Opinion AFL Draft Lottery

[raskolnikov]

Thinking in particular about Jacob Weitering, who seems to have become a shadow of the player he promised to be, I was wondering whether it is time to introduce an AFL draft lottery. This means that the number one ranked player does not necessarily go to the worst team. It would also remove the temptation to tank for the number one pick. It's almost the case where you would not want to be the number one pick. Fans of the particular club almost see them as a saviour. It places a huge burden on the shoulders of young players and means that the likelihood is that you have to play for a shit side for a large part of your career. My suggestion would be a lottery amongst the teams that didn't make the finals, then the teams that did make the finals receive a pick in reverse order to where they finished in the finals(so last year Essendon would have picked first, Port second etc). Imagine if Richmond had received the first pick in 2016. That player would have gone on to be a part of a premiership side in his first year, rather than be stuck languishing in a shit side for years.

 

[RUNVS]

I don't see tanking as much of an issue anymore but if we want to find a way to make it harder I would instead base the draft picks on the last 3 seasons rather than the last 1 season so the worst team over the course of 3 years gets the best draft pick.

 

[Cincinnatus]

No thanks. You don't really see tanking to be honest these last few years.

Equalisation has worked fairly well to date. You cant help clubs making shit selections.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

No.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Thinking in particular about Jacob Weitering, who seems to have become a shadow of the player he promised to be, I was wondering whether it is time to introduce an AFL draft lottery. This means that the number one ranked player does not necessarily go to the worst team. It would also remove the temptation to tank for the number one pick. It's almost the case where you would not want to be the number one pick. Fans of the particular club almost see them as a saviour. It places a huge burden on the shoulders of young players and means that the likelihood is that you have to play for a shit side for a large part of your career. My suggestion would be a lottery amongst the teams that didn't make the finals, then the teams that did make the finals receive a pick in reverse order to where they finished in the finals(so last year Essendon would have picked first, Port second etc). Imagine if Richmond had received the first pick in 2016. That player would have gone on to be a part of a premiership side in his first year, rather than be stuck languishing in a shit side for years.

Draft lottery a fair suggestion, but the odds of getting No.1 pick still need to be stacked in favour of the lower placed teams. Drawing marbles for the first round seems to work well elsewhere - 18th place gets 10 balls, 17th = 9 balls ... 9th = 1 ball etc. Would make for a fun 5 minutes of TV in late November, if nothing else.

 

[Blackas87]

The problem with the draft is these highly talented kids get no say in which club they play for.

A club with terrible development picks you and ruins your career. Players should have a choice for the direction of their career.

 

[Dez!]

The problem with the draft is these highly talented kids get no say in which club they play for.

A club with terrible development picks you and ruins your career. Players should have a choice for the direction of their career.

Yep, kill the league is exactly the direction we need to take.

 

[Blackas87]

Yep, kill the league is exactly the direction we need to take.

How would it kill the league?

 

[Dirty_banchez]

No thanks. The NBA was a joke this year with Atlanta, Memphis etc... going full Panzer tank mode.

 

[Ochre]

Imagine if Richmond had received the first pick in 2016. That player would have gone on to be a part of a premiership side in his first year, rather than be stuck languishing in a shit side for years.

It's almost like Richmond needed that player less than the team that finished last did.

 

[Bardo State]

As long as the system gives worse teams priority access to talent (which it should), there will always be an incentive to go to the draft when you're rebuilding. Best to learn to make peace with that imo.

 

[1990crow]

We should resist giving the no. 1 pick to sides that are missing majority of their best players for a season due to being found guilty of cheating.
The saga may be over but Andrew McGrath playing for Essendon is a disgrace.

 

[Dez!]

How would it kill the league?

Young highly rated players won't go to lower teams.

There's nothing wrong with the draft as it is.

 

[The Joker]

The problem with the draft is these highly talented kids get no say in which club they play for.

A club with terrible development picks you and ruins your career. Players should have a choice for the direction of their career.

It's the same teams doing it to the kids though...

How many top 5 picks have Carlton, Melbourne, Richmond, StKilda and Brisbane had over the last 20 years.

 

[Blackas87]

Young highly rated players won't go to lower teams.

There's nothing wrong with the draft as it is.

Unless the lower clubs can offer better contracts with more cap room. Players can have a choice, less money and less opportunity to play at a top club, a better deal and more opportunity at a Lower club

Currently the rebuilding process is so long, you only get 1 selection before the premiers do. If you want another selection you have to trade away a best 22 player, therefore widening the gap between top and bottom. If you could offer deals to multiple top talented players, clubs can rebuild much faster without losing best 22 players, which would make for a stronger competition.

 

[juss]

The problem with the draft is these highly talented kids get no say in which club they play for.

A club with terrible development picks you and ruins your career. Players should have a choice for the direction of their career.

Yes, so when every top junior only wants to play at big succesful teams how does that help the shit teams?

 

[juss]

I don't see tanking as much of an issue anymore but if we want to find a way to make it harder I would instead base the draft picks on the last 3 seasons rather than the last 1 season so the worst team over the course of 3 years gets the best draft pick.

Dont mind this at all. Each year calculate total wins over 2-3 seasons and award the first round that way. After round 1 then just base it on ladder position for that year.

 

[Blackas87]

Yes, so when every top junior only wants to play at big succesful teams how does that help the shit teams?

With list sizes and salary cap they can't.

 

[BoxMatrix]

The problem with the draft is these highly talented kids get no say in which club they play for.

A club with terrible development picks you and ruins your career. Players should have a choice for the direction of their career.

Their choice of career was playing in the AFL.

 

[raskolnikov]

It's almost like Richmond needed that player less than the team that finished last did.

I'm thinking more about the player than the team. Weitering looked dejected last night.

 

[Farm Boy]

The old system was better where sides could tank. Some teams need to bottom out.

 

[dockshark]

I don't see tanking as much of an issue anymore but if we want to find a way to make it harder I would instead base the draft picks on the last 3 seasons rather than the last 1 season so the worst team over the course of 3 years gets the best draft pick.

I think this is a brilliant idea.

 

[Turbocat]

I don't see tanking as much of an issue anymore but if we want to find a way to make it harder I would instead base the draft picks on the last 3 seasons rather than the last 1 season so the worst team over the course of 3 years gets the best draft pick.

I have thought along these lines before ... but one could see that 3 years is fair whack of time. Dogs win it one year and where are they the next. Id prefer to have the first round based around years out of the finals. Basically you get an extra early pick till you make the finals..

 

[Turbocat]

As long as the system gives worse teams priority access to talent (which it should), there will always be an incentive to go to the draft when you're rebuilding. Best to learn to make peace with that imo.

Yep..fine line between assisting the needy and encouraging the greedy

 

[briztoon]

It's the same teams doing it to the kids though...

How many top 5 picks have Carlton, Melbourne, Richmond, StKilda and Brisbane had over the last 20 years.

Brisbane. 7. 3 in the last 3 years, 2015 pick 2 (Schache), 2016 pick 3 (McCluggage), 2017 pick 1 (Rayner).

Before that,
Pick 5 2010, Polec
Pick 4 2006, Luenberger
Pick 2 2002, Brennan
Pick 1 1998, Headland