Rules The AFL needs to bring in an anti-tampering rule

[jim boy]

More power to the players! They already give up a lot that we take for granted. I get to choose who I work for - players dont. I get to choose where I work from, players dont. I have a career that will last decades, most players dont. Sure an even comp is great, but players are also people who should have the right to be able to drive their own careers.

 

[marcmurphy3]

Completely impractical to stop other clubs being able to approach players during the season. Most top players won't sign contracts until they test the market and clubs won't sign lesser players until top players are signed. Doing this would mean all decisions would need to be made in the 2 weeks between the grand final and trade period.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

4 year initial contracts then straight into RFA and from then onwards FA each time you're out of contract.

Increase the length of the Free Agency Period to allow clubs and players to discuss their futures/make plans. Followed by the trade fortnight/week at the end culminating in the draft, but allow trades/FA signings to continue one-two days after the draft.

Raise the draft age so that no player is in year 12.

Would circumvent any issues related to tampering laws being brought in. The public and media would no doubt be impatient with the inaction in FA and trades just as they did last time it was a month or so, but back then there were no tampering laws.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Clubs talk to the player managers, not directly to players, so as long as player manager’s manage players it will never stop, as there is always the opportunity to talk “other business” when a club wants to reconstruct a current player.

 

[Thetrader15]

More power to the players! They already give up a lot that we take for granted. I get to choose who I work for - players dont. I get to choose where I work from, players dont. I have a career that will last decades, most players dont. Sure an even comp is great, but players are also people who should have the right to be able to drive their own careers.

The average AFL footballer earns 4 times the average Australian's wage, so they don't need a career which lasts for decades...and that's just the playing wage, not including sponsorship, endorsements, and other business opportunities.

Plus, there's no formal qualifications (tafe, uni, trade) they need to undertake (ie pay for) either.

Oh, and did I mention they have about 10 weeks of annual leave each year too?

Players can drive their own career, they might just have to do it outside the AFL.

My opinion (and others will disagree, that's fine) is players are forgetting who the most important stakeholder in the game is...it's not them, it's the people who watch the game and pay their salaries. Without fans, the AFL becomes a state league and players are paid ~$30k a year.

There's already heaps of mechanisms for players to choose where they play - DFAs, UFAs, RFAs, trade and the state league.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Given its now been established that Port Adelaide and Ken Hinkley were in Jason Horne-Francis' ear as early as June this season, I feel like this topic needs to be taken seriously and addressed finally by the AFL admin

Also by no means under current circumstances do i thinkPAFC did anything wrong under current rules (Fremantle were in contact with Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

22

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

's management around the same time as well) and I know Carlton and other Vic Clubs have done the same in the past, but I get the feeling after the JH-F controversial move to Alberton, something has to give and the AFL needs to step in and intervene, especially for the vulnerable expansion teams Suns and Giants.

 

[Brasher]

The average AFL footballer earns 4 times the average Australian's wage, so they don't need a career which lasts for decades...and that's just the playing wage, not including sponsorship, endorsements, and other business opportunities.

Plus, there's no formal qualifications (tafe, uni, trade) they need to undertake (ie pay for) either.

Oh, and did I mention they have about 10 weeks of annual leave each year too?

Players can drive their own career, they might just have to do it outside the AFL.

My opinion (and others will disagree, that's fine) is players are forgetting who the most important stakeholder in the game is...it's not them, it's the people who watch the game and pay their salaries. Without fans, the AFL becomes a state league and players are paid ~$30k a year.

There's already heaps of mechanisms for players to choose where they play - DFAs, UFAs, RFAs, trade and the state league.

Cracks me up when people try and compare our daily grinds with the professional plight of sports people.

Let's not forget does your new employer have to trade with your old employer for your rights even though they have no contractual commit to you (if ever there was a situation that would invoke restraint of trade that is it).

Or that an AFL contract is fully guaranteed?

To the OP subject, tampering is annoying but won't go away. It's still better than your favourite player announcing mid season that he has signed with your arch rival.

