Strategy Changes made to Free Agency

[Rusty Beam]

The fix is simple: the point value of the compensation pick (or some reasonable percentage thereof) is deducted from the receiving team's draft stocks. Teams are thus forced into a decision between present or future success without compromising a free agent's ability to accept any offered contract.

I like this suggestion, however the compensation pick is often out of wack with the true market value of the players i.e Frawley v Buddy. If you are to calculate “some reasonable percentage thereof” it would be absolutely subjective and open to widespread critisism.

Personally I think the destination club should simply give up their next pick immediately after the compo pick (in Lynch’s case probably 18). In that way it is transparent and straight forward. It would also still attractive for clubs top clubs to chase FA’s as they are paying under market rates. But at least it’s not completely undermining other equalisation attempts like the current system does.

It would also enhance equalisation by providing an advantage to bottom teams to build through the draft and FA’s (ie Carlton would have only paid a 2nd rounder for Lynch and kept their 1st to take to the draft).

As Nick Riewoldt said on 360 the current system is the anthesis of other equalisation attempts.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

I like this suggestion, however the compensation pick is often out of wack with the true market value of the players i.e Frawley v Buddy.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, in that it amplifies equalisation by making it cheaper to raid good teams than bad teams. In any case, Frawley's deal allegedly wouldn't qualify for Band 1 any more, but I think compensation bands could be tweaked anyway, being either mid-round (between the 9th and 8th teams) or end round with the exception of band 1 for the true superstars, which would slot in after a club's first rounder for non-finalists but come no later than mid-round for finalists.

If you are to calculate “some reasonable percentage thereof” it would be absolutely subjective and open to widespread critisism.

Make it steady, as with matching bids for academy/FS players at 80% pick value.

Personally I think the destination club should simply give up their next pick immediately after the compo pick (in Lynch’s case probably 18). In that way it is transparent and straight forward.

Until you come to an arrangement with an FA a year out and trade your future pick away in anticipation. It also runs against equalisation by making FAs cheaper the higher up the ladder you are (though obviously this depends on where the compensated club sits).

 

[apuchar]

Teams losing players should be compensated by the afl, but the team receiving the free agent should have to lose their draft pick commensurate to the value of the player. i.e Richmond would lose their 1st rounder for lynch etc.

 

[Unknown Identity]

Every team has a freaking salary cap.

If Richmond want to spend 40% of theirs on 5 players, good luck to them.

They'll cash in on their current good form and drop off when players envitably leave for more cash.

FREE Agency.
Players should be free to move to whatever club they wish.

Andrew Gaff will be leaving a top 4 team to a non finalist in the same period Lynch joins a top 4 team from a non finalist.

The system works, quit your bitching.

 

[Unknown Identity]

Teams losing players should be compensated by the afl, but the team receiving the free agent should have to lose their draft pick commensurate to the value of the player. i.e Richmond would lose their 1st rounder for lynch etc.

You have to be kidding me?

Then why even have Free Agency.. Just go back to trading for a player no matter how long they have been at a club.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Then why even have Free Agency.. Just go back to trading for a player no matter how long they have been at a club.

Because clubs can (and regularly did) deny trades. Free agency allows players to move regardless. A change like this merely adds a cost sufficient to make it harder for top clubs to keep re-stocking forever without compromising their access to the draft.

 

[apuchar]

You have to be kidding me?

Then why even have Free Agency.. Just go back to trading for a player no matter how long they have been at a club.

Free agency was not about getting free players, it was about players being able to move if they wanted to after they had given service to their original club.I can't think of one fair reason why Richmond should get Lynch and still keep their first round pick.

 

[Unknown Identity]

Free agency was not about getting free players, it was about players being able to move if they wanted to after they had given service to their original club.I can't think of one fair reason why Richmond should get Lynch and still keep their first round pick.

What about North getting Gaff?

You are of the same opinion? or if it was Dustin Martin going to Gold Coast, would they lose their first round pick?

 

[apuchar]

What about North getting Gaff?

You are of the same opinion?

Yes.
And why would I care about Gaff.

 

[Unknown Identity]

Yes.
And why would I care about Gaff.

Just interested in whether it's a blanket rule for all 18 teams.

If GC lose their Pick 1 or Pick 2 for an A grade player crossing to them?

