Free Agency is a disaster for the competition and needs a huge rethink

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My biggest problem with free agency is the salary cap floor.

Total cap is 13,000,000. Top teams should be spending 100% of that to squeeze their stars in. Salary cap floor is just over $12,000,000. That’s really only one gun player worth of salary cap space. Its not enough difference in what they would get if they went to a tip club.

If some teams were spending 70-80% they would have an actual war chest to lure someone with, not a couple of hundred grand more than a team that can guarantee them finals and at least a good shot at the flag.
 
Mr Magic said:
Actually the onus is on GWS to maximise trade value over the next three years for your next premiership run
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Totally different topic.

We had ten years to convince Jeremy Cameron that we are worthy of him being a one club player, and we failed to do that. We only have ourselves to blame.

Do we need to maximise our return? Of course. But that isn't going to make supporters feel any better when we know that we've blown our chance to make Jeremy a one club player.
 
darcytiger said:
My biggest problem with free agency is the salary cap floor.

Total cap is 13,000,000. Top teams should be spending 100% of that to squeeze their stars in. Salary cap floor is just over $12,000,000. That’s really only one gun player worth of salary cap space. Its not enough difference in what they would get if they went to a tip club.

If some teams were spending 70-80% they would have an actual war chest to lure someone with, not a couple of hundred grand more than a team that can guarantee them finals and at least a good shot at the flag.
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Ok you get contracts can be foward and backended to account for this right? With foward ending contracts you can effectively get the salary cap down to about 9 million for clubs lacking talent. Just need to give players longer contracts and pay them effectively nothing in 3-5 years time.
 

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North getting the 5th selection in the draft after finishing 17th would be the perfect example of the s**t show the entire system has become.
 
The Final Word said:
Pick 2 for Crouch is a rort.

Not across pick 5 for finishing 17th, how's that working? You factoring in the NGA picks that you can't get?
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#1 - Western Bulldogs - NGA matched bid
#2 - Adelaide (formerly #1)
#3 - Adelaide - Brad Crouch FA compensation pick
#4 - Sydney - NGA matched bid
#5 - NM (formerly #2)


Let not forget the potential Zac Williams, Joe Danniher, Jeremy Cameron FA compensation picks also + more NGA selections + more Academy selections + F/S selections.


The NFL/NBA would absolutely piss themselves at what our "draft" system has become. You can barely go 3 picks in the first round without a pick being compromised by some bullshit scenario, scheme or allowance.
 
darcytiger said:
My biggest problem with free agency is the salary cap floor.

Total cap is 13,000,000. Top teams should be spending 100% of that to squeeze their stars in. Salary cap floor is just over $12,000,000. That’s really only one gun player worth of salary cap space. Its not enough difference in what they would get if they went to a tip club.

If some teams were spending 70-80% they would have an actual war chest to lure someone with, not a couple of hundred grand more than a team that can guarantee them finals and at least a good shot at the flag.
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Completely agree so what we have is a lot of mediocre players on inflated salaries aswell just so clubs can meet the minimum
 
eastfreo75 said:
I was thinking that maybe the rule apply to a top 8 team. The bottom 10 it could be a second round pick.
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It may work but I still think any system like this will still favour the teams at the top of the ladder. A team finishing 8th and having pick 9 are still going to consider the free agent player vs the pick whereas the team finishing top and having pick 18 won't bat an eyelid giving up that pick.

Even then, if a team really wants a particular player they won't care on the compensation as it will typically still be cheaper than actually trading for them. Brisbane giving up 16 for Daniher vs Sydney giving up 21 Daniher he is still going to go to the higher team and Brisbane really don't are about paying 16 as it's cheaper than both the market value of Daniher and the Dodoro value of Daniher.
 
Seeds said:
Ok you get contracts can be foward and backended to account for this right? With foward ending contracts you can effectively get the salary cap down to about 9 million for clubs lacking talent. Just need to give players longer contracts and pay them effectively nothing in 3-5 years time.
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Which is when they ask to be traded to another club! We've seen lots of players jump ship once their front ending tapers down
 
Pykie said:
#1 - Western Bulldogs - NGA matched bid
#2 - Adelaide (formerly #1)
#3 - Adelaide - Brad Crouch FA compensation pick
#4 - Sydney - NGA matched bid
#5 - NM (formerly #2)


Let not forget the potential Zac Williams, Joe Danniher, Jeremy Cameron FA compensation picks also + more NGA selections + more Academy selections + F/S selections.


The NFL/NBA would absolutely piss themselves at what our "draft" system has become. You can barely go 3 picks in the first round without a pick being compromised by some bullshit scenario, scheme or allowance.
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Agree, it's a joke. Original NGA was an ok idea to grow the game in the Northern states. Now it's a rort.
 
darcytiger said:
My biggest problem with free agency is the salary cap floor.

Total cap is 13,000,000. Top teams should be spending 100% of that to squeeze their stars in. Salary cap floor is just over $12,000,000. That’s really only one gun player worth of salary cap space. Its not enough difference in what they would get if they went to a tip club.

If some teams were spending 70-80% they would have an actual war chest to lure someone with, not a couple of hundred grand more than a team that can guarantee them finals and at least a good shot at the flag.
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Think you’d still get players going for less money and success, which is fair enough. I think it’s just the “free” nature of it that stops the cyclical parity. As in yeah, you can have Cameron, but it’s gonna cost - otherwise you can just keep topping up forever.

