draft shake up

[chaddy22]

Struggling clubs set for major boost in proposed draft shake-up​

Clubs could lose a spot but gain a pick under proposed changes to the draft

By Callum Twomey
Mar 24, 2026, 7:18 pm

A general view of the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft. Picture: AFL Photos
CLUBS would be given an extra draft pick at the end of the first round if their top-five selection is pushed back at least one position by an early bid under a proposal being considered by the AFL.

The League has informed a number of clubs that it is looking at the bold change to its draft system to be implemented this year, alongside the other bidding system and free agency adjustments.

DRAFT
Top draft pair nominate Port Adelaide, opt out of Tassie watchlist
Under this move, clubs with top-five selections at the draft which are pushed back at least one position would be awarded an end-of-first-round pick as compensation for losing their primary draft spot.

Using last year's draft as an example, West Coast saw its pick No.2 move to pick No.4, Richmond's picks No.3 and 4 become 7 and 8 after bids and Essendon's pick No.5 become No.9 on draft night after four top-10 bids shifted the live draft order.

Under the proposed rule, which has been road-tested in recent months by the League, Richmond and Essendon would have been awarded a pick at the end of the first round because of the change at the top of the order.

The rule would only apply to clubs that have had their own original picks pushed back, and not other compensation picks. Using the 2025 example, the proposal would have seen West Coast only get an extra end-of-first-round pick if the Eagles had used their No.1 pick to bid on a player, and not their No.2 pick (which they received as compensation for losing free agent Oscar Allen

4

Oscar Allen

Age

27

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

).

02:06
9 hrs

Bomber responds to coach, Merrett in leadership fold​

Joel Peterson with the latest footy news from Essendon HQ
It would mean clubs with top-five picks this year would be certain to get another end-of-first-round selection added to their pick haul, with Carlton father-son Cody Walker and Port Adelaide Next Generation Academy prospect Dougie Cochrane likely to attract bids as early as pick No.1 and 2 in this year's pool.

It looms as a significant boost to struggling clubs to help their rebuilds.

Dougie Cochrane and Cody Walker. Pictures: AFL Photos
The AFL has told clubs aware of the proposal that it would encourage clubs to place bids on prospects where they are rated. In conjunction with the tougher bidding system changes, the move would add to the chances of clubs not being able to match very early bids.

In the proposal, a club can only get an extra end-of-first-round pick once as a result of a sliding top-five selection. It means that under the Richmond example from last year, the Tigers would have only received one extra pick, even though the Tigers had its two picks pushed back.


I think this makes some sense.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Seems a weird adjustment to the draft.

It incentivizes teams in the top 5 of the draft to bid to generate an extra pick for themselves. The only clubs who can bid early enough to have top 5 draft picks moved down the order are those that hold those top 5 draft picks

The whole bidding system has also been brought in to allow academy & father/son picks to get to their destination club, but simply make clubs pay the players worth rather than receive them for free. I.e. The players are generally not considered part of the open pool, but merely there so their draft value can be determined by the market. So why are top 5 draft pick holders being compensated? They still have access to the same players.

It would make more sense compensating clubs who lose draft position as a result of FA compensation picks pushing them down the draft order.

To me it feels like the AFL knows its draft system is broken, but rather than simplify & fix it, they're just adding more rules & complexity to it all. It's like the AFL is incapable of admitting it got something wrong.

 

[DorothyG]

Let's fix the already compromised draft by compromising it a little bit more.
Well done afl

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Unintended consequences. If only one bid occurs and no free agency compensation. The team with the 6th pick, ends up with their second pick at pick 29.

Given their will be multiple bids, and free agency compo sprinkled in, the team with the 6th pick won't see a second pick until the mid 30's. However, with the changes on bidding maybe this won't be an issue, given to match bids you have to give up earlier picks now, maybe they're hoping that matching bids will see those second rounders come back in sufficiently.

