AFL could soon allow live draft pick and draftee trading within the national draft
THE AFL will allow the live trading of draft picks within the national draft by next season, according to leading recruiter Scott Clayton.
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THE AFL will allow the live trading of draft picks within the national draft by next season, according to leading recruiter Scott Clayton.
The dramatic overhaul of the draft would allow clubs to effectively move up the draft order while it unfolded to secure players not yet selected.
And Clayton says the end goal is a draft where clubs can also trade players they have just secured minutes earlier for picks or players.
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Gold Coast recruiter Clayton, part of the AFL’s working group on player movement, told the Herald Sun he believed there was strong AFL support for the move.
The National Football League’s player draft goes over three days with clubs given seven minutes for early selections, allowing them time to horse-trade with rivals.
Clayton says there would be massive fan appeal and added flexibility in a draft where picks and drafted players were tradeable.
Already the AFL has introduced live bidding for father-son and academy picks and he says this is just the logical next step.
“It’s a no-brainer. Clearly the kids who are selected are not anyone’s player until the end of the draft,’’ he said.
“We should be able to trade picks and players selected in the course of the draft. If someone picks someone at pick No.4 and you really want them you go and get them.
“You could offer two second-round picks and future pick. Or if the player you really want is still there at pick five you trade future or multiple picks to get that pick.
“I have been on about this for a little while.”
Clayton again raised the proposal at an AFL meeting on player movement this year and says the AFL is warming to the concept.
“I am sure there will be at least live picks traded next year. It would be really surprising if it didn’t happen. And trading players is the extra little step,’’ he said.
“This is the natural evolution. I think the inevitability of this has reached the AFL and they think it’s a good idea.”
The introduction of future pick trading has given clubs more flexibility to satisfy rivals in negotiations during trade week.
But they would also help in trading during the draft because clubs can more easily manoeuvre up and down the draft.
Clubs will go into Friday night’s national draft in Sydney with detailed plans but those draft orders are often turned on their head by left-field selections.
Collingwood’s Brodie Grundy was touted as a top-10 selection in the 2012 national draft but drifted all the way to selection 18.
Under the live trading scenario a club desperate for a ruckman could have traded into a mid-teens pick and secured him as a value selection.
Or if players could be traded a club could select a player sliding down the order - but not suitable to their needs - then trade him to a rival club.
Originally published as AFL could soon allow live draft pick and draftee trading within the national draft
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