St Kilda chief Michael Nettlefold says members agreed with the decision to release Brendon Goddard. Picture: Jon Hargest Source: Herald Sun
ST KILDA chief executive Michael Nettlefold says the club's members agree with the decision to release Brendon Goddard, aware the Saints could not justify matching Essendon's massive offer.
The Saints have already started their 2013 membership campaign, promising to further open up a club once a closed shop and having poached one of the AFL's key membership figures.
Lisa Laing ran the membership for the shared services section of the AFL, and at St Kilda is a crucial cog in the effort to lift a membership which dipped last year after two seasons of growth.
But to win the members over St Kilda must first justify releasing 27-year-old Goddard, and Nettlefold believes the passionate fan base is on board with the decision.
"I think the general feedback has been quite constructive. The fans recognise Brendon was a good player, but they also recognise we have a lot of other good players and we can't disproportionately pay players. To over-pay Brendon is to disrespect some of the great players in our football team.''
He says there is still a conversation to be had about the level of compensation for free agents, but believes the Saints deserved pick 13 for Goddard.
"When you lose a great player its probably reasonable that you get compensation. You would expect me to say that but there are clearly sides disappointed with the outcomes.''
Passing up on Goddard has allowed the club to get its salary cap back in check, with the Saints having ended their cap crisis.
"We are really comfortable where we are at financially across a range of things,'' he said.
"Next year you have to spend 95 per cent of your salary cap, so the margin is not that great. Most caps will be pretty full because you have to spend the money.''
Several back-ended deals are expected to improve the club's position even more one season on.
A five-game, three-year deal to play games in New Zealand is also worth around $500,000 per game.
Nettlefold said the protective "bubble'' that operated under Ross Lyon has well and truly been burst.
"I think we needed to make our members feel more part of it. We want to be more user-friendly, we have held more open training sessions and fan days at Moorabin, so we have done a lot more community work with our members. Hopefully it will feed into greater take-up and greater retention.''
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