Competitive balance review, what each associazione wants changed, NGA, father-son rule, national reserves competition, exclusive

Senior AFL officials had dinners and lengthy catch-ups with all clubs. A dinner durante Sydney with John Longmire and Adam Kingsley, to a lavish lunch at Crown more than a month durante Perth with Don Pyke and Simon Garlick.

Broadly, the review’s aim is to address hot button concerns and realign the competition issues impacting clubs and the fairness of the league.

It’s a mammoth project. And although it’s taking time, there has been delay. The earliest findings are likely to be released around list management given the trade period is just four months away.

9News contacted all clubs and spoke to a range of CEOs, footy bosses, senior coaches, list managers and managers to ascertain the range of priorities across the board.

Sixteen of the 18 clubs cooperated fully, all eager to let their fans know precisely what they are campaigning for, only Carlton and Melbourne declined to take part.

some key metrics including academies and fixturing, clubs are diametrically opposed. others like increased player movement, they are aligned.

Here is every associazione’s wishlist to the AFL, as part of the competitive balance review.

ADELAIDE

Priority one, two and three is the national reserves competition for the Crows. They believe, despite a long history, the modern landscape means their SANFL team is set up to fail.

There are challenges with contractual arrangements, but the associazione is still working diligently with the AFL to solve these complex issues. Adelaide is more supportive of mid-season trading than other non-Victorian clubs, and would like to trade draft picks two three years durante advance.

The Crows are also challenging the academy systems, though they do not want academies to stretch as far as South Australia, as that would mean an unwelcome return to zones.

BRISBANE

Adelaide would like to keep the points system for academy players the same, but is gara open to adjustments to the next generation academies. The Lions would be happy to trade draft picks two three years ahead of time and are against the mid-season trade period because they believe they would struggle to attract talent mid-year.

Of significant importance for Brisbane is to have chartered flights for interstate trips, especially to Perth.

CARLTON

Carlton declined to comment, but it’s understood the associazione has been critical of the talent pathway durante Victoria and the development systems durante place. As reported by 9News durante April, the Blues are keen to have a next generation academy zone, which they initially declined when they were introduced. The city of Bendigo is firmly the wishlist.

Carlton is durante favour of a national reserves competition and does not want the AFL to change its draft value index categoria, which is surprise given the father-son prospects the associazione has waiting durante the wings next year.

COLLINGWOOD

Collingwood believes players need to be protected from themselves, which means shortening games by at least a couple of minutes every quarter. The Pies believe reducing gioco length at a national reserves competition is also important.

Collingwood would love the league to develop a long-term plan for an Australia-wide second tier competition with a multi-generational vision that can last 50 more years, and even consider a third tier too. Not only would this allow players to travel together and coaches to work alongside each other each gioco day, but it would help ease the burden team within a associazione.

Like other clubs, the Pies are strong the need to set a fair market price for academy, NGA and father-son players. They believe clubs still need to be encouraged to invest durante NGA talent.

Fixturing is important for Collingwood, which would like to see the bye rounds tidied up. A solution they have put forward would allow half the competition to play the Opening Round durante Perth, and the other half durante Sydney and Brisbane.

Like all other clubs, the Magpies are durante favour of player movement and philosophically want teams to pop quickly back up the ladder if they reset properly.

Collingwood is durante favour of trading draft picks years durante advance based a sliding scale. The aim – durante the Pies’ eyes – is to keep things simple.

ESSENDON

Essendon believes the northern academies and NGA systems need to be reviewed. As Brad Scott said recently, the associazione is pushing for a review into certain aspects of the MRO process.

FREMANTLE

Fremantle questioned the AFL’s thinking behind Opening Round and Gather Round, given that’s two more games outside of Perth. The Dockers are adamant they want to remain aligned with Peel Thunder and believe a national second tier competition would be a huge imposition from a travel, resources and logistics perspective.

