News AFL overhauls Academy and FS bid matching, discussing draft lockout

[Sphynx]

You can't match with junk picks anymore.

The Suns positioned themselves 18 months out to match bids this year.

They had 6 x picks inside the Top 36, none of which are 'junk' picks and have gone into defecit for 2026 to match on 4 kids.

So they got 4 kids in the Top 20 for 6 picks in the Top 36 - so hardly complete daylight robbery and they had to give up a fair bit to get 6 selections in the Top 36, they didn't just materialise.

I was never a fan of the old system, but the new system is much better. People just don't bother to understand it.

They also have Coulson, Collins and some others on the radar, but can't match (which they could have under the old system, given the amount of picks they accumulated via trades)

Lets reword this.

As it's not Picks 17,18,19,20 - Is it?

So they get 2 x picks in the TOP 5 and 2 other picks in the TOP 18 for 6 picks in the top 36....

Reads differently, doesn't it?


Would you be happy if St Kilda traded Picks 2,5,17,18 for a bevy of picks between 20-36 with a 2 pick surplus?

Moorrabbin would be burnt to the ground.

 

[briztoon]

No they didnt. They were able to trade out 2 top 10 picks and still match 4 r1 bids with non r1 picks. The system is broken deliberately.

Yes they did. Suns went in to the draft with 2 first round picks, they got from trading out players last year and this year.

They had a quiet draft last year, because they pushed most of their 2024 draft hand in to this year.

And they almost wiped out their 2026 draft hand.

Yes they traded in Petracca, but every team could have positioned themselves for such a trade. And everyone know JUH is damaged goods and a big gamble.

 

[Bostonian]

If Carlton grow the game in non-traditional markets I’d happily give them a second academy on top of the one you already have!

If it's about growing the game then you'll have no issues at all with all those academy players being available to the whole league.

Unless you're full of shit and it's just about growing your team.

 

[Toump Ass]

They traded in Petracca, but every team could have positioned themselves for such a trade.

Bullshit.

Gold Coast were able to pay a premium to get Petracca because they had exclusive access to two of the best kids in the draft.

Totally beyond me how someone could not understand this lol.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

So father/son isn't the issue. The issue is the academies.

Personally I think they’re both okay.

But the price paid has to be fair.

A pick in the next 10 to match. If you haven’t got one, tough shit.

So last night the Suns would’ve needed

< Pick 12 for Uwland
< Pick 15 for Patterson
< Pick 27 for Murray
< Pick 28 for Addinsall

They’re still getting bargains but they have to pay a fairer price at the top end.

 

[Sphynx]

Yes they did. Suns went in to the draft with 2 first round picks, they got from trading out players last year and this year.

They had a quiet draft last year, because they pushed most of their 2024 draft hand in to this year.

And they almost wiped out their 2026 draft hand.

Yes they traded in Petracca, but every team could have positioned themselves for such a trade. And everyone know JUH is damaged goods and a big gamble.

They took one of the best midfielders in the draft last year and the Larke Medalist.

A "quiet draft" is doing your nuts in trade week for established players and having a pick in the 60's.

It's not landing a top 10 pick.

They accumulated points into this year, precisely because they could trade out all their top end picks AND still get Lombard and Dan Rioli...

 

[Miller1971]

Academies have to be severely restricted.

Ability to match only one first round academy player in the first round.

Apply that to F/S as well.

Give them NGA like the rest of the league and the rest can go into the open pool.

Don't realise that they have wiped their 2026 draft hand completely, and were fairly inactive in 2024 other than to prepare for 2025.

Noting also, that other than maybe Archie Hill next year and Taj Murray the following year - both unlikely (at this stage) to warrant first round bids - the cupboard is pretty bare going forward. Academies have been in existence for nearly 15 years and there has only just been 2 really amazing years for the Suns in that time which remain anomalies at this point.

Were this to occur several mroe times in the next 5-6 years, then it would be worth considering making further changes - but on balance, its unlikely to happen again.

This was the first time the Lions have had an academy pick inside the Top 10 in their history. They won't have anymore any time soon either.

 

[Stamos]

Personally I think they’re both okay.

But the price paid has to be fair.

A pick in the next 10 to match. If you haven’t got one, tough shit.

So you can get a player at pick 1 with pick 10?
The current system is much better.

 

[Sphynx]

Don't realise that they have wiped their 2026 draft hand completely, and were fairly inactive in 2024 other than to prepare for 2025.

Noting also, that other than maybe Archie Hill next year and Taj Murray the following year - both unlikely (at this stage) to warrant first round bids - the cupboard is pretty bare going forward. Academies have been in existence for nearly 15 years and there has only just been 2 really amazing years for the Suns in that time which remain anomalies at this point.

Were this to occur several mroe times in the next 5-6 years, then it would be worth considering making further changes - but on balance, its unlikely to happen again.

This was the first time the Lions have had an academy pick inside the Top 10 in their history. They won't have anymore any time soon either.

Is taking Leo Lombard being inactive?

