Post-Pre-Season Draft

[Jones2ByrneJones]

Nutty Neeldy and the Dees have recently come out and suggested delaying the PSD and RD until after season eve. This isn't a completely nutty idea.

Rather than moving or shifting these drafts around, how about, perhaps, adding another draft somewhere in between the pre-season and the home and away season - the Post-Pre Season draft (PPSD).

The big advantage of this proposed PPSD would be the ability to gauge a playing list under match conditions, and also to give more time for teams to be able to identify weaknesses and to rectify them as best as possible. From an AFLPA point of view, it could allow another avenue for players to get jobs in the AFL. Only one round would be needed and it wouldn't be mandatory for teams to participate.

Thoughts?

 

[stmookeyj]

The fact that clubs by the time the Noodle and Supplementary drafts are done have close to 42 players at that time of year exhausting the salary cap would be an issue, as would the fact that not every club participated in those drafts in December (so why would they take part in a March draft if their rosters are already full?)

 

[Post padding]

Could this work if the PPSD draftees could only be contracted for 8 months

It could be used on a certain player to fill a hole that is left by a long term injury suffered during preseason.

Imagine if a club lost a leading ruck man to a knee reco last week. That team is one down for the whole season and list aren't chocas with ruckman . But with a PPSD they could select a Cam Wood or Mark Blake ( crap examples I know) as a back up just for that year.

I know we already have a rookie draft but you can't draft to cover everything then