The draft myth?

[Debris]

The AFL draft is meant to even out the talent between the teams but it looks to be a complete failure. The NRL has been operating without a draft and the results since 2000 seem to back this up. The NRL has had 12 different teams win the competition as compare to 8 in the AFL. The AFL has had 3 dynasties since 2000 (Hawthorn, Geelong and Lions) whereas the NRL has had none (if you exclude Melbourne for cheating the salary cap). It also feels like the AFL has more clubs mired in mediocrity with no hope of winning the competition in the foreseeable future.

Why is the draft failing to even out the competition? Is it time to get rid of the draft and let players play for whichever team they want if the club can afford them under the cap?

 

[SherbertLemon]

Compromised draft has seriously empowered teams that had already built their list. Also free agency for a top 4 side is laughable.

The draft is fine. The top teams just managed their list really well.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I know my club would probably be at a disadvantage, as we are not perceived as a destination club, but personally I've wanted this for years. Along with a lower salary floor, and ALL payments to be included in a properly policed cap. Too often, unexpected performance bonuses, etc, are allowed or let go with minimal
Removing the draft gets rid of the temptation and perception of tanking. And a lower floor would allow the weaker clubs on-field to build more quickly, which would give free agency a better chance of doing the job (that is true, with or without a draft).

The salary cap would have to be absolutely rigorously and ruthlessly policed though. Otherwise, Melbourne Storm.

 

[RUNVS]

Since 2000 the AFL have had

Essendon
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Sydney
West Coast
Geelong
Hawthorn
Collingwood

win the flag and to be honest that really is not a lot of clubs for 16 years. Even worse if you only consider since 2007 as then you only have

Geelong
Hawthorn
Collingwood
Sydney

so 4 teams winning the flag in 9 years is pitiful.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I always find it funny that many support free agency and think players have the right to have a say where they play but they don't want them to have that right at the age of 18? It is hypocritical to like free agency but being against players playing where they want to play at 18.
We have a draft to maintain Victorian sides, that is the only reason.
We ask our supporters and members to be loyal, stand by your club etc yet the players that get drafted are members and supporters also of clubs probably and they are then told to drop your loyalty and go play for the enemy.
It is a stupid stupid system, always has been and always will be.
Zones is the best system

 

[beta_condition]

The draft is working, what the draft causes is phases where a few team dominate due to past picks, you don't win one flag and lose all of that talent, each team in theory should be a contender for 3-5 years when their list hits a peak, of course there is exceptions to this in teams like Melbourne, Sydney, Hawthorn but that's a bases of a fair system working, you're not meant to have an 18 team competition win 1 flag each over an 18 year period.

 

[Farang83150]

I always find it funny that many support free agency and think players have the right to have a say where they play but they don't want them to have that right at the age of 18? It is hypocritical to like free agency but being against players playing where they want to play at 18.
We have a draft to maintain Victorian sides, that is the only reason.
We ask our supporters and members to be loyal, stand by your club etc yet the players that get drafted are members and supporters also of clubs probably and they are then told to drop your loyalty and go play for the enemy.
It is a stupid stupid system, always has been and always will be.
Zones is the best system

How would Sydney, GWS, Freo (couldn't resist), Suns and Brisbane go without the draft though?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

How would Sydney, GWS, Suns and Brisbane go without the draft though?

They produce drafted players every year, they would play for those clubs.
But even with a draft why can't the clubs have one priority pick every year from their home state before the draft?
The best 10 players in Victoria go to Victorian clubs, the best two West Aussies go to the Eagles and Dockers, then SA etc etc and then after that we have the draft.

 

[Farang83150]

They produce drafted players every year, they would play for those clubs.
But even with a draft why can't the clubs have one priority pick every year from their home state before the draft?
The best 10 players in Victoria go to Victorian clubs, the best two West Aussies go to the Eagles and Dockers, then SA etc etc and then after that we have the draft.

Genuine question, do they produce enough?
Love the idea of top players staying at home.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Genuine question, do they produce enough?
Love the idea of top players staying at home.

The real answer is probably not which is why I said why don't all clubs get a priority pick from their states first before the draft.

 

[Messenger]

Why is the draft failing to even out the competition? Is it time to get rid of the draft and let players play for whichever team they want if the club can afford them under the cap?

You're assuming every club makes good draft selections, have an equal capability to develop that talent and are equally well coached.

The question I'd ask is how can some clubs continue to fail with a cavalcade of high draft picks?

 

[Sultan]

I think you have to look at the ease of player movement in the NRL as the main reason more teams can contend in a certain span of time.

