The Herald
Sun reports
today that the Players’ Association is expected to launch an investigation into
prominent player manager and former Adelaide Seven network football journalist
Max Stevens, for allegedly providing Big Brother
tickets to prospective top draft pick, Bryce Gibbs and his family.
Gibbs is only 16 and cannot be drafted until next year, but he’s
already been touted as the 2006 stand-out first pick and his family has
discussed his future with several prospective managers.

In the
highly competitive field of AFL player management, just like its NRL fraternal
equivalent, some player agents are willing to go the extra yard to help
sign young talent before their first professional senior football contract. In
the AFL this then entitles a manager or his company to a 3% commission, although
Caroline Wilson
in The Sunday Age claimed some are now charging 5%.

Managers use a variety of techniques to try to sway a signature their way,
although the best usually settle for their reputation and track record as the most powerful incentive. And the AFL and the AFL
Players’ Association don’t want to see the commercial recruitment of the code’s young talent, turn into a Jerry Maguire style “here’s what I am
prepared to do for you” bidding war that goes way beyond offering professional services.

According to the
Herald Sun, Bryce Gibbs’s father, Ross, has confirmed receiving Big Brother tickets, and if
they came from Stevens he could possibly be banned as a player manager –
although the players’ union wouldn’t dare take such drastic action. Any
major sanction against an agent would be an interesting test case as to
the legal status of what could be termed “a secret commission.”

There
was criticism of player managers last week by a gathering of AFL chief
executives with some complaining that agents are forging a closer
personal relationship with players than their own clubs. While this is hardly a
crime and, in some instances, I would argue more than deserved given how clubs’
loyalties can shift in the blink of an eye, there are two interesting sides to
this story, including what’s really going on regarding marketing commissions
being paid to agents. It’s worth closer examination. Stayed
tuned.