Why must every club make 3 draft selections ?

[Homer Simpson for Lance]

What is the reason for this rule ?

Is it to make sure that a minumum number of kids get drafted every year ?

If a club wanted to trade away its picks for players, elevate multiple rookies, maintain its list etc...... it would hardly create a severe reduction in opportunity for youngsters.

By telling a club it must draft at least 3 players every year the AFL is also telling clubs that they must sack/delist at least 3 every year

Why ?

[Osmodiar]

I think that is a requirement, you must delist at least 3 players per season or something like that. As for why, I am not sure. good question though

[mojon95]

I think that is a requirement, you must delist at least 3 players per season or something like that. As for why, I am not sure. good question though

to help the club financially, lots of young kids wouldn't expect much salary, and 150+ gamers would.... ie. McVeigh to Hislop or Fletcher to Lee

[KnockOut]

List management is the key. With all the work going into development and recruiting seeing a club delist a rookie in it's third year is a tough thing to do even if they haven't come on as a player yet. Clubs packaging players/picks for lower picks will be a trend in the following trade periods with clubs like Hawthorn and Carlton carrying very little as far as 'spuds' in the coming years. Lets just hope the team behind the trading show some heart and prolong the careers of those not needed, ala Steven King.

[Groucho]

I think this came about a few years ago when some teams were refusing to take many players in the draft and getting by with a primary lists of 35 or 36 ,usually due to salary cap problems. The AFL decided to regulate the draft as a result and insist that all teams had to have a primary list of 38 and that a minimum of 3 selections must be made in the draft. I don't believe there was any particular reason for 3 draft selections being the minimum beyond a perceived need to regulate so that everyone understood what they had to do.

[Weaver]

I think this came about a few years ago when some teams were refusing to take many players in the draft and getting by with a primary lists of 35 or 36 ,usually due to salary cap problems. The AFL decided to regulate the draft as a result and insist that all teams had to have a primary list of 38 and that a minimum of 3 selections must be made in the draft. I don't believe there was any particular reason for 3 draft selections being the minimum beyond a perceived need to regulate so that everyone understood what they had to do.


The 3-selection minimum predates the requirement to have a full list.

Go back to the very first draft in 1986 and every club had to have exactly 5 picks.

At that time the draft was a joke and many clubs would not have participated if they had not been forced to. For many of those early years it was basically a draft for Vic Country and Tassie players only. So early doors it was entirely about trying to give the draft some legitimacy.

The 3-vacancy rule is a legacy of that. Also a part (theoretically) of rotating talent so that one club doesn't stockpile players - they have to move some blokes on every year and another club might pick them up.

Finally a lot of the draft / list / cap rules are about protecting us from the mismanagement of the clubs.

For example Geelong might have been tempted to keep their 42 player squad intact. That might have appealled to Thompson, Cook etc with a view to winning a 2nd premiership. Coaches, admins etc might make short term decisions like that. In 6 years time when Geelong fans might regret not drafting any players over a 2-year period. At least this way clubs are forced to keep building teams - and that is a little protection for fans.

[Ants]

I was under the impression it was also to promote junior participation in footy. Knowing there are probably at least 50 kids going into the comp would encourage kids to stay playing footy, rather than taking up other sports.