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Just interested in whether it's a blanket rule for all 18 teams.

If GC lose their Pick 1 or Pick 2 for an A grade player crossing to them?

GC should certainly lose something - but making it a team's first pick by default works against equalisation by making FAs cheaper for top than bottom teams. Hence the utility of the draft point system we already have.

 

[Unknown Identity]

I just cannot see a better way of doing things?

If GC isn't happy with just pick 3 for Lynch, match the money.. Force a trade and make Richmond pay what he is worth on an open market.

What i'd love to see with trading players, particularly matching a Free Agency offer.

A club approaches a player, we offer you 800k P.A over 5 years, they have to officially lodge that offer on an AFL data base and then the player can only nominate a state with a preferred club.

The players club then discusses with suitor a suitable trade, if a reasonable offer cannot be brokered then trade the player to a club who:

a) agree to the salary of the club requesting a trade to
b) club can trade player to whichever suitor offers the best deal via trade

Gives some power back to the clubs.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

I just cannot see a better way of doing things?

If GC isn't happy with just pick 3 for Lynch, match the money.. Force a trade and make Richmond pay what he is worth on an open market.

It's not about what GC get - they'd still get pick 3. It's about what Richmond pay. If you revise the system so the cost of an FA is both money and a draft hit, the capacity for top teams to restock is diminished and equalisation is enhanced.

If GC finished 10th or so they would match, but it shouldn't be a matter of where a team finishes (and hence whether they match) determining whether or not teams pay a price for incoming talent.

 

[apuchar]

Just interested in whether it's a blanket rule for all 18 teams.

If GC lose their Pick 1 or Pick 2 for an A grade player crossing to them?

That's a good point and makes it more complicated. I imagine the AFL would decide what GC would have to give up. Like they do with compo and academy. So for a bottom 8 team for instance, the price is their next pick outside the first round or preferably the next round pick as stands before trading. What I don't like about free agency is that most of the best players are going top clubs who are also keeping their first round pick. It is a huge benefit to clubs who don't need it. If someone can come up with a better way of stopping that, then I'm quite happy to chuck my idea in the bin.

 

[NOCLUE]

I read on another thread the club getting the fa should give up a draft pick according to ladder position.
If you finish !-6 1st round pick, 7-12 2nd round, 13-18 3rd pick, if already traded that pick then a future 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pick.
Also I think afl compo should be fixed at end of 1st round so it doesn't impact the first round of other clubs.
The club losing the fa gets 2 picks, If it's a rfa it will give more incentive to match the offer to get a better deal.

 

[mike123]

I like the topic but I feel the EPL is the wrong analogy, they don't have a CAP, no draft and they have transfer fees etc.... NBA is a better alignment, there is at least a CAP and a well regimented draft system(which is probably better than the AFL's). There is still a large discrepancy between viewership thus the dollar flow into the sport compared to the AFL but they have similar problems with the star congregating into only really a few teams, my guess is that's what you're concerned about with the current rules?

To solve the AFL issue GUMBLETRON mentioned it and I've heard it talked about before but the idea of the points value of the compensation pick given to the team losing the player is leaving being deducted from the team receiving the player makes sense to me and is only really a minor rule change. The problem is at the moment clubs not even remotely involved in the player move are being penalised, in the Lynch deal the Saints(currently Pick 3) who are not involved in any way slide back a spot based on the speculative comp pick the Suns are getting(along with everybody else), now that is less concerning for clubs with picks at the end of Rd1 but for a club with a high pick looking for top talent and/or specific types of players(or in a weak draft year) that could potentially be damaging. In this scenario taking the points value off the tigers would mean they give up a few picks, at least that softens the blow on the draft order as all the other teams would move up a slot or two in the ensuing rounds.

If they did do this it might have to be a fix %/points sliding scale as the Lynch move would probably mean the Tigers would have to give up their 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks which is probably a bit much, maybe cap it at 1400 points, meaning it would be the 1st and 2nd rounder for top of the table team.

I think the problem with basketball is there are only 5 players on the court per team, so a few stars going to one team has a bigger effect then what if would have in the AFL.

 

[go_the_dockers]

I’ve never seen so many calls for widespread rule changes in direct response to a single team’s success

We’ve got bloody 20m goal squares coming in next year because of our success FFS

Not one team, it was Geelong, then Hawks, now Richmond.

