AFL greats Nick Riewoldt and Kane Cornes have emphatically shut down the suggestion that Collingwood should be able to pay Peter Daicos as an ambassador of the club.
Cornes and Riewoldt slammed the idea as “a way around the salary cap” to help them retain Peter’s star sons Nick and Josh at the club, which would set a dangerous precedent for other clubs to “exploit”.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Collingwood exploring ambassador role for Peter Daicos
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Speculation continues to linger that Nick Daicos will be one of Tasmania’s biggest targets ahead of the Devils’ entry to the competition in 2028, despite the superstar midfielder being contracted at Collingwood until 2029.
With unprecedented concessions given to the league’s 19th team, including an allowance of money outside the salary cap for marquee recruits, Daicos could be offered the biggest bounty in the league’s history to head down to the Apple Isle.
On The Agenda Setters on Monday night, Craig Hutchison questioned whether the Magpies had considered the impact Nick’s father Peter would have on his decision.
“Are they (Collingwood) missing a trick in not really looking after Peter Daicos the way they should in advance of that decision?” Hutchison said.
To which Caroline Wilson replied: “It’s funny you should say that, because that’s a conversation that’s being carried out at Collingwood behind closed doors between some of the most senior Collingwood people.
“Interestingly, last year, before the best and fairest — which became (in)famous because Nick Daicos didn’t win and most people thought he should’ve just pipped Darcy Cameron, and we know that the Daicos parents left before it was over — Peter Daicos was driving through the streets of Melbourne and saw his image on a massive billboard in a heritage jumper.
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“And I don’t think Peter Daicos was thrilled about that because no one had told him about it.
“I think the marketing department forgot to tell the commercial department — whatever (it was).
“So, Peter Daicos contacted the club and he was rightly remunerated, as he should’ve been, (for) this big billboard with the heritage jumper.”
Wilson said even before Daicos had reached out to the club, leaders had already been exploring avenues to further satisfy him.
“Now, the conversations have been happening before that with (Collingwood CEO) Craig Kelly, for example, and the Daicos management, ‘Why don’t we send Peter Daicos over to Adelaide and take a group of coterie people and have dinner?’, which has happened,” Wilson said.
“But even more, ‘Why don’t we just pay Peter Daicos on a retainer to be an ambassador for the footy club, which he already is?’ At a time when — and I don’t mean to harp on this, and there has been a bit of a re-dress — when the Daicos family for a while seemed to be travelling the country doing sporties.”
Cornes and Riewoldt quickly jumped all over the suggestion.
“So, is this a way around the salary cap?” Cornes said.
“That’s exactly what it is,” Riewoldt added.
But Wilson said: “I think it’s legitimate, and it’s preferable to an extra $20 a head at the Olympic Hotel in Heidelberg for a photo with the Macedonian Marvel.”
Cornes: “You think the AFL would let Collingwood pay Peter Daicos with the guise of that will keep his sons at the team?”
Riewoldt: “Not a chance. Not a chance.”
Wilson: “They (GWS) paid Tom Scully’s father to be a recruiter (when the Giants entered the competition).”
Riewoldt: “And then they closed that loophole, that was ridiculous.”
Cornes: “Could the Bulldogs do the same with Luke Darcy? Could Brisbane do the same with Marcus Ashcroft? Clubs would be so willing to exploit this.”
Wilson: “This is the most famous Collingwood player ever, or one of them.
“This is someone who is an unashamed marketing man for his kids who is a brilliant ambassador for the footy club, who’s a premiership player — I’d rather him doing that as a club ambassador than him doing sporties.
“And the conversations have hovered around the six-figure mark.”
Hutchison: “There’s not even a debate about this; we brings and offers commercial worth to Collingwood that they have never ever sought to get ahead of.
“I think the Daicoses would be the most commercially viable trio of a family in the game. There’s value in Peter on his own, and there’s value in the three of them there.”
Riewoldt: “There’s no way the AFL would (allow it). It’s a good idea, I’m not saying it’s not a great idea. (But) the AFL won’t do it, there’s no chance.”