 

[Kwality]

Given its now been established that Port Adelaide and Ken Hinkley were in Jason Horne-Francis' ear as early as June this season, I feel like this topic needs to be taken seriously and addressed finally by the AFL admin

Also by no means under current circumstances do i thinkPAFC did anything wrong under current rules (Fremantle were in contact with Luke Jackson's management around the same time as well) and I know Carlton and other Vic Clubs have done the same in the past, but I get the feeling after the JH-F controversial move to Alberton, something has to give and the AFL needs to step in and intervene, especially for the vulnerable expansion teams Suns and Giants.

Address the player manager groups who can set up the multi club transfers potentially with no more than a nudge to a like minded fellow manager.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Given its now been established that Port Adelaide and Ken Hinkley were in Jason Horne-Francis' ear as early as June this season, I feel like this topic needs to be taken seriously and addressed finally by the AFL admin

Also by no means under current circumstances do i thinkPAFC did anything wrong under current rules (Fremantle were in contact with Luke Jackson's management around the same time as well) and I know Carlton and other Vic Clubs have done the same in the past, but I get the feeling after the JH-F controversial move to Alberton, something has to give and the AFL needs to step in and intervene, especially for the vulnerable expansion teams Suns and Giants.

I doubt that, this is merely faux outrage, in reality its nothing more than an inconvenience. Theres much more to gain in the long run to leave it.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Given its now been established that Port Adelaide and Ken Hinkley were in Jason Horne-Francis' ear as early as June this season, I feel like this topic needs to be taken seriously and addressed finally by the AFL admin

Also by no means under current circumstances do i thinkPAFC did anything wrong under current rules (Fremantle were in contact with Luke Jackson's management around the same time as well) and I know Carlton and other Vic Clubs have done the same in the past, but I get the feeling after the JH-F controversial move to Alberton, something has to give and the AFL needs to step in and intervene, especially for the vulnerable expansion teams Suns and Giants.

It’s not tampering to recruit a player from another AFL club.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

It’s not tampering to recruit a player from another AFL club.

I just don't think clubs should be allowed to chat to other club's players and their managers during the season, it's just not a good look for the league.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I just don't think clubs should be allowed to chat to other club's players and their managers during the season, it's just not a good look for the league.

Recruiting and list management are hard and take time, it’s just necessary. You have to plan.

It’s gonna happen either way. If you’re an adult and can’t handle it, you maybe need to grow up.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Recruiting and list management are hard and take time, it’s just necessary. You have to plan.

It’s gonna happen either way. If you’re an adult and can’t handle it, you maybe need to grow up.

Actually, I now think my proposal should only apply to contracted players, the FA and trade period would run forever otherwise.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

There needs to be anti tampering rules with contracted players. No player under contract with a club should be meeting with opposing club officials, doing tours of their facility, being spoken about in the media by opposition officials or meeting with leadership groups.

Sure managers can chat to clubs but players and officials should be out of bounds

 

[kaiserchief13]

FIFA I believe has a rule where another club can't speak directly to a player unless they have 6 months or less of their contract remaining. Could be brought into AFL?

 

[flamingEMBERS]

In the USA general managers/coaches/owners get fined for mentioning a contracted player and the potential to recruit them.

If this was the cause Dimma would have been fined in 2018. Same with Rance when he spoke about the apple cart

 

[pz5151]

More power to the players! They already give up a lot that we take for granted. I get to choose who I work for - players dont. I get to choose where I work from, players dont. I have a career that will last decades, most players dont. Sure an even comp is great, but players are also people who should have the right to be able to drive their own careers.

I love how Geelong people want the exact level of "player freedom" that allows them to use the pull of a surf coast lifestyle to recruit players but not the amount of freedom that means players can actually earn what the market determines is fair by removing the salary cap.

 

[ohmygewd]

Gill looked at bringing in NBA style anti-tampering law's which Hocking was suppose to look into...guess he's still looking into it as Geelong CEO.

If they they did, these are the current NBA anti-tampering rules:
"The NBA states that any member of the organization, coach, player, executive, or owner, cannot speak to a player on rival teams in an attempt to lure him to join their team. This includes publicly showing interest in acquiring the player or by approaching his agent about a possible trade.
The penalty for tampering in the NBA can involve an array of punishments, depending on several variables. If a team official is found guilty of tampering, he can be fined up to $10 million, while if an active player is, he can be suspended from games. Additionally, violating teams can have their free agent signings voided, draft picks taken away, and trades reversed.