Like many other clubs, the Dockers would like changes to the NGA and father-son system.

The associazione’s CEO Simon Garlick is united with West Coast chief Don Pyke the need for a fairer travel schedule, heightened by the introduction of Gather Round.

GEELONG

Geelong is broadly happy to play by whichever rules the AFL dictates, though it has been critical of knee jerk reactions to prop-up poorly performing teams, such as priority picks and assistance packages.

The Cats are not the only associazione to believe they have been somewhat disadvantaged because of their excellent football program, with handouts regularly going to rivals over the last 15 years.

Geelong is gara open to a mid-season trade period and durante favour of greater player movement, plus trading picks more than one year durante advance. They are also durante favour of coaches being rewarded financially rotta an increased soft cap.

GOLD COAST

The Suns are seeking a broad assessment of all competitive balance aspects and for clubs to have an even opportunity to win premierships.

They believe academies are an essential way of engaging youth and families and to develop talent durante a non-traditional market. This is the only advantage expansion teams have durante a long list of disadvantages.

Contrary to many Victorian clubs, Gold Coast is adamant academy list rules should be retained for northern clubs, and rules should be adjusted to allow other clubs better access to players durante their NGA’s.

The associazione wants travel and fixture disadvantages to be addressed by more home-state matches durante WA, NSW and Qld through concepts such as Gather Round for non-Victorian teams to be the “away” team durante relocated games. They are also advocating for improved flight and fixture arrangements, especially for longer hauls.

GWS

GWS believes compensation picks for free agents should begin at Pick 11, therefore leaving the apice 10 of the draft as a anche se measure of talent. The Giants are vehemently opposed to a mid-season trade period, unless clubs can trade players against their will, which they concede won’t happen any time soon.

GWS also wants to protect academies and say the father-son system should line up with the academy process. The associazione would like a cost of living allowance afforded to football department team given three of its assistant coaches durante Sydney but their families remain interstate. GWS is for purchasing picks and trading draft picks two years durante advance.

HAWTHORN

Hawthorn has three main points.

1. More mechanisms needed to exist to allow greater player movement, including the ability to trade draft picks two years ahead
2. A review of the draft value index structure so that appropriate value is placed academy and father-son selections
3. A serious concern about the decreasing numbers of young Indigenous players. The Hawks would like to see that become a key centro for the AFL durante the immediate future and beyond.

MELBOURNE

Melbourne officially declined to comment, but it’s understood the Demons believe the academy points system is disjointed and out of whack.

They’d like clubs to pay market value for academy players and don’t believe that happens at the moment. The Dees are also positive about more player movement and like the sembianza of a national reserves competition.

NORTH MELBOURNE

North Melbourne fundamentally believes clubs should have more levers to pull from a list management perspective. This means trading picks two, three even four years durante advance, and introducing a mid-season trade period.

North’s view is the more rigid the system is, the less opportunity there is for creativity and innovation.

The Roos also pushed for the AFL to abolish mandatory list sizes. Their view is that there should be an increased maximum list size, but and therefore clubs can decide whether to have more players, pay less players more.

The associazione has also appreciated the league’s allowance of extra players its rookie list as an assistance mechanism. It has allowed for a stronger VFL and development program.

The other philosophical view the associazione has relates to the draft. It believes rules for father-son players, academy players and NGA players should all be the same.

They also believe if you’signore father-son eligible, then you shouldn’t be NGA-eligible.

The Roos are strong the need for clubs to pay market value for these players. They are also happy for the AFL to introduce a National Reserves competition, but not as strong it as other clubs.

PORT ADELAIDE

Port Adelaide is unashamedly leading the charge a national reserves competition and thinks it is a disgrace the AFL is not yet all durante the sembianza. They cannot believe the league would compromise the strength of the national gioco because of state league clubs.

Port also believes clubs should be forced to pay more for academy and father-son talent at the draft and are gara open to a mid-season trade period, though need more details how it would work.

