Leigh Matthews says AFL salary cap isn’t ‘serving its purpose’

AFL legend Leigh Matthews says the salary cap isn’t working.

The four-time premiership coach told 3AW the recent ‘phenomenon’ of players taking ‘unders’ to stay, or move, to a club in contention had defeated the purpose of the system.

‘The whole idea of the salary cap is that everyone gets paid market value,’ Matthews explained on Sports Today.

‘If a good team has too many (star) players, they can’t afford them and they go to lesser teams.

‘But those players are now prepared to play under market value to play in a good team – whether they’re leaving one club to go to another team, or staying.

‘The salary cap isn’t really serving its purpose.’

Matthews also explained why he was open to the idea of struggling clubs being able to draft two players before the top teams each season.

‘(At the moment) the bottom team gets one player and the premiership team gets one player,’ he said.

‘So you’re hoping that the first pick is significantly better than the 18th pick, but it doesn’t necessarily work out that way.’

Click PLAY below to hear more from Leigh Matthews on Sports Today