The ability for a good Victorian team to turn into a dominant team has never been greater. With more player movement, and free agency, Vic teams can top up very easily.

 

[Apex36]

Simply put no.

Then it’s not free agency.

 

[Rusty_lucas]

I’ve never seen so many calls for widespread rule changes in direct response to a single team’s success

We’ve got bloody 20m goal squares coming in next year because of our success FFS

have you been living under a rock for the last 20 years?

 

[go_the_dockers]

Here is the list from 2012 to 2017.

Goddard , Franklin, Frawley, Rockliff, Motlop, Betts (worth it based on contract) are all the 1st round pick compensations FA or end of first round.

They all went to a team higher on the ladder that year or a top 4 team. Franklin did a sideways step, but he got a huge amount of money to do it.

Thomas is the exception, who went to Carlton but I think Collingwood knew his ankle was stuffed, so he followed his old coach there.

Goddard, Franklin, Frawley and Lynch are the true A graders out of the above list at the time they were taken and they all went to a side with a good chance of winning a flag in the next 3 or 4 years.





2012 AFL free agency period signings
Player Date Free agent type Former club New club Compensation[11] Ref
Danyle Pearce 1 October 2012 Restricted Port Adelaide Fremantle 2nd round [12]
Brendon Goddard 1 October 2012 Restricted St Kilda Essendon 1st round [13]
Chris Knights 1 October 2012 Unrestricted Adelaide Richmond None [14]
Troy Chaplin 1 October 2012 Restricted Port Adelaide Richmond 2nd round [15]
Quinten Lynch 2 October 2012 Unrestricted West Coast Collingwood 3rd round [16]
Shannon Byrnes 4 October 2012 Unrestricted Geelong Melbourne None [17]
Tom Murphy 12 October 2012 Unrestricted Hawthorn Gold Coast None [18]
Brent Moloney 12 October 2012 Restricted Melbourne Brisbane Lions 3rd round [19]
Jared Rivers 18 October 2012 Unrestricted Melbourne Geelong 3rd round [20]
Clinton Young 19 October 2012 Unrestricted Hawthorn Collingwood 3rd round [21]

2013 AFL free agency period signings
Player Date Free agent type Former club New club Ref
Matthew White 4 October Unrestricted Richmond Port Adelaide [2]
Colin Sylvia 4 October Unrestricted Melbourne Fremantle [3]
Eddie Betts 4 October Restricted Carlton Adelaide [4]
Lance Franklin 8 October Restricted Hawthorn Sydney [5]
Dale Thomas 9 October Restricted Collingwood Carlton [6]
Xavier Ellis 16 October Unrestricted Hawthorn West Coast [7]
Nick Dal Santo 18 October Restricted St Kilda North Melbourne [8]


2014 AFL free agency period signings
Player Date Free agent type Former club New club Compensation Ref
Jarrad Waite 3 October 2014 Unrestricted Carlton North Melbourne None [6]
Shaun Higgins 3 October 2014 Restricted Western Bulldogs North Melbourne 2nd round [7]
James Frawley 6 October 2014 Unrestricted Melbourne Hawthorn 1st round [8]
Nick Malceski 6 October 2014 Unrestricted Sydney Gold Coast 2nd round [9]

2015 AFL free agency period signings
Player Date Free agent type Former club New club Compensation Ref
Matt Suckling 12 October 2015 Unrestricted Hawthorn Western Bulldogs End of 2nd round [4]
Scott Selwood 12 October 2015 Restricted West Coast Geelong 2nd round [5]
Matthew Leuenberger 15 October 2015 Restricted Brisbane Lions Essendon End of 2nd round [6]

2016
Player Date Free agent type Former club New club Compensation Ref
Ty Vickery 10 October 2016 Restricted Richmond Hawthorn 2nd round [48]
Daniel Wells 11 October 2016 Unrestricted North Melbourne Collingwood 2nd round [49]
Chris Mayne 12 October 2016 Unrestricted Fremantle Collingwood 2nd round [50]
Nathan Brown 16 October 2016 Restricted Collingwood St Kilda None [51]

2017 AFL free agency period signings
Player Date Free agent type Former club New club Compensation Ref
Jackson Trengove 6 October 2017 Restricted Port Adelaide Western Bulldogs None[a] [43]
Tom Rockliff 11 October 2017 Restricted Brisbane Lions Port Adelaide End of first round [44]
Steven Motlop 14 October 2017 Restricted Geelong Port Adelaide

 

[Sweet Jesus]

Why are we changing the rules? Just because of Tom Lynch?

