http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/afl-to-consider-offering-finalsstarved-clubs-an-extra-pick-in-national-draft/news-story/1abbbb84667e79c59bb74d7704d542be

Mark Evans has come out with what I think is actually a fairly good idea. It is basically that if a team has not made finals for a set period of time (they suggest 3 years) then they get an extra pick at the start of the second round, and the team who has been out longest, or is the worst, gets the first of these picks. The idea is to help the club stuck at the bottom to inject talent into their side faster and make the comp more even.

Evans did come out with the following piece of wisdom though:

"Evans said free agency and the expansion clubs had impacted equalisation measures."

“We say that the draft and the salary cap is a great equaliser and that we have added in free agency which doesn’t seem to have the same equalising effect,” Evans said."

No [censored] Sherlock! Did he seriously think free agency would be an equaliser? Dimwit.

David King, who most hate but I like, has been suggesting this for some time.  I think it's a good idea.

Free agency is a killer.  The top 4 or 6 clubs shouldn't be able to accept free agents.  And failing that they should have to pay with draft picks akin to the academy picks.

That would even things up.

I guess it may be a glimmer of a start that they are recognising that free agency hits the lower clubs harder.  Ultimately if things continue there will be 'prime clubs' and 'feeder clubs'.

But another huge issue with 'equalisation' is the draw and the prime time, prime venue games.  The rich will get richer and the poor poorer if this continues - again prime clubs and feeder clubs.

Good idea bring it on! Would give us pick 19 and we don't have a first rounder. We might pick up a Brad Green type.

8 minutes ago, Baghdad Bob said:

David King, who most hate but I like, has been suggesting this for some time.  I think it's a good idea.

Free agency is a killer.  The top 4 or 6 clubs shouldn't be able to accept free agents.  And failing that they should have to pay with draft picks akin to the academy picks.

That would even things up.

I just worry that say if GWS was top of the ladder for the next 8 years with there plethora of young talent that no one from 2-6 will be able to top up with free agents to challenge.

The AFL does so much now to try and equalise things that they either continue shooting themselves in the foot or successful clubs continue to find ways to manipulate the system.

In all sports there are destination teams that continue jagging the best players and sponsorships each year. We just have to harden up and become one.

 

Edited August 10, 20169 yr by deeko

I still think there is a problem with the first round of the draft that this doesn't fix.

By all means use this type of system but have a rolling 3 year ladder for draft positions (at least in the first round) so you don't get anomalies like EFC having the number 1 pick this season.

Free Agency was demanded by the AFLPA as part of their drive against the League's anti competitive practices. You cannot really complain about it as all major sports have similar systems to Free Agency.

The real questions are compensation, salary cap relief and how you can "penalise" the receiving club without unduly restricting the free movement of players. Perhaps a system where the receiving club lost its  draft choice at a round equivalent to that which the "giving" club received might be a start.

As to all the other factors of prime time games, venues etc they are all AFL driven and could be changed if there was a will (which of course there isn't). A caller rang up 3AW last Friday night and said that in light of the low finishes of Richmond and Collingwood should we expect to see the likes of Melbourne and Bulldogs playing more Friday night games next year. The answer was "of course not it's all about ratings." It was not the answer that surprised me but the absolute dismissiveness with which the answer was delivered. When such attitudes prevail we have a very long way to go.