News Coronavirus and the draft

[GUMBLETRON]

First step

Community football gets green light, training rules revealed

AFL Victoria is permitting community footballers to train in groups of 10 from Monday

www.afl.com.au

 

[TradeDraft]

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Going to be one of the worst draft’s of all time due to unforeseen circumstances. Pretty sure the Doggies already have the no 1/most talented player in this crop all sewn up thanks to their academy.

 

[RUNVS]

Going to be one of the worst draft’s of all time due to unforeseen circumstances. Pretty sure the Doggies already have the no 1/most talented player in this crop all sewn up thanks to their academy.

Disagree. There are going to be a tonne of value picks later in the draft. With a bit of luck a club could get a star for pick 60.

 

[Membling]

Going to be interesting.

Will be more higher end "busts" and later gems from this draft.

Will probably impact value of second and third picks. More chances to get it right. That and inflate top 10 picks.

 

[TradeDraft]

Going to be one of the worst draft’s of all time due to unforeseen circumstances. Pretty sure the Doggies already have the no 1/most talented player in this crop all sewn up thanks to their academy.

Could be lot of Mature Age Prospects IF lists are Cut in size

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Disagree. There are going to be a tonne of value picks later in the draft. With a bit of luck a club could get a star for pick 60.

With a bit of luck any pick could be anything. You've no way of knowing that pick 20 will be any better

 

[philthy05]

Let’s not pretend that the recruiters are flying blind here. They’ve been watching these kids for 1-4 years already. This doesn’t make the whole draft harder, it makes a % of the draft harder (the late improvers which they may still get a look at late in the year already, and the chance to see people in new positions like ford in the midfield)

 

[Mego Red]

It’s not like teams will have an U18 team and an U19 team.

The U18 team simply becomes an U19 team.

The best kids, regardless of age, will still go up and play SANFL, WAFL, or VFL. Or reserve level.

Those that aren’t likely to have a footy career drop out.

Meaning the U19’s is still made up of mostly 17 and 18 year olds, and those 19 year olds chasing the dream.

Up in the NEAFL, if we’re are playing with reduced lists, most weeks will see upwards of 11 to 15 or more academy kids playing in the AFL reserve team. Probably the best kids from U17 through to U19.

I'd be happy for an u/19's comp but I don't think the reasons for raising the draft age stack up. Are there any real examples of "draft stress" impacting on kids? Most seem to just be getting on with it, and those that have issues around maturity would have had them anyway.

Give the kids who need another year the chance to keep running around. Let the kids who are ready for it be drafted and start their career.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

ON WHAT THE DRAFT WILL LOOK LIKE THIS YEAR

"I'm very confident that the draft will go ahead. Clearly, there's a possibility that it will be in a different form. But we will need a draft. The draft age is being discussed by working groups. I know there are various views on all of that, but one thing I've heard in the last 24 hours from various people around football – and, again, this is trying to help without being definitive – is that the best 18-year-old kids are walking straight into very good teams and are having an impact straightaway. People are looking for the whole draft class to be more mature, but they certainly don't want to have less access to the best 18-year-olds. Hopefully that gives you a level of direction."

ON WHETHER CUTS TO LISTS WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR

"No, there's certainly not anything I'm aware of where it would happen this year. For reasons that are obvious, all aspects of football are under review going forward. List sizes have come up, but I have no information that it would mean it would have any impact this year."

Gill on longer seasons, the draft and when footy could return

The key takeaways from Gillon McLachlan's expansive and wide-ranging press conference

www.afl.com.au

 

[Mego Red]

One further question your honour:

If a year playing state league and studying or working produces better-prepared, more-mature footballers, why aren't clubs having their draftees spend a year playing state league and studying or working?

NBA clubs would send their players to Eurpoe for a while (or leave them there).

I just think this seems like a sledgehammer way to solve a problem that maybe isn't as bad as we think it is.

 

[Mego Red]

Another alternative -

Under 19's competition. Each year, clubs can draft up to two 18 year olds, just like used to be able to do with 17 year olds in the early 2000's.

 

[briztoon]

ON WHETHER CUTS TO LISTS WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR

"No, there's certainly not anything I'm aware of where it would happen this year. For reasons that are obvious, all aspects of football are under review going forward. List sizes have come up, but I have no information that it would mean it would have any impact this year."

Gill on longer seasons, the draft and when footy could return

The key takeaways from Gillon McLachlan's expansive and wide-ranging press conference

www.afl.com.au

To state the obvious. Of course lists cuts won’t this year (2020).

They’ll start to be reduced in size next year (2021).

I’m not sure cutting lists is absolutely necessary. Just lower the salary cap, and work around that.

If the cap is lowered 27%, then all existing contracts are lowered by 27%. I know it’s not that simple, but players need to come to the party to ensure the future of the league.

 

[andleanback]

To state the obvious. Of course lists cuts won’t this year (2020).

They’ll start to be reduced in size next year (2021).

I’m not sure cutting lists is absolutely necessary. Just lower the salary cap, and work around that.

If the cap is lowered 27%, then all existing contracts are lowered by 27%. I know it’s not that simple, but players need to come to the party to ensure the future of the league.

i Dont think the AFLPA will agree to cutting all contracts by 27%, Danger would have a melt down. The best players deserve 800k-1 mill, they are what make the game great. Its the average/ list cloggers players on 250-400k that should be on 30% less, when they yoyo between afl and vfl and rarely make an impact at senior level.

 

[briztoon]

i Dont think the AFLPA will agree to cutting all contracts by 27%, Danger would have a melt down. The best players deserve 800k-1 mill, they are what make the game great. Its the average/ list cloggers players on 250-400k that should be on 30% less, when they yoyo between afl and vfl and rarely make an impact at senior level.

