The AFL will investigate the Gold Coast Suns' decision to employ the partner of coach Damien Hardwick, reports Damian Barrett, after rival clubs raised concerns of a possible soft cap breach.
Hardwick's partner Alexandra Crow was recently employed by the club as a consultant on their consumer and commercial strategy projects.
Her employment has prompted calls for clarity over which roles fit into the club's soft cap, with rival clubs reportedly of the view that Crow's payments could effectively add to Hardwick's income at the club.
The idea of a soft cap was first introduced in 2015 as a program to limit non-player related off-field spending, which includes facility expenses, data analysis equipment and coaching staff.
Damien Hardwick and partner Alexandra Crow at the 2024 Brownlow Medal. Getty
Restrictions on club football departments in recent years have been significantly tightened, with the 2025 soft cap limit $7.7 million.
The sum is set to gradually increase to over $8 million by 2027, with clubs still eligible to pay 20 per cent of the senior coach's salary outside the cap.
Suns CEO Mark Evans insisted, when asked by AFL.com.au, that he believes there will be "no issues for the AFL or club on any front" in relation to Crow's role.
Crow previously was employed in an administration role at Richmond during Hardwick's three-time premiership winning reign.
The 52-year-old finished up with the Tigers in 2023 and joined forces with the Suns just 90 days later.
Top AFL coaches, of which Hardwick is one, earn in the ball park of $1 million-a-season, although there is scant detail on the public record about the value of Hardwick's contract with the Suns.
Regardless, the AFL conduct an investigation on the matter, as reported by Barrett on Nine's Footy Classified.
"The employment of a partner of a person who is either on a playing list or panel – that is the domain of the AFL's integrity," Barrett said.
"There was either no knowledge or communications had been sparing sent to the AFL on this.
"At the very least of this, the optics are terrible. The AFL wasn't aware of it, fully."
While no further comment has been made on the investigation, Barrett noted other instances where the integrity of an AFL club's soft cap has come into question.
Most recently, Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott's deal with Morris Finance as chief of leadership was deemed "in the realms of the soft cap."