
The league has enough problems in creating attachment due to the player merry-go-round and the general transience of the guys on the field, without having major signings that don’t even stay long enough to move out of a hotel.
I have no idea about what Reza would demand, but I’m pretty sure that a free-agent Maclaren would be asking for (and probably getting) marquee money in this league; and I wouldn’t think that either of those guys would sign an actual contract for the scraps left inside the cap.
I’ve got a suspicion that these loans aren’t actually due a lack of free-agents (or players who’d be released by their clubs if requested) as much as it is clubs increasingly recognising and exploiting that loans are still a bit of a cap loophole; that is, for a given amount of cap you can attract far better players under the loan rules than as a proper signing.
If that is indeed the case (and it’s hard to know because the detailed cap rules aren’t really published anywhere, probably so that FFA can fudge them as desired) then it’s something that needs to be changed.
Part of the issue that A League clubs can never justify paying transfer fees (due to the actual upfront cost, but also because transfer fees are included as part of the cap for non-marquees). So they’re limited a the free-agent market, or players with only short amount of time left on their contract. With loan deals, there’s a whole other market to tap into, and there’s no transfer fee.
Completely missed the Kone signing the other day - looks potentially like a coup.
Transfer fees are definitely not included in the cap.
I read an article a while back that motioned that. Perhaps it was incorrect, or I misinterpreted it, but I’ve always understood since then that that was the case.
After the Troisi and Rogic loans to Victory, loan fees were included in the cap for loans. Maybe what you were thinking about?
Yeah, perhaps. Still, I don’t recall a player signing (non-loan) that involved a transfer fee from a HAL club to another club (obviously non-HAL). Whether it’s included, or not, clubs obviously avoid paying them. So, my point is that loans allow clubs to tap into a market other than the free-agent market without having to pay large transfer fees.
I thought there was a ban on clubs buying players within the aleague wasn’t there? Or has that been lifted?
A League still cannot charge transfer fees to other A League clubs, however loans between A League clubs is now permitted (DDS to us was the first).