The Caceres Clause controversy: History repeats in Auckland

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Image credit: Austadiums

The ‘Caceres Clause’ has come into question from teams and fans across the A-League about how newly formed Auckland FC were able to make a move for Alex Paulsen on a loan move from sister club AFC Bournemouth.

The rule was originally introduced in 2016 to prevent transfers and loans between related clubs after Manchester City was able to sign Anthony Caceres from the Central Coast Mariners and was immediately loaned out to Melbourne City.

However, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has released a statement on the A-Leagues website saying the rule will be reviewed before the upcoming season:

“The APL was approached by numerous clubs in May about the possibility of reviewing the ‘Caceres Clause’ due to the increased transfer market opportunity for clubs as well as changes in the broader club ownership structures in place since the inception of the player contract rule in 2016,” the statement read.

A review process was implemented to get feedback from all clubs about the rule change considering:

  • If any guardrails would be required
  • The league and club’s emphasis on youth development
  • Improving overseas talent pathways
  • Increasing opportunities for international player transfer and loan fees

From this, a player contracting rule change was supported by all clubs, with the premise that the APL reviews and maintains certain guardrails that balance the development of the league while ensuring competition integrity.

The update the APL provided also said:

  • At the end of every season, the APL reviews the Player Contract Regulations and Competition Policies and Regulations in line with feedback from key stakeholders.
  • Any rule change is subject to approval by Football Australia as part of the Player Contract Regulations and Competition Policies and Regulations with the APL that occurs ahead of each season.

General Manager of Wellington Phoenix, David Dome, replied to the news with a statement seeking further information about the rule change and Paulsen’s loan deal to Auckland FC.

“While the club in principle supports adapting the ‘Caceres Clause’ to allow Paulsen to return to the Isuzu UTE A-League for the 2024-25 season, it has a number of questions that have yet to be answered,” he said via a media release.

“Most importantly we don’t know what “player registration and salary cap treatment guardrails” will be in place that the APL say will “balance development of the A-League while ensuring competition integrity.

“We also note all player contract regulations and competition policies have yet to be approved by Football Australia.”

Paulsen’s pending move back home to Auckland raises many questions about not only the rule itself but also the landscape of how transfer and loan deals are done moving forward in the A-League.

Besides Auckland FC – Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory are all part of multi-club partnerships and if this move is approved, we may see these clubs make similar moves to gain a competitive advantage.

Football Australia has not announced if the rule has been officially changed at the time of writing which means Paulsen is still unable to be registered as an official Auckland FC player, despite the announcement.

It’s a matter of time until we see the final verdict on this saga, but it will be intriguing to see if the deal falls through because of the ‘Caceres Clause.’

Brisbane Roar teams up with Monochrome as Platinum Partner

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Image credit: Brisbane Roar website

Brisbane Roar confirmed Monochrome Corporation will become their Platinum Partner and A-League Men’s match day kit sleeve sponsor for the upcoming 2024/25 season.

Monochrome is a diversified financial services group specialising in crypto-assets and infrastructure projects within the bitcoin and digital asset sector across the Asia-Pacific region.

Earlier this year, Monochrome’s asset management division launched the Monochrome Bitcoin ETF (Ticker: IBTC), Australia’s first ETF to directly hold bitcoin.

A cryptocurrency company partnering with a club in the A-League is an extremely rare case and could signify a change in the future with this Brisbane Roar deal.

Central Coast Mariners partnered with Australian crypto platform Zipmex back in April of 2022 with the partnership becoming a joint deal with NRL club Penrith Panthers, however, this collaboration didn’t last very long at all, dissolving in 2023.

The other major codes in Australia have accepted multi-million dollar deals in crypto and the A-League could follow suit in the coming years if it becomes more acceptable.

Brisbane Roar Chairman & CEO, Kaz Patafta expressed his excitement and discussed the way this will benefit the club.

“We are delighted to welcome Monochrome to the club for the upcoming season. Monochrome is a leader in their field and a pioneer in the ETF investment space for crypto and bitcoin exposure. We are greatly appreciative for their support of our A-League Men’s program, and we look forward to seeing this partnership grow,” Patafta explained in a press release.

Monochrome CEO, Jeff Yew also commented on the collaboration and how the two parties are tied to the same values.

“Monochrome has been a long-standing supporter of Australian athletes and sporting events. Furthering our commitment to excellence alongside Brisbane Roar which aligns well with Monochrome’s brand values,” Yew said in a press release.

Brisbane Roar secure an important deal financially for the club and are busy once again in the offseason as they remain one of the strongest business clubs in the league.

This crypto deal is pioneering and could also give a glimpse into the potential for more deals like this if it becomes successful, with clubs becoming increasingly desperate for stable, financially-heavy partnerships.

Football Queensland will keep registration fees unchanged for 2025

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Football Queensland (FQ) has decided to buck national trends in increased registration fees by keeping the same low fees from past seasons for 2025.

FQ’s prices for the 2025 season will be $50 for MiniRoos, $66 for Juniors and $130 for Seniors making them the lowest registration fees in Australia.

President of Football Queensland, Paula Robinson, champions the federation’s economic management throughout the years to deliver affordable sport to a growing audience.

“The Football Queensland Board of Directors is extremely proud to keep its registration fees unchanged for yet another year. Having the lowest registration fees of any Member Federation means football in Queensland is one of the most financially accessible sports in the country. No wonder we have more Queenslanders than ever wanting to take to the football fields,” she said via FQ press release.

“As we continue to experience record year-on-year growth in participation across the state, the decision to not increase governing body fees for a fifth year reflects Football Queensland’s commitment to ensuring football remains accessible to all Queenslanders, no matter their age, background or location.”

Football Queensland CEO, Robert Cavallucci, explained how the governing body continue to manage difficult reforms.

“Football Queensland continues to undertake very difficult and significant reforms to its operational design, execution and statewide governance structures to transform how we deliver football and ensure the game can handle its evolving needs well into the future,” he said via press release.

“Coupled with prudent financial management, these reforms continue placing significant downward pressure on football’s volatile and high inflationary cost environment to deliver stable registration benefits to participants across the state. 

“After another exciting 2024 season, we look forward to welcoming participants back next year and seeing even more Queenslanders join our game in 2025.”

The registration fees for FQ have been the lowest in the nation for 5 years with the federation not allowing price increases since 2020, including in 2022 where on average football prices saw a 30% increase nationwide.

With the recent cost of living crisis in Australia, the cost of sports has been a massive influence on players either starting or returning to play football in Australia.

FQ’s massive increase in participants has made football the most-played team sport in Queensland, having the largest increase in players of all state federations last season. The continued low prices have been voiced as a key contributor to this success.

As a federation with a large contribution to Australian football in player numbers and successful professionals, its ability to keep prices low is a massive accomplishment.

Other state federations should look to FQ for inspiration in replicating their economic management if Australia wants to maintain participant numbers and ease the financial pressure to play football.

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