Dandaloo may quit if cap introduced
BY JOEL RITCHIE
15 May, 2010 04:00 AM
Dandaloo president Tony Hutchison has not ruled out taking the successful club elsewhere in the wake of revelations the Illawarra Football Association will introduce a salary cap.
Hutchison declared the outfit that holds every piece of Illawarra Premier League silverware could enter a Sydney-based competition if the IFA seeks to limit wages from 2012.
The IFA plan - including restricting player payments to $350 per game, one marquee player per club and loyalty exemptions - is believed to be a statewide first and came to light on Thursday.
Hutchison admitted taking the well-heeled side - which entered the IPL in 2005 and has won four of the past five league titles - away from the local scene was possible.
"If the IFA forces our hand, we'd be open to all suggestions," Hutchison said.
"There's no guarantees we'll stick around.
"Nothing's impossible, you could never say never, but we're a very young club off the field in regards to our structure and committee.
"We'd be between a rock and a hard place."
Meantime, Phil Duggan - the owner of the Lions' major sponsor, the Dandaloo Hotel - vowed to back the men in orange no matter where their future lies.
"We'll support the club whether they have six stars or no stars," Duggan said.
"We'll keep supporting them no matter what league they play in."
Dandaloo - who have boasted internationals Chris Jackson and Alvin Ceccoli and A-League players Noel Spencer and Stephen Laybutt in their ranks - have been the envy of the competition after starting in the Leisure Coast Soccer Association in 1997.
They entered the Illawarra Amateur League two years later, before earning promotion to the region's top flight from the Conference League in 2004.
Hutchison is convinced the measures are aimed at curbing Dandaloo's success, despite assurances to the contrary from the governing body.
"We're spewing about it, why are they doing it now, why not any other time in the last 20 years when there has been successful clubs that spent decent money?" Hutchison said.
"It doesn't matter how much money you're spending if you don't have success, it's only since the treble (when Dandaloo won three major trophies in one season) this has started."
Hutchison believes a wage cap would drag down the standard across the competition and endanger the nascent, but prosperous outfit.
"Where we come unstuck is when our players get a bit older and they retire," Hutchison said.
"It would ruin us, our junior affiliate (Lakeside Lions) only have up to under 16s at the moment.
"They want to stop clubs from working their arse off and bringing down good players. The standard will drop. Maybe players who have been here for a while will stay."
Jackson - the reigning George Naylor medallist - echoed that sentiment.
"Maybe Sydney players will think twice about coming down here, but I think guys who are down here will have to take what they get," Jackson said.
"We have made the league better by attracting better players and it could cut it down. It's opening up a can of worms - it needs to have a lot of thought put into it."
Dandaloo will look to cast aside the controversy when they visit cross-town rivals Dapto today.
Elsewhere, Bulli travel to Wollongong United, Woonona host Picton, Fernhill are at home to Tarrawanna and Port Kembla take on leaders Albion Park.
Cringila and South Coast United played last night.
Meantime, Dandaloo and the South Coast Wolves will play outside the Illawarra in round four of the McDonald's Cup on May 25.
The Lions will take on the might of NSW Premier League side Sutherland at Seymour Shaw Park while the Wolves will be off to Jensen Park to tackle Bankstown.
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