Mega Thread Non-Freo AFL Discussion 2025

[Dockeroo]

People thinking that the AFL are going to retrospectively apply some kind of extra draft tax on clubs like Brisbane or Collingwood over the next few years if they have future FS candidates in that period, while clubs like Freo who didn’t have any, get access to any FS kids they have in future for a cheaper cost - seriously you guys live in fantasy land.

Opinions like that shouldnt be taken seriously in this debate.

If the concessions are all cut now, for all clubs, then maybe in 10 years time we might have a chance to compete on an even keel. Yeah we’d have to suck it up until then but at lease there would be some end in sight to this bullshit

 

[Taylor]

If the options are a punch in the mouth or a kick up the butt, or things stay how they are and maybe we get some wins and maybe they get some wins - I'll take leaving it how it is.

And make all academy and father son players, taken as matched bids, unrestricted free agents when out of contract for their entire careers.

The salary cap will sort out the rest

 

[Lach72]

People thinking that the AFL are going to retrospectively apply some kind of extra draft tax on clubs like Brisbane or Collingwood over the next few years if they have future FS candidates in that period, while clubs like Freo who didn’t have any, get access to any FS kids they have in future for a cheaper cost - seriously you guys live in fantasy land.

Opinions like that shouldnt be taken seriously in this debate.

If the concessions are all cut now, for all clubs, then maybe in 10 years time we might have a chance to compete on an even keel. Yeah we’d have to suck it up until then but at lease there would be some end in sight to this bullshit

All the concessions will not be cut. They just won’t. It’s a fantasy for at least another 10-15 years.

Opinions like that shouldn’t be taken seriously

We should grandfather them so we have some Chance not ending up the shittier end of the stick.

 

[Madas]

People thinking that the AFL are going to retrospectively apply some kind of extra draft tax on clubs like Brisbane or Collingwood over the next few years if they have future FS candidates in that period, while clubs like Freo who didn’t have any, get access to any FS kids they have in future for a cheaper cost - seriously you guys live in fantasy land.

Opinions like that shouldnt be taken seriously in this debate.

If the concessions are all cut now, for all clubs, then maybe in 10 years time we might have a chance to compete on an even keel. Yeah we’d have to suck it up until then but at lease there would be some end in sight to this bullshit

Why is no one discussing the fact that Freo will have FS players starting to come through soon and then onwards perpetually into the future
It’s a young club disadvantage for sure but it evens out over time
I have no problem with FS and if it’s messed with now it will just disadvantage us more


No compensation at start up and no academy assistance definitely put the handbrake on Freo though
Compo going to basket case clubs like the Eagles and NM shouldn’t be allowed, let em dig their own way out of the messes they’ve created

 

[Dockeroo]

All the concessions will not be cut. They just won’t. It’s a fantasy for at least another 10-15 years.

Opinions like that shouldn’t be taken seriously

We should grandfather them so we have some Chance not ending up the shittier end of the stick.

The afl under Greg Swann literally only a few weeks back proposed a closed off first round where the first 18 picks are untouched and free to any club regardless of FS or academy status.

That’s what I want to see. If you pick an academy kid or FS with pick 35 or 40 - that’s different.

So you saying it’s not an option that can be taken seriously is objectively untrue, given it’s actually on the table as a live proposal right here right now.

 

[swanny1234]

It’s incredible how Nat Fyfes achievements have been whitewashed and downplayed by the VFL media so quickly.

There’s at least a dozen of these blokes that wouldn’t lace his boots

Fyfe didn’t debut until after Lloyd retired so I guess I can cop that.

But no Pavlich is insane.

 

[kuhni]

Exactly. Removing without scraping back the existing advantages just bakes them in deeper.

Putting a cap on how many you get and then start adding % of matching bids beyond it seems the way to go. So GC would have to pay +30% for their bids etc.

Who really thinks any form of retrospective cap will be implemented?

 

[Dockeroo]

Who really thinks any form of retrospective cap will be implemented?

No one. There is a better chance of Jack Petrucelle winning the Coleman medal next year.

 

[malpaso]

No one. There is a better chance of Jack Petrucelle winning the Coleman medal next year.

So your saying there's a chance.. Carlton think so.

 

[fnerd]

All the concessions will not be cut. They just won’t. It’s a fantasy for at least another 10-15 years.

Opinions like that shouldn’t be taken seriously

We should grandfather them so we have some Chance not ending up the shittier end of the stick.

