The way I read it is that Carlton are creating room in their salary cap so they can front load a deal for him. He then set his price way above market value, which no one else can afford because they weren't involved the backroom deal to free up salary cap space.
It's not like he's just setting his price high. He's setting his first year price at Nat Fyfe levels and then taking a paycut for the next 4 years. For the sole intent of manipulating who will draft him.
I don't know the actual rules around this but I think all clubs should have equal access to a player who nominates for the draft, on legitimate terms. Everyone looks the other way when it's a bit of fiddling on the sides but this is so blatant, for the AFL not to act is to condone it.
