Opinion Is it time for a priority pick rethink?

[BluesRule]

Watching this weekends games there is a huge disparity in the clubs (one sided games) and it has become a lot harder for a club to use the AFL draft to get back into contention.

Free agency has allowed the more successful clubs (like Geelong, Hawks, Norths) to stay at the top longer. Plus Players on the verge of success will take pay cuts to win a flag (increased lifetime earnings) so the Salary cap is failing to equalise teams.

Recent trading has shown clubs like Hawthorn can screw the weak clubs ie. a #2 pick from GWS for a later pick, fear of losing player for less in free agency, by getting a player to nominate a club, promise of success so player takes less $ to move than they demand from old club, etc.

It is hard to see Carlton being a contender for at least 5 years, which means decreased interest (memberships/ticket sales/TV views) which hurts the AFL (also applies to Brisbane, etc.). There are few avenues to bridge the gap that now exists between the best and worst teams, so the AFL competition will become more boring/predictable and naturally public interest will follow.

Is it time to bring back the priority pick for clubs who win less than 4 games?




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[zeeCFC]

We played finals two years ago. We don't deserve one...if we got one Brisbane sure as hell needs one.

No to both, Lions still manage to get players like Beams and Christensen over.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

The priority pick system encourages tanking. I'm not a fan.

 

[ferrisb]

Pfft....4 losses in a year? We can do that in a month

 

[Jatz]

Definitely not. Why should we be rewarded for our problems we created?

Also, Melbourne are proof that all the draft picks in the world won't necessarily improve your performance.

 

[BluesRule]

Pfft....4 losses in a year? We can do that in a month

DOH!

 

[ferrisb]

I don't really support the priority pick, as per Mebby's comments.

However, I can appreciate that potentially a club will find itself in a really dire situation that may require emergency action.

IF it is going to exist, at least the AFL discretion makes it harder to tank as you don't know where the target of 'too sh!t' is...

 

[BluesRule]

Definitely not. Why should we be rewarded for our problems we created?

Also, Melbourne are proof that all the draft picks in the world won't necessarily improve your performance.

Agree we have made a mess of our own drafting.
Plus we have not developed some kids as we hoped.
Plus we signed a stadium deal that has cost us financially (compared to playing at PP).
But we have also lost good players for nothing due to AFL Free agency (Betts, Waite, etc.) but I guess we knew the rules and did not use them well.
So why are we coping so poorly with AFL Rule changes all the time. Are we just not any good, or are we getting the wrong end of the stick?

Melbourne a bit unlucky they were drafting when the draft was compromised. Seem to be on the right track now, but they have similar head office problems (poor membership/unknown values (what do they stand for?)/lack of key talent/etc.

 

[Jatz]

Agree we have made a mess of our own drafting.
Plus we have not developed some kids as we hoped.
Plus we signed a stadium deal that has cost us financially (compared to playing at PP).
But we have also lost good players for nothing due to AFL Free agency (Betts, Waite, etc.) but I guess we knew the rules and did not use them well.
So why are we coping so poorly with AFL Rule changes all the time. Are we just not any good, or are we getting the wrong end of the stick?

Melbourne a bit unlucky they were drafting when the draft was compromised. Seem to be on the right track now, but they have similar head office problems (poor membership/unknown values (what do they stand for?)/lack of key talent/etc.

We weren't complaining about Free Agency when we acquired Thomas using it.

It's time for our club to look in the mirror and admit our faults. No more quick fixes or asking for handouts. Time to roll the sleeves up and fix this ourselves.

 

[Robbo's my hero]

I'd say it would take a Royal Commission to sort out what is wrong with the draft. I don't think Tony Abbott has the ticker to take it on. AFL has too many 'friends' with influence.

 

[passmark]

The priority pick system encourages tanking. I'm not a fan.

Me neither.

But I'll take one if they offer.

 

[Blue__Balls]

I'm not totally against the concept, but it should be a default "end-of-first-round" pick, not tied to the club's ladder placement.

Taking it a step further, could something like that be worked into the draft order every year? Wooden spoon gets an additional pick at the end of the first round, no questions asked. If a club is deemed to be tanking, they lose that pick and cop a fine.

Less incentive to tank, as it's not gonna net you a Schache or Weitering type, but allows the bottom placed club to turn over an extra list clogger with a decent draft prospect. And as an added bonus, doesn't screw over any other clubs plans for the first round, and can be calculated into later rounds from day one, as opposed to being thrown in at the last moment.

Thoughts?

 

[BluesRule]

I'm not totally against the concept, but it should be a default "end-of-first-round" pick, not tied to the club's ladder placement.

Taking it a step further, could something like that be worked into the draft order every year? Wooden spoon gets an additional pick at the end of the first round, no questions asked. If a club is deemed to be tanking, they lose that pick and cop a fine.

Less incentive to tank, as it's not gonna net you a Schache or Weitering type, but allows the bottom placed club to turn over an extra list clogger with a decent draft prospect. And as an added bonus, doesn't screw over any other clubs plans for the first round, and can be calculated into later rounds from day one, as opposed to being thrown in at the last moment.

Thoughts?

Like it BB.

Adds to club depth and hope for the future so should help equalise competition.

Could it apply to bottom four clubs not just last placed so less incentive to race for bottom?