Perhaps a fair adjustment would be the receiving club pays compo in the form of draft picks. So it’s similar to a trade, but the “free” movement is still assured as the club that the player is leaving cannot stop it. But equally, the club getting him has to give up a piece of its future - and that’s a consideration they’ll have to make.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
Think you’d still get players going for less money and success, which is fair enough. I think it’s just the “free” nature of it that stops the cyclical parity. As in yeah, you can have Cameron, but it’s gonna cost - otherwise you can just keep topping up forever.

Perhaps a fair adjustment would be the receiving club pays compo in the form of draft picks. So it’s similar to a trade, but the “free” movement is still assured as the club that the player is leaving cannot stop it. But equally, the club getting him has to give up a piece of its future - and that’s a consideration they’ll have to make.
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another magic formula for the AFL to come up with? Or would it just align with compo, so St Kilda would need to effectively pay pick #2 for Brad Crouch?
 

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Matera92 said:
This was always the intended result the AFL had in mind.

Naive to think otherwise.
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There is three things;

What the AFL wanted
What fans expect
What actually happened

The AFL is amateurish - and thats putting it lightly - at connecting 1 and 3 and completely disregards 2.
 
Pykie said:
#1 - Western Bulldogs - NGA matched bid
#2 - Adelaide (formerly #1)
#3 - Adelaide - Brad Crouch FA compensation pick
#4 - Sydney - NGA matched bid
#5 - NM (formerly #2)
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In what world is crouch pick 3? He's a middle tier player at best
 
afl genius said:
In what world is crouch pick 3? He's a middle tier player at best
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that's one of the most glaring issues with the compo. For some reason, it's tied to the finishing position of the club that loses the player. So do you think that incentivises Adelaide to try and sign him up, or does it mean they practically book him on a private jet to Moorabbin Airport?
 
Seeds said:
Ok you get contracts can be foward and backended to account for this right? With foward ending contracts you can effectively get the salary cap down to about 9 million for clubs lacking talent. Just need to give players longer contracts and pay them effectively nothing in 3-5 years time.
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Forward contract has poaching issues.

Part of the reason we lost Neale and Hill because Fremantle front loaded the contacts.

Player x has a $1.5m contact over three years. The team play $800k in year one and $350 for years 2 and 3.

Another club at the of year 2 puts a bid of $1.5m over another three years.

Front contacts are ok if the player stays.
 
afl genius said:
In what world is crouch pick 3? He's a middle tier player at best
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It depends what the Saints pay him though. If it is indeed a 5 year deal ~$700k a year then they'll likely get a pick after their first pick as compensation. If it's less than that then they'll only get a pick at the end of the first round (so ~P20). If they're only going to get a pick at the end of the first round then there's a chance they'll match and force the Saints to trade... depending on the Saints cap it makes sense for them to pay him the $700k then so he costs them nothing at the trade table.

That said, I agree with you and think he's massively overpaid and is a massive risk with the off-field and injury issues he brings with him. Saints should be paying him around $550k-600k (which would most likely be a paycut for Brad) and then if the Crows match, let them keep him.
 
The Final Word said:
another magic formula for the AFL to come up with? Or would it just align with compo, so St Kilda would need to effectively pay pick #2 for Brad Crouch?
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Well you wouldn't have the existing compo so that'd be out the window. Whether you just used that "formula" (I doubt there even is one) or come up with something new and better, I dunno. For example, I don't think the comp pick being immediately after the club's pick is a good system. Buddy is always the perfect example - pick 19 is ridiculous when much lesser players earn a top 5 pick because the club they're leaving is down the bottom. It's the only reason Adelaide will get pick 2 instead of pick 6, 10, 13, 16 or anything else.

Surely they can come up with a contract = points system and slot the pick in at that stage, no matter where it lands.

Pick 1 is worth 3000 points, pick 73 is worth 9 points, surely we can come up with a way to rank players leaving and give the club a pick there.
 
eastfreo75 said:
Forward contract has poaching issues.

Part of the reason we lost Neale and Hill because Fremantle front loaded the contacts.

Player x has a $1.5m contact over three years. The team play $800k in year one and $350 for years 2 and 3.

Another club at the of year 2 puts a bid of $1.5m over another three years.

Front contacts are ok if the player stays.
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How does foward contracts have poaching issues? You cant leave unless the club agrees to it. Clubs arent going to agree to it if they have already paid you in advance.

if that was the reason freemantle should of just said no and explained to neale and hill they had already paid them a large share of their third season salary as agreed to at the start of their contract.
 
Seeds said:
How does foward contracts have poaching issues? You cant leave unless the club agrees to it. Clubs arent going to agree to it if they have already paid you in advance.

if that was the reason freemantle should of just said no and explained to neale and hill they had already paid them a large share of their third season salary as agreed to at the start of their contract.
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When a player asked for trade, you get maximum in terms of trade if a player is within contract.

Uncontacted player requesting gives you very little hand.
 
Seeds said:
How does foward contracts have poaching issues? You cant leave unless the club agrees to it. Clubs arent going to agree to it if they have already paid you in advance.

if that was the reason freemantle should of just said no and explained to neale and hill they had already paid them a large share of their third season salary as agreed to at the start of their contract.
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Read carefully, I said part of the reason.
 
Pykie said:
North getting the 5th selection in the draft after finishing 17th would be the perfect example of the sh*t show the entire system has become.
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Tiges got pick #6 after finishing 15th (second last) in 2010 in a year we were called 'the worst team since fitzroy' and had wooden spoon bets paid out by round 6.
Pick #15 the next year while finishing 12th.
 
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