Pick 1 - Bid
Pick 2 - Team 1
Pick 3 - Team 2
Pick 4 - Team 3
Pick 5 - Team 4
Pick 6 - Team 5
Pick 7 - Team 6


Pick 19 - Team 1
Pick 20 - Team 2
Pick 21 - Team 3
Pick 22 - Team 4
Pick 23 - Team 5
Pick 24 - Team 1
Pick 25 - Team 2
Pick 26 - Team 3
Pick 27 - Team 4
Pick 28 - Team 5
Pick 29 - Team 6

 

[suntagonal]

So, under these rules, we should have bid with pick 1 to get an End of First compensation?

Also, what happens if you trade away a F1 and it ends up being Top 5? Which team gets the End of First compensation?

vAFL probably hasn't thought this one through.

 

[jdisc]

Classic AFL

Don't reform the bidding system that leads to these instances

Instead introduce a whole new rule that further adds complexity

Genius

 

[FKASC]

Road tested

 

[juice568]

So, under these rules, we should have bid with pick 1 to get an End of First compensation?

Also, what happens if you trade away a F1 and it ends up being Top 5? Which team gets the End of First compensation?

vAFL probably hasn't thought this one through.

Id say the club that holds the pick on the night as the pick is losing some value

 

[happy_eagle]

So the draft is only a problem now because a "big victorian club" (Essendon) are struggling.

How many years have people been complaining about the compromisation of the draft. Instead of looking at the heart of the issue (northern academies), they just introduce new measures which will compromise it further. Every single team in the Top 5 now will automatically bid on someone, just to get a bonus 1st rounder.

Classic VAFL

 

[RookiePick]

Is this in conjunction with the tightening of the rule around what picks can be used to match bids? I thought there was something about that to stop teams bundling junk picks together for value...or was that a fever dream?

 

[Knifey Spoony]

I may have posted this before but I stand by my solution.

Every team gets to pre-list one club tied player. Last year we could add Williams, Suns could add Uwland, Lions Annable and so on. Every other player is in the draft.

Using last year's example, Gold Coast would need to then generate the draft capital for Patterson or let him go.

If clubs are terrible for multiple years they can access a second club tied player, I.e. we could also have added Banfield instead of a random spin of the priority pick wheel.

I think this is much clearer and also in line with the AFLs "equalisation" model.

Also, undrafted NGAs are added as cat Bs as long as it is under the salary cap if a club chooses to extend their development with a limit.

 

[Doashuey]

So, under these rules, we should have bid with pick 1 to get an End of First compensation?

Also, what happens if you trade away a F1 and it ends up being Top 5? Which team gets the End of First compensation?

vAFL probably hasn't thought this one through.

I think this covers it...
" The rule would only apply to clubs that have had their own original picks pushed back, and not other compensation picks".
So sounds like only the clubs own pick tied to ladder position, not if they were lucky enough to trade in a top 5 future.

 

[EJ_Faithful]

Even if the club get to 6-7 wins (unlikely imo) we're still finishing bottom 3/4. It does however mean our nominal second rounder could be up for trade.

 

[twce13]

Let's fix the already compromised draft by compromising it a little bit more.
Well done afl

This.

These guys are legit so stupid.

 

[Keys]

The ability of the AFL to take something very simple - every club takes a turn to draft a player in reverse ladder order, then rinse and repeat - and complicate it beyond recognition is unrivalled

They are the antithesis of the KISS principle

What’s even worse is they’re making changes on the run that impact the upcoming draft when clubs have made plans around, and drafted future picks, based on an assumed set of rules that may now be altered

And all of this ahead of the 2027 & 2028 drafts that will be significantly compromised due to the introduction of Tasmania

The draft is the AFL’s primary equalisation measure and it’s failing and instead of making it simpler and more streamlined, they’re considering adding additional layers of complexity

Bunch of ****ing idiots

 

[DorothyG]

And all of this ahead of the 2027 & 2028 drafts that will be significantly compromised due to the introduction of Tasmania

Fingers crossed if not this year, but 2027 we bounce a bit up the ladder. We may have been bloody licky with our bottoming out timing

If we don't this year, we can still get some top end before Tassie come and hover up everything.

I'd hate to be a club on the downward trajectory. You may have 2 years with no good picks and trying to regenerate a list is just going to take longer and longer