It’s difficult, as the game is going to be impacted far beyond the salary cap and what the top players are paid.

I don’t have any answers.

If the salary cap is cut back to $10 million, I find it hard to accept one or two players on a team are worth $1 million.

I’m trying to think of your genuine match winners, or players worth $1 mil.

Dusty, Fyfe, Cripps, Jeremy Cameron, And Tom Lynch. That’s it I believe. Dangerfield is past it, but was once such a player. Bontempelli isn’t there yet, but might be the next closest.

 

[Jirik13]

To state the obvious. Of course lists cuts won’t this year (2020).

They’ll start to be reduced in size next year (2021).

I’m not sure cutting lists is absolutely necessary. Just lower the salary cap, and work around that.

If the cap is lowered 27%, then all existing contracts are lowered by 27%. I know it’s not that simple, but players need to come to the party to ensure the future of the league.

I can see AFL using lists cut to press players to agree lowering TPP including existing contracts. Let's have AFLPA to chose - lists cuts or salary cuts. But money will have to be saved somewhere. I know what I prefer. The same with soft cap. Lower contracts by e.g. 30% and most coaches, support people could stay.

 

[philthy05]

I can see AFL using lists cut to press players to agree lowering TPP including existing contracts. Let's have AFLPA to chose - lists cuts or salary cuts. But money will have to be saved somewhere. I know what I prefer. The same with soft cap. Lower contracts by e.g. 30% and most coaches, support people could stay.

the AFlpa will choose list cuts as Dangerfield, Martin , shuey Riewoldt etc are more important to them then the 40th bloke on a list. So that probably won’t work.

but agree cap cut should be the target, and the AFL pa will stand in the way.

need to find a better way to pressure them.

when is the new tv deal due? Threaten to roll back cap even more then if not today. The afl also needs to put trading players without their consent to balance the power of free agency even if only to give them a bargaining chip to get something to withdraw it.

 

[briztoon]

I can see AFL using lists cut to press players to agree lowering TPP including existing contracts. Let's have AFLPA to chose - lists cuts or salary cuts. But money will have to be saved somewhere. I know what I prefer. The same with soft cap. Lower contracts by e.g. 30% and most coaches, support people could stay.

I can see the AFLPA choosing list cuts. Keep the top players earning big money.

 

[andleanback]

I can see the AFLPA choosing list cuts. Keep the top players earning big money.

The top players deserve their money, they are earning the same as the superstars were 20 years ago. It’s the c grade players whose contracts have spiked.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

It’s difficult, as the game is going to be impacted far beyond the salary cap and what the top players are paid.

I don’t have any answers.

If the salary cap is cut back to $10 million, I find it hard to accept one or two players on a team are worth $1 million.

I’m trying to think of your genuine match winners, or players worth $1 mil.

Dusty, Fyfe, Cripps, Jeremy Cameron, And Tom Lynch. That’s it I believe. Dangerfield is past it, but was once such a player. Bontempelli isn’t there yet, but might be the next closest.

I am prepared to put Bont in that pay packet group myself (certainly that is what he would command on an open market)

It’s an interesting exercise to figure out the next young guns who be 1 million p/a players, Hugh McLuggage and Nick Blakey immediately spring to my mind, possibly Charlie Curnow if his knees hold up.

 

[Jirik13]

I can see the AFLPA choosing list cuts. Keep the top players earning big money.

Not sure if you would put it to vote. Would majority of players support list cuts? Significant numbers would end up in 2nd tier earning peanuts.

 

[briztoon]

Not sure if you would put it to vote. Would majority of players support list cuts? Significant numbers would end up in 2nd tier earning peanuts.

I hadn’t thought of that. Would they put it to a vote?

The top players deserve their money, they are earning the same as the superstars were 20 years ago. It’s the c grade players whose contracts have spiked.

Top players from the late 90’s and early 00’s were earning $1 mil?

 

[andleanback]

I hadn’t thought of that. Would they put it to a vote?


Top players from the late 90’s and early 00’s were earning $1 mil?

Carey, Buckley, Hird, kouta, Crawford were all on heaps late 90s, where some players would’ve been on 50-100k. It’s much more even these days as only a strong list wins premierships eg richmond, hawks etc. I still believe the top 10-15 players in the league deserves their 1-1.2, not the brad hills of the world though. I’d love to see them bring in a rule where you can have 1 player outside or salary cap, but that will most likely never happen as it would disadvantage too many clubs.

 

[Mego Red]

I hadn’t thought of that. Would they put it to a vote?


Top players from the late 90’s and early 00’s were earning $1 mil?

Yep. Carey was on $1m+ in 1997.

 

[Mego Red]

There have been some interesting stats around how the top 20% of a teams list contributes 80% towards that team's success.

You mentioned Richmond - they're a team with superstar talent at the top end, and the last four or five players each week are completely interchangeable.

 

[andleanback]

There have been some interesting stats around how the top 20% of a teams list contributes 80% towards that team's success.

You mentioned Richmond - they're a team with superstar talent at the top end, and the last four or five players each week are completely interchangeable.

Yeah every team has to have Star power to be successful but they also have very deep list ( vfl success) and cotchin, Rance etc took paycuts to fit Lynch in. The only team that is outside the current model in the afl currently is gws with their list comprised heaps of a graders/ first round draft picks on rookie contracts, with very few c graders/ role players. When players leave they get top draft picks in, its a continuous cycle. As seen in previous years if gws cop injuries to 3-4 stars they really start struggling with not much depth underneath.