Minimum Contract Term For Draftees

[dlanod]

I do not know the NRL system at all. Explain it to me. I roughly think its zones?

My vision would be something like the American College system where all the clubs would be chasing kids in their last year of U18 getting them to sign.
Who went where? I think some of it would be as you say. A Geelong kid may well stay in Geelong if Geelongs offer is acceptable and Geelong wants him. However things are never static. Geelong is a reasonable option now , maybe not so 20 years ago ( a bit like the reverse Brisbane). Plenty of kids may well enjoy moving away if its their choice as long as they club is what they want , after all if there is a cap on spending one club may choose to spend more on kids than others.

The NRL system is basically anyone can sign anyone for any amount of money and contract length. The "highlight" is a kid called Kalyn Ponga getting signed to a four year $3.6m contract after two games at senior level. Kids get their first contract at 15, though there's not much to those beyond a stipend AFAIK, and then get signed to an NRL contract at 18 if they develop. However they can sign with whoever they want whenever they want for however much they want.

 

[Jell]

I agree with the OP, I think a 4 year contract for a round 1 pick is on the money. History shows that very few first round picks play less than 4 seasons unless delisted for disciplinary reasons. In fact I can only think of one in recent times (Lucas Cook), however Blaine Boekhorst might join that list at the end of the season.

Obviously pay is the main factor for the AFLPA wanting to nix this option. But that can be solved with simple performance based clauses in every contract.

It's not necessarily going to stop players from changing clubs after a couple of years, but at the very least it will give the clubs losing the player, the upper hand in negotiations so they will be fairly compensated.

When Schache leaves at the end of the season, there's no way Brisbane are going to get true value for him which is disheartening for the club and its supporters.

 

[briztoon]

It can be a 2+2 deal. 2 year rookie contract + 2 year club option at a negotiated pay rise. If the player and the club want to renegotiate earlier they can.

Look at GC. They re-signed their four first round draft picks from 2016 through to 2020 at the beginning of the year, during the JLT from memory.

 

[Cleric]

It will bite both ways.
Adding an extra year on a first round pick isnt going to make them more likely to stay, and when they do leave after their third year clubs will complain that they have put three years of development into them only to lose them.
Interstate clubs need more access to local talent. The chances of Hipwood leaving Brisbane, or Mills/Heeney leaving Sydney are slim unless the club doesnt want them.

 

[IanW]

In the NFL

It will bite both ways.
Adding an extra year on a first round pick isnt going to make them more likely to stay, and when they do leave after their third year clubs will complain that they have put three years of development into them only to lose them.
Interstate clubs need more access to local talent. The chances of Hipwood leaving Brisbane, or Mills/Heeney leaving Sydney are slim unless the club doesnt want them.

Jack Steele says hi.

 

[JG22]

In the NFL


Jack Steele says hi.

True but he wasn't getting a game and was best 22 and most other clubs. Embarrassment of riches.

 

[Cleric]

In the NFL


Jack Steele says hi.

And he was from Canberra. Just because you put ACT on the back of your jumper, doesnt mean it still isnt 150kms away from where you play.

 

[Bokonon_]

True but he wasn't getting a game and was best 22 and most other clubs. Embarrassment of riches.

Or temporary expanded list we had to reduce, but your points a fair one

 

[Bokonon_]

And he was from Canberra. Just because you put ACT on the back of your jumper, doesnt mean it still isnt 150kms away from where you play.

This is a wierd post. We play 3 hlgames a year In Canberra which is considerably more than 150km's away. It is clearly our Zone

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

It will bite both ways.
Adding an extra year on a first round pick isnt going to make them more likely to stay, and when they do leave after their third year clubs will complain that they have put three years of development into them only to lose them.
Interstate clubs need more access to local talent. The chances of Hipwood leaving Brisbane, or Mills/Heeney leaving Sydney are slim unless the club doesnt want them.

That's bang on. You can't force a 4 year contract onto a teenager.

The answer is to relax the Academy rules for the Queensland clubs for a period to build up their local talent base. Just give them a free shot at their local kids for 5 years and ignore the whinging from the Victorian clubs. No kid should be forced to stay in a workplace where he is unhappy.

 

[BigCat2]

It will bite both ways.
Adding an extra year on a first round pick isnt going to make them more likely to stay, and when they do leave after their third year clubs will complain that they have put three years of development into them only to lose them.
Interstate clubs need more access to local talent. The chances of Hipwood leaving Brisbane, or Mills/Heeney leaving Sydney are slim unless the club doesnt want them.

As we have seen (Cam McCarthy and Bryce Gibbs aside) if a contracted player wants to leave they generally get traded. Most clubs prefer to not hold onto players who don't want to be there, and get themselves a reasonable trade. The longer contract just means clubs have better bargaining position at the trade.

Also, 3 years feels much longer than 2 years for a teenager. If an early draft pick wants to leave then they basically spend their first year playing and second year planning how to spend the money he'll soon get. 3 years means more time for the kid to hang around. At that age 1 year is a big deal. It may just be enough to convince some of them that staying is the best thing for them.

