The Balmain Dockers have great pleasure in announcing the Southern Cross Hotel as our new after training sponsor. Say hello to Trudie and the gang for a great steak on a Wednesday Night!

http://www.southerncrosshotel.com.au/oscars_grill.aspx

GEELONG chief executive Brian Cook says the short-term future of clubs is all but guaranteed, but relocation could be on the agenda once the new broadcast rights deal ends in 2016.

Relocation remains a dirty word, with clubs adamant they have a healthy financial future in their current zones.

However, an analysis of the annual reports of several clubs shows just how much of a fight it is to simply balance the books.

Some clubs are labelled as a ''going concern'' by auditors. This does not mean they are insolvent but if not for certain financial guarantees, including the support of banks and the AFL, they would face immense difficulties in staying afloat.

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CLUB administrators are still trying to digest the details of free agency just weeks before a list of eligible players is released.

AFL salary cap investigator Ken Wood continues to do the rounds of clubs explaining in detail a league document about how the new system will work, while player agents are still seeking more information and clarification through their governing body, the AFL Players Association.

There has been talk that clubs and agents will look to bend the rules to their benefit, but that appears difficult as the contract details of all players are logged at AFL headquarters. ''We are still looking at all the details. There's obviously still some uncertainty,'' one football manager said yesterday. Said another: ''That's the history of our game - trying to find a way to stretch the rules.''

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