I agree let's encourage imports that are around for a few years to get that.

Also NBL should be paying Cotton for an ambassadorship to keep him here, he’s too valuable marketing wise and too box office to not do it

I don't disagree and Cotton being so small yet dominant amazes 'casual' viewers rather than some Montrezl Harrell bullying people because he's too strong, intimidates them etc

But this is Cotton's 9th season in the NBL he's had years to get his citizenship in order to allow him to be a local player and thus Perth could marquee his contract.

I can't remember the exact details but he got some bad advice during Covid he didn't want to spend time away from his family by leaving the country and flying back in, 2 weeks quarantine there and another 2 weeks back in and instead opted for a high risk strategy of flying to Melbourne to be arrested and then released which unfortunately reset the timer back to zero. He should be close now to having done his four years?

Anyway unfortunately for him he buggered up his citizenship and has to deal with the consequences. If that means he has to keep playing here as an import until his citizenship goes through so be it.

You could hardly blame him for not wanting to be with his family, he should said he was au pair and would have it sorted out instantly. My point is that it would give other quality imports the chance to plan instead of chasing the next bigger contract. Players like Prather, Doyle would have good reason to stay long term, rewards loyalty by club and players.

I like the idea of a qualification period for imports to be marquees. We want quality imports to stay long term.

They can apply for citizenship after four seasons so what's the issue? The marquee rule is set up to try and keep elite Aussies in the NBL, most imports will nearly always chase the money regardless. I don't see a legit reason to allow imports to be marquees when they can be if they naturalise after four seasons.

That would see the big money clubs like Sydney and Melbourne buy up the elite imports to 'fit' them inside the cap whilst still stockpiling elite Aussies. This arms race BS has to stop at some point. Those big money clubs already have an inherent advantage as it is that small clubs like Cairns can't possibly compete with.

The Wildcats are absolutely loaded if they can't come up with enough room in the salary cap to keep Cotton, because he buggered up/doesn't want to naturalise, tough. Keep in mind this is all because Cotton's a FA at the end of the season and he's just trying to get one last big contract out of the Wildcats. He threatens to leave every time, gets them over a barrel and then re-signs, no doubt same thing will happen this time.

I can't remember the exact details but he got some bad advice during Covid he didn't want to spend time away from his family by leaving the country and flying back in, 2 weeks quarantine there and another 2 weeks back in and instead opted for a high risk strategy of flying to Melbourne to be arrested and then released which unfortunately reset the timer back to zero. He should be close now to having done his four years?

Lots of migrants from the fifties and sixties have lived in Australia all their life and still aren't naturalised, some people just prefer to stay where they’re born. Scottish, Irish, English and European are prime examples.

Cotton is going to earn 1.2 million plus next season, I’d prefer to see that in the nbl. Your team can have as much money as they like, on cap of just under 2 million if one contract 1.2 million towards the cap it’s going to scrubs left. 800k for another ten players. The minimum wage next season is 80k, so all other players will be on that. Lmao.

You wouldn’t be allowed an extra marquee just a loyal import that served his team and the nbl well.

"The marquee rule is set up to try and keep elite Aussies in the NBL."

Correct, and this change would mean it could also be used to keep long-serving imports in the NBL.

"It didn't reset the clock, it made him ineligible to ever get citizenship."

Okay I hadn't heard that before but if that's the case why was Gleeson picking Cotton to be in the Boomers 2024 Olympic team?

Essentially all Cotton needed to do was fly to Bali and back. His stubbornness has cost him.

"to keep long-serving imports in the NBL."

Less than the current four seasons is hardly long-serving.

Exactly Cotton stuffed up big time he tried to be cute didn't want to spend 4 weeks in quarantine so rolled the dice on a gamble and lost. Now we're being asked to change the rules because of one player's poor judgement, I don't think so.

Cotton will likely re-sign with Perth anyway and it might cost them being able to keep Tai Webster or something, big deal.