The league has the right to launch an audit at any time (like USADA with drug testing), with all types of communication like emails, texts, and social media interactions, randomly investigated.'

The NBA rarely goes hard at clubs and officals and if so, the fines have been pretty meek but they still dish fines out just to remind all that this exist.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

There’s the blueprint. Cut and paste I say

 

[Goomba1973]

If the Suns can't keep talent, the problem isn't the player managers - it's the club.

Clubs to bare some responsibility yes, but thinking player managers are not part of the problem is just naïve, the more a player get paid the more his manager gets, they're convincing players into brokering new deals and stuffing their pocket while they are at it. What has ended up happening is the clubs like GC and GWS are paying elite rates for mid level talents just to try increase retention then 1 year later they end up with a salary dump.

 

[Brasher]

Gill looked at bringing in NBA style anti-tampering law's which Hocking was suppose to look into...guess he's still looking into it as Geelong CEO.

If they they did, these are the current NBA anti-tampering rules:
"The NBA states that any member of the organization, coach, player, executive, or owner, cannot speak to a player on rival teams in an attempt to lure him to join their team. This includes publicly showing interest in acquiring the player or by approaching his agent about a possible trade.
The penalty for tampering in the NBA can involve an array of punishments, depending on several variables. If a team official is found guilty of tampering, he can be fined up to $10 million, while if an active player is, he can be suspended from games. Additionally, violating teams can have their free agent signings voided, draft picks taken away, and trades reversed.

The league has the right to launch an audit at any time (like USADA with drug testing), with all types of communication like emails, texts, and social media interactions, randomly investigated.'

The NBA rarely goes hard at clubs and officals and if so, the fines have been pretty meek but they still dish fines out just to remind all that this exist.

NFL is pretty bullish on this too. Normally takes the offended club to whistleblow.

Draft sanctions are the go to penalty for the NFL but if the AFL think this is a thing to be addressed (still to be convinced they do) then player agent sanctions and fines would help not only deal with it but help break down the boys club and the very blurred line between media and player agent roles.

Edit. Tampering still very much exists in the NFL. How else to explain the $100M contract announcement 3 minutes after FA opens. NFL focus more on tampering where contracted players are approached mid contract often to try and get the player to force a trade mid season.

 

[FourthTimeAround]

I just don't think clubs should be allowed to chat to other club's players and their managers during the season, it's just not a good look for the league.

And I also don't think that clubs are allowed to discuss options for delisting or trading their own players during the season. But they do. And so should players and their managers.

 

[iameviljez]

the league must step up and ban any club or player manager discussing players with at least one more season left on their contract to entertain talks with other clubs until the end of the season and contract expires (this applies to all clubs and players btw, not just Gold Coast)

Hard disagree.

I get what you're trying to do, but if this rule comes in, all that will happen is it will seriously reward rule-breakers. Players will go to the club that has quiet discussions and dangles the early carrot in front of the player. Sides will absolutely keep quietly chatting to players.

Players will also wait to the very end of the year to re-sign contracts, because they will have no idea what their options actually are.

It would also be illegal, then, to do things like have chats with Brodie Grundy and Tom Mitchell - players who are in contract, but where it's obvious that a move is required.

 

[ohmygewd]

And I also don't think that clubs are allowed to discuss options for delisting or trading their own players during the season. But they do. And so should players and their managers.

There's no anti-tampering rules in the AFL at the moment and basically only frowned upon hence club presidents like Kochies can talk about how they sweeten JHF with no reprecussions.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Hard disagree.

I get what you're trying to do, but if this rule comes in, all that will happen is it will seriously reward rule-breakers. Players will go to the club that has quiet discussions and dangles the early carrot in front of the player. Sides will absolutely keep quietly chatting to players.

Players will also wait to the very end of the year to re-sign contracts, because they will have no idea what their options actually are.

It would also be illegal, then, to do things like have chats with Brodie Grundy and Tom Mitchell - players who are in contract, but where it's obvious that a move is required.

As I say, I think now it should apply only to contracted players, especially first year draftees like JH-F.

Similarly clubs shouldn't be allowed to offer contracted players as a potential trade throughout the season either.

We don't want to see a repeat of the Horne-Francis shemozzle which was a bad look for the league and makes a mockery of the National Draft and what it was intended for.