As another poster mentioned earlier, if a team drafts well, they often have sustained success as that group will more often than not stick together.

 

[Pinpoint Pass]

Compromised draft has seriously empowered teams that had already built their list. Also free agency for a top 4 side is laughable.

The draft is fine. The top teams just managed their list really well.

That is so true.

 

[Debris]

The real answer is probably not which is why I said why don't all clubs get a priority pick from their states first before the draft.

The solution to that might be just to let players from a zone move to a different club if they might get a better opportunity there. It depends on how much of a pay cut players are willing to take to win football games

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Compromised draft has seriously empowered teams that had already built their list. Also free agency for a top 4 side is laughable.

The draft is fine. The top teams just managed their list really well.

I don't think there should be a rule regarding that, but with a lower cap floor the spud teams would have that much more available room and the already powerful sides would not be able to compete in terms of dollars.
If you can build a top team and manage it well enough to have the room, then why not.

Getting rid of the draft would also involve being able to offer different contracts to kids. A spoon team should have more cap room available, with a lower floor, both to free agents and kids. It gives the clubs more control over their own lists, good management still prevails, bad management does not and nor does it get a leg-up.

 

[Messenger]

Why is the solution always to hinder well run clubs?

 

[Dom PC]

Why is the solution always to hinder well run clubs?

You can't be a well run club without the perks of a lower club? Bit like saying why can't the premiership club get the number 1 draft pick... punishing the best run team everyone is!

 

[The Swert]

Since 2000 the AFL have had

Essendon
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Sydney
West Coast
Geelong
Hawthorn
Collingwood

win the flag and to be honest that really is not a lot of clubs for 16 years. Even worse if you only consider since 2007 as then you only have

Geelong
Hawthorn
Collingwood
Sydney

so 4 teams winning the flag in 9 years is pitiful.

Is it really that bad?

How do those stats compare to pre-2000? How do they compare to other team sports like Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Cricket?

It doesn't seem that bad.

Since 1999,
- 16 clubs have made a grand final (no Tigers or Bulldogs)
- 18 clubs have made a prelim (all except Gold Coast and GWS)

 

[Messenger]

You can't be a well run club without the perks of a lower club? Bit like saying why can't the premiership club get the number 1 draft pick... punishing the best run team everyone is!

It's nothing like that at all.

If a group of clubs have a period of success the feeling seems to be we need to exclude them from free agency or, in a particularly peculiar suggestion, remove the draft and throw the perennially s**t completely to the wolves.

How about bad teams make better choices?

 

[The Joker]

How many Vic, WA or SA kids would want to go to QLD or NSW if they had a choice at 17/18 years old.

 

[Debris]

Is it really that bad?

How do those stats compare to pre-2000? How do they compare to other team sports like Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Cricket?

It doesn't seem that bad.

Since 1999,
- 16 clubs have made a grand final (no Tigers or Bulldogs)
- 18 clubs have made a prelim (all except Gold Coast and GWS)

It is bad in the sense that it is a restriction of trade, like getting a university degree but the university gets to choose who you work for and then not being able to leave that job, not matter how bad the work environment, without ruining your career. It might be justifiable if it really was evening out the teams but it does not seem to be.

 

[Farang83150]

How many Vic, WA or SA kids would want to go to QLD or NSW if they had a choice at 17/18 years old.

FA i'd recon.

 

[AstonSouffle]

Not entirely sure if watching a fully utilised South Freo, East Freo and Peel(properly funded in such a situation) in action would be too appealing to the rest of the competition.

Likewise if West Coast were able to fully use their funds, to the majority of the state.

Plus it'd kill plenty of Melbourne clubs quickly, unless you start propping up rules similar to soccer where movement between zones is extremely difficult(even then, not too great).

 

[mike123]

Three Dynasties didn't happen because of the draft, Brisbane had extra salary cap, Geelong had good luck with father sons, and Hawthorn peaked when GWS and Gold Coast had a monopoly on the draft and halted other teams from developing to challenge them.

 

[Elvis]

The draft should be simple. Honestly, how hard is it to line it all up and base it upon ladder position? But no, the AFL have had to try and be too clever by half and introduce fluid and discretionary priority picks. I mean look at Hawthorn. Before any Hawks supporters get their knickers in a twist they should be commended for astute trading, and drafting. But Hodge and Roughead and to a lesser extent Ellis as priority picks is too much. When they nailed their picks around the priority picks, is it any wonder they are the juggernaut they are now. Particularly when the compromised drafts for the expansion clubs meant that no one could get access to high end talent.

The draft is fine ... If the AFL dont * around with it and make things up on the go