Cmon lach , I’m not sure how you land at - “there’s no way the AFL concessions will be cut” and then in the very next conversation declare - “the concessions need to be grandfathered, there’s no way we should put up with it , that’s what has to happen etc”

I’m with Dockeroo on this .

You guys all thinking that the AFL will turn around and say to the likes the cartons, Collingwoods, Geelongs, Brisbane etc
“Yeah look you guys have had a good run now let’s the Freo/saints /ports of this world have a go whilst you guys miss out on f/s for awhile huh?”

Your ****en dreaaaaaaaammmming.

At BEST they might give said latter clubs better/easier access but there is in no world they stop f/s concessions all together (or more pertinently first round )as is this discussion for those former clubs whilst still giving other clubs first round access

I mean you only have to look at the implantation of the NGAs
- they came about as an appeasement to the vic clubs who were whinging incessantly about northern academies.

Now instead of just restricting northern academy access as the smart ,simple thing to do ,the AFL as it always done, in wanting to control a certain narrative instead ,gives everyone an academy (of sorts) and now you have the dogs breakfast the draft is now.

I get it it’s ****ed beyond ****ed and yes brissie/pies/dogs will benefit for years to come but as dockeroo said it’s akin to gambler chasing his losses if were complicit to continue the way the system is , in the hope ..we may jag f/s ourselves along the way. We simply don’t have the player pool of 100 gamers these other clubs have.

and yes again ,of course a “grandfather “ rule would be best but it just is not happening.

As I said the afl is all and everything about their narratives and most are born out of basically leg ups to big vic clubs - original power , northern clubs for tv exposure = great , the odd side deal for minnow vic clubs and lastly wa, sa clubs.

The sooner the draft (first round gets back to parity for all the sooner that’s one less competitive advantage against our club has to deal with

 

[#1JohnHuttonFan]

Fyfe didn’t debut until after Lloyd retired so I guess I can cop that.

But no Pavlich is insane.

I mean Dean Cox is in there?

 

[Lach72]

Cmon lach , I’m not sure how you land at - “there’s no way the AFL concessions will be cut” and then in the very next conversation declare - “the concessions need to be grandfathered, there’s no way we should put up with it , that’s what has to happen etc”

I’m with Dockeroo on this .

You guys all thinking that the AFL will turn around and say to the likes the cartons, Collingwoods, Geelongs, Brisbane etc
“Yeah look you guys have had a good run now let’s the Freo/saints /ports of this world have a go whilst you guys miss out on f/s for awhile huh?”

Your ****en dreaaaaaaaammmming.

At BEST they might give said latter clubs better/easier access but there is in no world they stop f/s concessions all together (or more pertinently first round )as is this discussion for those former clubs whilst still giving other clubs first round access

I mean you only have to look at the implantation of the NGAs
- they came about as an appeasement to the vic clubs who were whinging incessantly about northern academies.

Now instead of just restricting northern academy access as the smart ,simple thing to do ,the AFL as it always done, in wanting to control a certain narrative instead ,gives everyone an academy (of sorts) and now you have the dogs breakfast the draft is now.

I get it it’s ****ed beyond ****ed and yes brissie/pies/dogs will benefit for years to come but as dockeroo said it’s akin to gambler chasing his losses if were complicit to continue the way the system is , in the hope ..we may jag f/s ourselves along the way. We simply don’t have the player pool of 100 gamers these other clubs have.

and yes again ,of course a “grandfather “ rule would be best but it just is not happening.

As I said the afl is all and everything about their narratives and most are born out of basically leg ups to big vic clubs - original power , northern clubs for tv exposure = great , the odd side deal for minnow vic clubs and lastly wa, sa clubs.

The sooner the draft (first round gets back to parity for all the sooner that’s one less competitive advantage against our club has to deal with

Sure.

Oh well. Enjoy the next ten years of mid table finishes, then we can enjoy Jack Pavlich winning a premiership with Sydney. The best of both worlds.

Woo us.

 

[Taylor]

If the AFL brought in a system that makes it more expensive to get the next academy or father son it will quickly balance it out into the future because the academy clubs will quickly rack up the burden of having too many elite players.

Doesn't have to be retrospective. It would be better if it were, but it doesn’t have to be.

Five year rolling window starting now.

 

[fnerd]

Who really thinks any form of retrospective cap will be implemented?

It’s beyond laughable.

I mean ffs the campaigners of the AFL had to be dragged kicking and screaming to give us exclusive access to indigenous metro players

and that only came about due the disgraceful drop off in numbers/development in the draft as whole -as in they did it all for the bad aesthetics it was having on the league -given how much they celebrate the indigenous contribution to our game , to then have poor representation is a (rightly so ) terrible look for the virtue signallers that encompass afl house

And they had to do it for wa and lesser sa as those states produce over 3/4 of indigenous players.

