Former Carlton premiership star Scott Camporeale believes Zac Williams is not worth the money the Blues paid for him.
Williams moved to Carlton as a free agent on a deal worth up to $900,000 a season.
The halfback is expected to spend more time in midfield next season but Camporeale has questioned the amount of money paid to lure Williams from GWS and believes players are being paid for their potential rather than their performances.
“I’ve said this for a long period of time even when I was at Adelaide – players now get paid on potential not on performance,” Camporeale said on ABC Grandstand and reported by Matt Balmer from Fox Sports.
“Zac Williams for example six years at between $700,000 and $900,000 [to join Carlton from GWS], Zac Williams is not worth that amount of money in my eyes.
“If you’re earning, once again in my opinion, $700,000 or $900,000, then you’re a matchwinner, you’re serving up Dustin Martin or Patrick Dangerfield-type performances week in, week out, I don’t see Zac Williams in that light at the moment.”
Camporeale also took aim at clubs taking financial risks on injury-prone players such as Brisbane's recruitment of Joe Daniher on a reported deal worth $800,000 a year.
“If Daniher is getting three years at $800,000 guaranteed, having run a business I think that’s risky business in my eyes.
“He’s 28 and has played 15 games in the last three seasons, I don’t think that’s great business."