 

[BluesRule]

We weren't complaining about Free Agency when we acquired Thomas using it.

It's time for our club to look in the mirror and admit our faults. No more quick fixes or asking for handouts. Time to roll the sleeves up and fix this ourselves.

Agree with sentiment, but very hard to do when the salary cap hurts us (players will play for less at a club that is in contention), free agency hurts us (weak clubs are losing good players to the better clubs), we do not have an academy, or a cost of living bonus, etc.

We do have some great kids coming through as father/sons (assuming Rice chooses to join Carlton), a great history, nice outfit, great location, passionate supporter base, ...

Fix is long haul solution, we must get everything right, and the house rules are not in our favour?

 

[Blue__Balls]

Like it BB.

Adds to club depth and hope for the future so should help equalise competition.

Could it apply to bottom four clubs not just last placed so less incentive to race for bottom?

Thought about it, but there's always going to be someone just outside the group though. The question then becomes "why not make it bottom 6"?, or "anyone who doesn't play finals?" and all of a sudden you've just added an extra half round.

Also have to consider the flow-on effect to later rounds - one extra pick doesn't make much difference, but if teams in the 30-35 range get pushed back to 34-39 there might be some issues.

I figure as long as the AFL is clear that blatant tanking will not be accepted, it should be manageable.

 

[Blue__Balls]

Agree with sentiment, but very hard to do when the salary cap hurts us (players will play for less at a club that is in contention), free agency hurts us (weak clubs are losing good players to the better clubs), we do not have an academy, or a cost of living bonus, etc.

We do have some great kids coming through as father/sons (assuming Rice chooses to join Carlton), a great history, nice outfit, great location, ...

Fix is long haul solution, we must get everything right, and the house rules are not in our favour?

Can someone shed some light on why we need Free Agency at all?

It requires players to be out of contract...if they're out of contract they're free to request a trade...if they request a trade, they can nominate their preferred destination...if their preferred club wants them, they make an offer...if a trade takes place, their original club gets "fair market value" in return...

Seems unnecessarily convoluted to throw Free Agency with vague compensation picks into the mix, when the trade system already allows moves to take place.

 

[El Topo]

The draft is ineffective for equalization for the same reasons as the salary cap. The issues are structural and no amount of picks will fix what's wrong with carlton and various cellar dwellers before us.

 

[ShanDog]

Can someone shed some light on why we need Free Agency at all?

It requires players to be out of contract...if they're out of contract they're free to request a trade...if they request a trade, they can nominate their preferred destination...if their preferred club wants them, they make an offer...if a trade takes place, their original club gets "fair market value" in return...

Seems unnecessarily convoluted to throw Free Agency with vague compensation picks into the mix, when the trade system already allows moves to take place.

We don't need free agency but the players wanted it. They are the ones who forced its introduction.

 

[Styxx]

Not under the old system.

However at discretion as long as the club that chooses to apply for such pick meets legitimate criteria it may work.

 

[BluesRule]

We don't need free agency but the players wanted it. They are the ones who forced its introduction.

Agree free agency distorts the equalisation/drafting/game so much that it needs a rethink.

Compensation picks effect every other club (i.e.. Frawley pick meant everyone was disadvantaged but Melbourne).

Club losing a player needs something back, but problem is club who gains a player has ZERO trading cost - maybe they should lose a compensation pick in the draft or in next years draft? Currently open to rorting as there is an advantage.

And as players (i.e. Lake) take a lower salary to get a chance at a flag it severely distorts salary cap.

 

[Just Kreuzing]

No to a priority pick, we have the opportunity to exploit the system for good compensation/reward like many clubs have done in the past should we need to without asking for handouts from the AFL.

 

[ShanDog]

Agree free agency distorts the equalisation/drafting/game so much that it needs a rethink.

Compensation picks effect every other club (i.e.. Frawley pick meant everyone was disadvantaged but Melbourne).

Club losing a player needs something back, but problem is club who gains a player has ZERO trading cost - maybe they should lose a compensation pick in the draft or in next years draft? Currently open to rorting as there is an advantage.

And as players (i.e. Lake) take a lower salary to get a chance at a flag it severely distorts salary cap.

Yes but the argument to that is the salary cap is the regulator - there's a limit to the 'abuse' of the FA system.

Trading, drafting and FA will continue to change. In 20 years time, it will be very different I am sure. Probably mirroring US sports such as Basketball and NFL more.

 

[BluesRule]

The draft is ineffective for equalization for the same reasons as the salary cap. The issues are structural and no amount of picks will fix what's wrong with carlton and various cellar dwellers before us.

So should we go back to a free for all? Would mean players salaries increase, but clubs may collapse and the now big clubs would have most to gain. Interesting that NRL competition seems more competitive without these rules (lower clubs win more games).

 

[Just Kreuzing]

Yes but the argument to that is the salary cap is the regulator - there's a limit to the 'abuse' of the FA system.

Trading, drafting and FA will continue to change. In 20 years time, it will be very different I am sure. Probably mirroring US sports such as Basketball and NFL more.

Yep, wait for the luxury tax and trading of future picks and trading during the season hits.....

 

[ShanDog]

Can definitely see mid-year trading as an inevitability as well as looser trading and FA restrictions in general.