Call to give Suns extra salary cap allowance

THE AFL has been urged to give Gold Coast up to an extra $2 million a year in their salary cap to help save the embattled club.

Leading player agent Liam Pickering said the AFL should revive the controversial cost of living allowance (COLA) to help the struggling Suns retain their star players and attract new talent.

Despite an upset win over Sydney on Saturday, Gold Coast remains entrenched in the bottom part of the ladder and faces the loss of superstar goalkicker Tom Lynch (pictured) at season’s end.

The AFL phased out the COLA allowance for Sydney after the club signed superstar forward Lance Franklin in 2013.

But Pickering said the Suns would struggle to rise up the ladder unless the AFL stepped in with a seven-figure salary cap boost.

Pickering, who manages former Suns’ captain Gary Ablett, said the Suns “genuinely need help” and would “waste another 10 years” if they didn’t receive it.

“It is at that stage with Gold Coast, especially with these big name players that appear to be looking to go, I would give them exactly what they (AFL) did with Sydney and Brisbane back in the day,” he said.

“Call it COLA allowance, and give them an allowance to recruit. (About) $1 million or $2 million extra.

“I don’t think they should be paying the same salary cap as everyone else at the moment.

“They definitely need an extra (priority draft) pick at the moment, but I reckon they (also) need more cap room to be able to recruit.”

Lynch is tipped to join Richmond, Hawthorn or Collingwood at season’s end, following Jaeger O’Meara and Dion Prestia out the door.