Here is the list from 2012 to 2017.

Goddard , Franklin, Frawley, Rockliff, Motlop, Betts (worth it based on contract) are all the 1st round pick compensations FA or end of first round.

They all went to a team higher on the ladder that year or a top 4 team.

You sure about that?

Who are the best FAs to change clubs?

I'd say Franklin, Goddard, Dal Santo, maybe Higgins, maybe Thomas, maybe Rockliff. Those are the top-liners to move via free agency. And even Higgins has gone up a notch since moving. I wouldn't put Waite in that class when you look at his last four seasons at Carlton. He was also 31 and injury-prone.

Frawley also. But do you reckon Melbourne have any cause for complaint about how that transaction worked out?

People might add Betts to that but he was more or less unwanted at Carlton, who played finals in his last year there. They finished higher than Adelaide that season.

When I look at that list, that does not emphatically tell a story of top-liners leaving struggling clubs to join top four sides.

Franklin left the reigning premier. Goddard and Thomas left sides that had played in GFs for clubs lower on the ladder the previous year. Higgins and Dal Santo joined North, who were theoretically contending but were hardly a powerhouse club. Rockliff, sure, he left Brisbane, who were struggling at the time. But Port weren't a top four side in 2017.

Did I miss anyone?

So if people are complaining about free agency creating an exodus of elite talent from struggling sides to top-tier sides, where is the evidence for that?

 

[Sweet Jesus]

I just cannot see a better way of doing things?

The team that gets a player should automatically have one of their picks thrown into the mix as compensation. Even if it's still unders, it means that they pay some price in trade value.

For example, Lynch going to Richmond. GC get the FA compensation. But they also automatically get Richmond's first-rounder. Richmond would still do that in a heartbeat. And GC's compensation is actually quite attractive after that.

 

[Hundred_Thousand_Tigers]

So after 7 years of free agency, a first band compo Free Agent from a bottom 10 team has moved to a top 4 team... twice?

Frawley and Lynch?

 

[Sweet Jesus]

So after 7 years of free agency, a first band compo Free Agent from a bottom 10 team has moved to a top 4 team... twice?

Frawley and Lynch?

And Melbourne got kissed on the dick when they lost Frawley.

 

[Suma Magic]

My crack at proposed changes. The vibe is:

• equalisation for all bands (currently there is no equalisation for bands 2 and 4)
• less extreme equalisation
• the team that gets the player gives something up, but this is less than what the compo to the former team is, and there is no equalisation element to this additional mechanism.

My proposed approach:

• Band X (the AFL loves X - this would be for the top 10 paid players in the comp)
  • old club gets a pick after 1-9, depending on finishing position
  • new club loses the points equivalent of 18 (this would be taken from their next pick, or they could use earlier picks if they wished)
• Band 1 (same as current band 1, without the top 10ish paid players)
  • old club gets pick after pick 10-18, depending on finishing position
  • new club loses the points equivalent of pick 27, which is mid second-round
• Band 2
  • old club gets a compo pick after 19-27
  • new club loses 36
• Band 3
  • old club gets 28-36
  • new club loses 45
• Band 4
  • old club gets 37-45
  • new club loses 54
• Band 5
  • old club gets 46-54
  • new club loses 63

Examples of how this could work.

Tom Lynch, Band 1

• Gold Coast are offered pick 11 as compo
• Gold Coast can accept this or match the offer and force a trade
• If they accepted the offer, then Richmond would lose the equivalent of pick 27.

Scott Lycett, assuming band 2 and west coast finish second

• West Coast are offered pick 28 as compo
• West coast can accept or match the bid and force a trade
• If WC accept then port would lose the equivalent of pick 36

Jordan Roughead, assuming band 4

• Bulldogs are offered pick 40 as compo
• dogs can match etc
• If Dogs accept compo then west coast would lose equivalent of pick 54

The exact picks for compo and reverse-compo may be slightly off, but i feel that this is a better system.