None of that decision whatsoever ever was based on around giving wa/sa clubs a helping hand

 

[fnerd]

Sure.

Oh well. Enjoy the next ten years of mid table finishes, then we can enjoy Jack Pavlich winning a premiership with Sydney. The best of both worlds.

Woo us.

But why would Sydney get him under what we’re actually proposing?

No prior access in the first round .
That’s for EVERY club.

Anyway jacks over in Sydney now no matter what …. Wed still have access to him under the current f/s rules-
The issue there is - and it’s whole other joke of the use academies but why are sons of afl players being included in them anyway ?.. it was about developing players who might not play afl/or nurturing local talent that does.

Neither of those scenarios relate to jacks situation

*as for the bolded well we’ve basically already been doing that the last 10 years and yes unless this coach pulls his finger out we’re on way for the next ten to do the same regardless of what happens with f/s

 

[Lach72]

But why would Sydney get him under what we’re actually proposing?

No prior access in the first round .
That’s for EVERY club.

Anyway jacks over in Sydney now no matter what …. Wed still have access to him under the current f/s rules-
The issue there is - and it’s whole other joke of the use academies but why are sons of afl players being included in them anyway ?.. it was about developing players who might not play afl/or nurturing local talent that does.

Neither of those scenarios relate to jacks situation

They have access within an area unlike our academy.

The reason I argue for grandfathering is we’ve been ****ed for 30 years by Scarlett and Ablett and Hawkins etc.

We’ve had absolutely nothing given to us, and arguing for a system where we get some benefit evens it out to some degree.

I agree it’s unlikely but we should’ve run the case. Instead we have a system we not benefiting from at all.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Haha. Geelong get away with anything

 

[BettercallSaul]

Haha. Geelong get away with anything

The AFL admin becomes completely enthralled to some coaches. They would often consult Clarkson over some issues and now they are completely enthralled to Chris Scott. B. Smith gets a personal visit from Dillon at home, they ignore some dubious things with Stengle and gives the tick of approval to Scott making a women cry. “Chris said there is nothing in it, so must be fine.”

 

[largebus]

Cory Burgiel with a murphy reid like dribbler goal in the WAFL GF

 

[Sumwun]

We should have maintained him on our list for a couple more seasons as a mentor rather than pushing him out as they did.

I don't think he was pushed out. Pretty sure Adrian followed his wife Narelle over to WA who played WNBL for the Breakers. When she was offered a spot at Dandenong Adrian went as well.

 

[2big2strom]

the only grandfathering rule the AFL would bring in is something batshit when we are about to pick up a Pavlich or a Mundy or a Bowers and the AFL come out of nowhere and say "actually the father/son rule is now extended to grandfather/son's son ONLY" and it magically still allows first access to the Daicos', Silvagnis and Ashcrofts of the AFL but rules out everyone else

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Grandfathering is not going to happen, ever, may as well discuss if they can give as retrospective access to Fletcher and make him change clubs.

There is the concern that the AFL backflips again and **** us out of Robinson only to put it back again (like they saved us from Motlop). Any changes need a block out period before additional review to see the impacts (like 5-10 years or something).

Complete block out is still my favourite but my biggest issue with the whole thing is a cumulative effect of every player movement tool favouring current strong clubs making it extremely difficult to get out off the bottom, particularly for SA and WA clubs.

If no complete first round lock then Id propose some combo of

• only allowed one concession pick each round.
• Top four clubs can not match bids in the top 5 of the draft
• Stagger the points matching discount/ penalty from -10% at last to +10% for first.
• Winning a flag means you cant go over 100% of the cap for 5 years (after a 1 year gap)

That last one is a shower thought of mine from today. Nothing will stop top clubs accessing FAs and staying at the top quicker then cutting off cap access.

 

[Taylor]

It's not really the spirit of the game or the rule but East Perth should have been awarded a 50m penalty there to bring the kick to 45m out to kick for a flag winning post siren shot.

 

[Gussman]

East Perth robbed. Should of been 50 at the end there.

 

[noise36]

It's not really the spirit of the game or the rule but East Perth should have been awarded a 50m penalty there to bring the kick to 45m out to kick for a flag winning post siren shot.

100% should have been a kick on goals after the siren to seal the win. umpires lost control of the game then were gutless once they realised the error. Imagine a GF being decided by umpires like that wowee what a robbery.