 

[Gunstall555]

I like the idea that for 1st round picks clubs can retain options for a 3rd or 4th year. The higher the draft pick though, the higher the 3rd and 4th year contract cost e.g:

Pick 1.
Year 1 - Round 1 draft pick salary (e.g. 100k)
Year 2 - Round 1 draft pick salary (e.g. 150k)
Club optional Year 3 - Pick 1 valued @ 500k
Club optional Year 4 - Pick 4 valued @ 700k

Pick 10.
Year 1 - Round 1 draft pick salary (e.g. 100k)
Year 2 - Round 1 draft pick salary (e.g. 150k)
Club optional Year 3 - Pick 10 valued @ 350k
Club optional Year 4 - Pick 10 valued @ 500k

This gives the clubs the ability to hold 1st round draft picks, but at a cost. Now at any stage a player can naturally request a trade, but the club is not obliged to trade the player, and if they have taken up the option that is at a high price point this might put potential suitors off.

If a club doesn't want to enforce their year 3 & 4 option (e.g. clearly the player isn't worth paying that much) the club and player can negotiate a new contract (with the club waiving its right to the 4th year), or the player can request a trade.

In the Schache scenario, being a pick 2, if Brisbane had an option to retain him in his 3rd year for say 485k and decided to take the option, then he'd have no choice but to stay for a 3rd year. He'd be well paid though for a developing tall that had 4 kicks in the NEAFL on the weekend.

 

[Cleric]

That's bang on. You can't force a 4 year contract onto a teenager.

The answer is to relax the Academy rules for the Queensland clubs for a period to build up their local talent base. Just give them a free shot at their local kids for 5 years and ignore the whinging from the Victorian clubs. No kid should be forced to stay in a workplace where he is unhappy.

One day someone will take the AFL to court over the draft. They did it to the NRL who lost the case.
I think that there should be academies for all clubs from their home states.
Retention and attracting trades is an issue for SA and WA clubs as well. Many managers have said that one of the biggest reasons kids dont go back to WA is they dont want to travel that far every second week.

 

[briztoon]

One day someone will take the AFL to court over the draft. They did it to the NRL who lost the case.
I think that there should be academies for all clubs from their home states.
Retention and attracting trades is an issue for SA and WA clubs as well. Many managers have said that one of the biggest reasons kids dont go back to WA is they dont want to travel that far every second week.

When?

I can not remember the NRL having a draft.

 

[dlanod]

When?

I can not remember the NRL having a draft.

80s or early 90s.

 

[Snookers]

True but he wasn't getting a game and was best 22 and most other clubs. Embarrassment of riches.

He wasn't getting a game?

17 games in your first 2 years is not a bad effort?

 

[JG22]

He wasn't getting a game?

17 games in your first 2 years is not a bad effort?

Well he played 10 last year when he could easily have played 22 for another club, game time was key in the move.

 

[Snookers]

Well he played 10 last year when he could easily have played 22 for another club, game time was key in the move.

I keep forgetting that this is the entitled generation we are dealing with.

 

[JG22]

I keep forgetting that this is the entitled generation we are dealing with.

Wanted to play football, that's selfish is it

 

[Snookers]

Wanted to play football, that's selfish is it

Because he wasn't playing football on the weekend?

 

[JG22]

Because he wasn't playing football on the weekend?

Senior football obviously, not quite sure what your playing at.

 

[Snookers]

Senior football obviously, not quite sure what your playing at.

You didn't say that. You just said football.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

You look at other sports that have drafts, first round picks are NOT locked in to minimum salary contracts.

NBA minimum salary for a rookie is $700k. First pick in the draft gets $5+mil.

But there is a scale based on where the player is picked. Not sure on the exact numbers, but the scale for pick number 1 is about $5m and clubs can sign the player for 20% more or less than that number. It nearly always works out they sign for 20% more.

I do not know the NRL system at all. Explain it to me. I roughly think its zones?

My vision would be something like the American College system where all the clubs would be chasing kids in their last year of U18 getting them to sign.

This really creates inequity. In College Football, look at how many 4 and 5 star recruits Alabama sign each year compared to say Tulane. These teams are in the same competition but to really be competing against one another, it would require 10+ years of sustained success for Tulane to have access to same caliber of kids as Alabama.
You have 128 teams in the comp, realistically only 10 teams each year have a chance to win the championship. I don't think this should be the system we strive for.

 

[Dirty_banchez]

When?

I can not remember the NRL having a draft.

It was a disgrace, incredibly onerous on the players and was rightfully canned by the Federal Court. Adamson v New South Wales Rugby League Ltd is the case if you are interested.

 

[Adz2332]

The recent comments by Chris Fagan around the Josh Schache situation has some serious merit. Fagan suggested first round draftees should be given an initial minimum 3-year contract.

Clearly clubs are being screwed over when drafting first round players only for them 18-months later they are getting huge offers to switch clubs.

Clubs down the bottom of the ladder will always struggle to build a competitive list if this practice continues.

I think it should be like this :

1st Round draftees - 4-years
2nd Round draftees - 3-years
3rd Round draftees - 2-years
4th Round draftees - 1-year

my take
1st Round draftees - 2-years + 1 year team option
2nd Round draftees - 2 years + 1 year team option
3rd Round draftees - 1-years + 2 year team option
4th Round draftees - 1-year + 2 year team option