The academy’s have merit if indeed they result in more indigenous or international players being drafted , however if a prodigious talent comes through the ranks that would have been drafted anyway , they gotta pay a fair price
NGA's take a fair bit of work. I've watched my nephew transition in and out of StKilda's and think they are good for football generally. Can only speak of StKilda's but it could be more professional but still early days and year on year it gets better for the kids to have a genuine pathway. It connects them better to the football code, it's both exciting and shattering, which are important in the learning of life's lessons. I think Clubs need to have an incentive to do that work.
I think what Sydney did with Blakey was out and out cheating the spirit of the Draft. But you know what, the more complex you make a system, by being able to trade your left index finger 3 years hence, you are going to see an increase in the Blakey Principle - whatever it takes to pay the least.
The draft rules are now so complex most of us don't know them all. Same is applying to the game rules. The more variables you offer the more complexity you get, the more opportunity you have to rort.