I guess you can afford to be inactive when you land Pick 2, Pick 9, Pick 14 the year before under the same system.

Were this to occur several mroe times in the next 5-6 years, then it would be worth considering making further changes - but on balance, its unlikely to happen again.

What is this comment? It happened 2 years ago.....

Queensland just overtook WA as the second largest football state in the country for participation.

There should be no Academy.

QLD junior football does not need the Academies now. It's a football state, with a population to work in with RL participation.

If we lose a kid or two to rugby league, so be it, it's the integrity of the sport and competition.

 

[danster168]

The completely ludicrous situation continues.

Clubs are actively exploiting loopholes and the AFL just sits there with the fingers in their ears yelling LALALALALA

It’s simple. If there’s a bid, you match with a pick within the next 10 picks.

It’s still a 10 pick discount so you’re getting a bargain.

If you don’t have one, get one.

If you can’t get one, tough shit.

The points system is completely absurd.

Gold Coast bring in Christian Petracca and also have four first round picks? Yeah… that adds up.

so you get pick 5 for say pick 15? that sucks. Only way is to ban it. If we banned it and the f/s like I suggested 10 years ago we wouldn't be in this position would we. Collingwood and Brisbane wouldn't have won their flags and it would've been a far more even league.

It should be scrapped or you get 1 NGA player every 5 years.

Either way, the damage has been done. Brisbane and Gold Coast have already cashed in. The only way would be to put a ban on those 2 clubs for the next 10 years whilst other teams get the opportunity to catch up. My club has had 1 f/s and 0 nga's in 25 years. It's a joke.

 

[Bostonian]

Don't realise that they have wiped their 2026 draft hand completely, and were fairly inactive in 2024 other than to prepare for 2025.

Noting also, that other than maybe Archie Hill next year and Taj Murray the following year - both unlikely (at this stage) to warrant first round bids - the cupboard is pretty bare going forward. Academies have been in existence for nearly 15 years and there has only just been 2 really amazing years for the Suns in that time which remain anomalies at this point.

Were this to occur several mroe times in the next 5-6 years, then it would be worth considering making further changes - but on balance, its unlikely to happen again.

This was the first time the Lions have had an academy pick inside the Top 10 in their history. They won't have anymore any time soon either.

When you have 50-60 new players coming in each year at bottom age group its a massive advantage to develop them for your own benefit.

Unlike F/S and NGA which have specific requirements which limit heavily the amount of players who are then eligible, academies have no restrictions.

And if your academies aren't producing you can just take the best players at your pick from the other states players.

 

[Sphynx]

So you can get a player at pick 1 with pick 10?
The current system is much better.

You still have to match the points.

But a pick has to be used within 10 spaces, I believe is most peoples view.

I personally feel like it's still rubbish.

The player needs to be open to anyone in the pool under a function if another club is willing to meet the price.

A draft system can not be a closed shop, this applies to both Academy and FS prospects.

Another AFL club deciding another AFL club can't select a player, under a draft system, will forever be completely broken.


The Auction system solves most of the issues.

If West Coast wanted to spend both picks 1 and Picks 2 on Uwland to see off Gold Coast, they should be within their rights to do it.

A bid for an Academy or FS aligned player triggers a live points auction with available picks. The opening bid for the auction is the points total placed by the club who made the bid in the first place, so there's always an obligation to pay for the bid no matter what.

The auction can only be achieved by points from that draft, so provides further advantages to other clubs to work live deals with the bidding clubs by offering their live picks for that clubs future picks also.

It benefits the entire pool for high prices, as all picks get absorbed by high or over market auction prices.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

So you can get a player at pick 1 with pick 10?
The current system is much better.

The problem everybody has with the the system - and rightly so - is at the top end.

This forces the club to get hold of Top 10 / Top 15 picks to pay for these players who are bid on high - and those picks are expensive to trade for.

If GC needed two picks in the Top 15 - incl one in the Top 12 - it would’ve genuinely cost them something to get them.

 

[JasRulz63]

Academies have to be severely restricted.

Ability to match only one first round academy player in the first round.

Apply that to F/S as well.

Give them NGA like the rest of the league and the rest can go into the open pool.

Curious to see how it plays out of the AFL forge on with their plan of matching with two picks only, and removing the discount.

 

[Sphynx]

Curious to see how it plays out of the AFL forge on with their plan of matching with two picks only, and removing the discount.

The AFL don't want to make it fair, they simply want AFL fans to ignore it and accept it.

Hence their attempts to conceal the picks used to match last night and the propaganda they pushed onto Fox to feed the viewer, which was clearly AFL directed language.

They already have a rule, about only taking the same number of picks to the draft, as you have list spots.

Which they let clubs openly break, by simply allowing them to flaunt it the second the draft opens.

They could close this loophole immediately by simply stating you can only ever have OR trade the same amount of picks TOTAL that you have list spots.


They don't for obvious reasons, they want the Academies to be like they are, for the commercial benefit of the league.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

So father/son isn't the issue. The issue is the academies.

The issue is both

 

[Sphynx]

So father/son isn't the issue. The issue is the academies.

