AFL commission to discuss the future of father-son and academy picks as clubs bid for big changes
The AFL commission will convene this week, with discussions on the father-son and academy selections set to dominate the meeting after calls to fix the draft have become louder.
The AFL Commission will discuss the future of the father-son pick and academy system this week as clubs continue to lobby the league for significant changes to the draft’s bidding system.
The Commission will meet for the first time since June on Thursday and Friday with a long list of agenda items.
It is expected the AFL Commission will discuss ways to make the first round of the national draft less compromised.
The Herald Sun revealed last month that the AFL is open to changes to free agency compensation over summer to ensure clubs do not game the system to secure top five draft picks for departing players.
But the AFL has not yet explicitly ruled out changes to the bidding system for this November’s national draft for father-son and academy selections.
The league could tweak a bidding system only altered last year for the 2025 national draft to make clubs pay more for father-son and academy picks.
Fremantle chief executive Simon Garlick and Geelong coach Chris Scott both called for the abolition of the father-son rule in recent weeks.
If there was a mood for change the Commission would put any potential alterations back to the AFL executive for consideration before a final decision on this year’s national draft at the September meeting.
Changes from this year include an altered draft value index that sees points allocated for draft picks drop away more quickly and a reduction in the discount for father-sons and academy players to 10 per cent instead of 20 per cent.
St Kilda has also lobbied the AFL Commission for real changes to the academies including limits on how many players can be selected by any club in a single season.
Coach Ross Lyon last week called for the first round of the national draft to be pure so clubs can bounce back quickly in rebuilds when they finish down the bottom of the ladder.
“We are fighting for equity. There’s some inequity in the draft and people push back, but the simple solution (is) maybe make the first round untouchable.
“Have that pure, the first round. Take out father sons, take out northern academies, take out NGA. The first 18 picks, just make it pure so the talent gets spread.”
AFL football boss Greg Swann has suggested any major changes to the draft would not come this year but admitted recently the father son rule does “compromise” the draft.
“If you didn’t have father-sons then they would be in the draft and they’d be getting picked 1, 2 or 3, and that helps those bottom clubs get better,” he said.
“There is some discussion around that. I know some clubs have been pretty vocal about not having father-sons, but it is something we’ll have a look at trying to get fairness and equity into the draft.”
St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena told the Herald Sun after presenting to the Commission that the northern academies and father-sons should be abolished altogether.
But at the least St Kilda wants a better bidding system.
“With the AFL you get incremental change but how do we tighten up the price you pay? Our approach is that if there is someone in your academy you know you can draft and you can build them into your training program it’s a massive benefit but you get a discount. Shouldn’t you be paying more? They should pay a fair price.”
Originally published as AFL commission to discuss the future of father-son and academy picks as clubs bid for big changes