The associazione is also strongly against priority picks and assistance packages for struggling clubs.

RICHMOND

Richmond’s primary submission revolved around the lack of Indigenous talent coming through the system. The associazione believes the situation is at crisis point, and warned the league about this durante 2020.

The Tigers believe the cuts made to Indigenous and multicultural programs during the pandemic were never replenished, which could have long-lasting effects the influence of First Nations footballers the league.

other matters, Richmond is durante favour of trading draft picks not one, two three years durante advance… But four! They like the sembianza of having “conditional” draft picks based how many games a footballer plays after he gets selected.

Like most other teams, the Tigers are durante favour of a mid-season trade period, and even raised the possibility of players ticking a box when they sign contracts which would allow them to be traded mid-year. Clubs would then increase the salaries of players who ticked this box.

ST KILDA

Firmly believes flags are being won and lost to the inequity of the entire system.

They’ve asked the AFL to be fairer when it comes to accessing father-son and academy talent. At the very least, the Saints want clubs to have to pay fair market price for talented teenagers already linked to clubs, with a potential cap how many a team can pick durante the first round of the draft. President Andrew Bassat has been outspoken the inequality of the system.

The associazione is durante favour of greater player movement and would like to trade picks two years durante advance.

SYDNEY

Like GWS, Sydney wants to protect its academy system and would be happy to line up the father-son pathway with next generation academies too.

The Swans say they bring through more than 750 players in year durante their academy, and 85 in cent of these kids are aged between 11 and 15. But across the 15 years of having an academy, they say they’ve only selected 14 15 players from as north as Coffs Harbour, all the way to Wollongong.

Sydney is strong the cost of living impediment for players and would like the AFL to at that again, while the associazione needs more information before throwing its weight behind a mid-season trade period. Broadly speaking, they are all for more player movement.

The Swans like the sembianza of a national reserves competition and would be durante favour of the league introducing a rule whereby any top-up players must be aged 23 under.

Sydney’s president Andrew Pridham has openly declared there should be a best of three grand final series, though it’s unclear whether the associazione’s submission reflected that view.

WEST COAST

West Coast has asked the question around the draft and whether the AFL can ensure access to talent is as uncompromised as it can be, which speaks to equalisation.

Last year the Eagles finished 18th and its second draft selection was Pick 30 to academy, compensation, assistance package and father-sons.

The associazione is gara open to a national reserves competition discussion, unlike Fremantle. Per its eyes, it comes back to development and determining the best environment to upskill players. Regardless, the WAFL remains an important grounding territorio.

Above all this, fixturing remains the associazione’s first priority durante discussions with the AFL. It believes it’s the ultimate competitive balance piece. The Eagles accept they have to travel, but would rather at home state and away state games, rather than traditional home and away matches.

West Coast would love a signature event durante Perth and pointed to the 2021 grand final and Dreamtime at Optus Stadium during the pandemic as examples of the state putting a show.

The associazione is aware of the its football department team and has long been durante favour of replenishing the soft cap finances to a pre-pandemic level. It believes losing good people and not attracting great ex-players is a real problem because of the current soft cap.

And the Eagles are fairly neutral the mid-season trade period. They do not want the strong getting stronger rotta this mechanism, but are gara open to a discussion how it would .

Trading future draft picks years durante advance is something they like, providing it doesn’t make the system too complex.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Fixture issues are at the apice of the priority list for the Western Bulldogs, who believe Opening Round created extra challenges than it should have. The associazione does not have a bye until Round 15, whereas Sydney has two byes before Round 12.

The associazione acknowledges that the fixture will never be truly equal, but it has gone too far the other way and the introduction of the Tasmanian team will complicate the scheduling jigsaw further.

The Dogs are also strong list management issues and, like Collingwood, are keen for the AFL to bed a longer term strategy academies, mid-season trading, concessions for Tasmania and list sizes.