Yes it is.

Father/Son is just as bullshit for the equality of the competition.

Brisbane should never be in a position to land the Ashcroft's, short of gutting their entire top end of their list if in a finals position.

Collingwood should not get bailed out by Daicos, Sam Darcy should have been available to the pool. ETC.

We get another one next year, which im sure is where your argument is coming from as a Carlton supporter.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Yes they did. Suns went in to the draft with 2 first round picks, they got from trading out players last year and this year.

They had a quiet draft last year, because they pushed most of their 2024 draft hand in to this year.

And they almost wiped out their 2026 draft hand.

Yes they traded in Petracca, but every team could have positioned themselves for such a trade. And everyone know JUH is damaged goods and a big gamble.

They didn’t have a quiet draft last year, they drafted a top 10 pick

Everyone could maybe position themselves to get a trac, but they wouldn’t have the currency to also add 5 other first round picks in a 2 year window.

 

[JasRulz63]

So father/son isn't the issue. The issue is the academies.

People point to the Brisbane's academy as the reason for the team's success, but the highest picked academy player in this year's premiership side was Marshall at pick 25. Andrews, Gallop and Reville weren't highly rated.

It's Ashcroft x 2 and Fletcher as father/sons that were taken high in the draft

 

[hammer180]

Yes it is.

Father/Son is just as bullshit for the equality of the competition.

Brisbane should never be in a position to land the Ashcroft's, short of gutting their entire top end of their list if in a finals position.

Collingwood should not get bailed out by Daicos, Sam Darcy should have been available to the pool. ETC.

We get another one next year, which im sure is where your argument is coming from as a Carlton supporter.

There's a fair argument that fatherson is more advantageous then the academies, most of the academy kids haven't played or would not have played the sport so get introduced to it late, whereas if your a parent who played, the kid will have been emersed in that from a young age, thus they'd have a head start on development (whether that be just a parent having a kick with their kid or being afforded opportunities to go into clun environment) compared to an academy kid who starts later.
The best players in our league are more fathersons then academies.

 

[WittsEnd]

My god people dont get it. They were pushing fiorini and Ainsworth out to make space for the academy guys. They are fringe players not significant losses. They lost nothing except Flanders.
And you simply should not be able to trade out your top 10 pick and match a top 10 bid unless you trade back in a top 10 pick it should be banned. It is a complete rort that doesnt represent the price paid for picks in the real world.

Fringe?! They played 24 and 19 games plus both were in the two finals

Salty Vics will tell yourselves whatever story necessary to make you seem aggrieved!

Out of 25 kids that went last night 5 were academy kids. Is 20 of the top 25 kids not enough for you????? You want more than 80%? Dream on.

Vic has crapped on QLD with a higher than mighty attitude about how you guys are the "best" and QLD is rubbish, give it up blah blah blah. Then QLD has TWO bumper academy crops over a 10+ year period and you're up in arms carrying on like spoiled children.

If your state is so great then what are you so worried about, you'll keep producing A grade talent. The constant protesting says a lot that maybe you're not so confident in the VIC system.

It's pathetic and you should all be embarrassed for yourselves

 

[Bostonian]

People point to the Brisbane's academy as the reason for the team's success, but the highest picked academy player in this year's premiership side was Marshall at pick 25. Andrews, Gallop and Reville weren't highly rated.

It's Ashcroft x 2 and Fletcher as father/sons that were taken high in the draft

You won the flag and just got to top up with an arguably top 5 talent.

What actual picks did you give up for that gift?

 

[Bostonian]

There's a fair argument that fatherson is more advantageous then the academies, most of the academy kids haven't played or would not have played the sport so get introduced to it late, whereas if your a parent who played, the kid will have been emersed in that from a young age, thus they'd have a head start on development (whether that be just a parent having a kick with their kid or being afforded opportunities to go into clun environment) compared to an academy kid who starts later.
The best players in our league are more fathersons then academies.

That argument would be stupid then.

There's a requirement for father son that's not that easy to attain.

81% of AFL players do not make that requirement.

Zero requirements for academy players.

 

[The Tilt]

The problem everybody has with the the system - and rightly so - is at the top end.

This forces the club to get hold of Top 10 / Top 15 picks to pay for these players who are bid on high - and those picks are expensive to trade for.

If GC needed two picks in the Top 15 - incl one in the Top 12 - it would’ve genuinely cost them something to get them.

Having a rule that requires the matching club to be using at least one pick within 10 of the bid pick is okay. Allowing a club to use pick 12 on its own to match pick 2 is f*#king terrible idea.

 

[Stamos]

Yes it is.

Father/Son is just as bullshit for the equality of the competition.

Brisbane should never be in a position to land the Ashcroft's, short of gutting their entire top end of their list if in a finals position.

Collingwood should not get bailed out by Daicos, Sam Darcy should have been available to the pool. ETC.

We get another one next year, which im sure is where your argument is coming from as a Carlton supporter.

Father/Son is the best thing that the AFL do.

It's the only thing that they are a leader in in world sport.