Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert says bottom four clubs deserve equal chance at No. 1 draft pick

LEGENDARY coach Mick Malthouse has thrown his support behind Collingwood’s call for a draft lottery to decide who gets the No. 1 pick. VIDEO: HOW IT COULD WORK

COLLINGWOOD wants the AFL to introduce a revolutionary draft lottery to decide which club receives the coveted No. 1 pick

Magpies chief executive Gary Pert on Tuesday night told the Herald Sun the bottom four clubs deserved an equal chance to pick the best young player in the country in a random draw.

Pert said the lottery concept would help kill the ugly tanking discussion which has already clouded Saturday night’s clash between stragglers Fremantle and Essendon.

But Pert was against a radical fixture reform which is gaining club support and would split teams into three conferences of six after Round 17.

WATCH THE HERALD SUN’S 10-TEAM MOCK DRAFT LOTTERY IN THE VIDEO ABOVE

The Magpies’ boss said “there is always a question mark” in the public domain surrounding the late-season form and injury management of bottom clubs.

Pert said the lottery would alleviate tanking perceptions, but he did not suggest clubs were trying to lose.

“I don’t mind the concept of the bottom grouping of clubs being in a (lottery) scenario where you are never quite sure what pick you will get,” Pert said.

“It probably should target the bottom four teams because they are the ones who are most in need.

“We have got to make sure we do everything possible to get as close as we can to a pure draft where there is not the opportunity for the best young talent to be sucked out of the system through different avenues.”

Legendary coach Mick Malthouse also threw his support behind the lottery model.

“For 20 years, since the draft’s inception, I’ve (been saying) the bottom club should not automatically get the first choice,” he told SEN.

“I’d go through a lottery. It doesn’t have to be the bottom four clubs, it could be on a ratio basis. If you haven’t won X amount of games.”

Under Malthouse’s plan a club that’s bottomed out after sustained success — i.e. Fremantle — might not qualify for the lottery.

“And you can’t just slot sides in, if someone’s had a blowout year, let’s say Fremantle dropping there from first to last. I wouldn’t like it to go any further than (the bottom four).”

Malthouse echoed Pert’s sentiments that a lottery would silence talk of clubs tanking for better draft position.

“I dont think clubs tank this time of the year, I think clubs near the end of the year would say well lets take the best option for pre-season ... if it means three or four players out and we blood some kids well we do so, we hope to win but if we don’t win then that’s just the price you pay,” he said.

“I dont think anyone sits in a room and says we can’t win this week.”

Essendon is struggling without 12 of its best players due to WADA suspension and could land the No. 1 pick this year. Picture: Regi Varghese

The Herald Sun reported on Tuesday the controversial northern-states talent academies were set to deliver eight of this year’s top-20 draft prospects.

The AFL admitted in 2012 it had considered an NBA-style draft lottery, with teams gaining more balls in the bucket the lower they are on the ladder.

Another way to alleviate tanking fears is to introduce a three-tiered fixture system, which would remove late-season dead rubbers.

The ladder would reset after Round 17. Then the top six would jostle for top-four positions, the middle six would fight for the last two finals places and the bottom six would compete for the No. 1 draft pick.

Clubs resisted the idea last year but Brisbane Lions chief executive Greg Swann on Tuesday backed the radical concept and said the AFL had the power to swiftly introduce it.

“I think the AFL is going to revisit (the idea) and I think it’s a good idea, it’s certainly got some merit,” Swann told the Herald Sun.

The major sticking point is the logistic nightmare of having the final 45 home-and-away games unknown until late July.

Changes to membership and sponsorship would also throw up commercial complications.

But it would deliver a boom result for broadcasters and Swann said if clubs were compensated for the potential loss of marquee matches the model could work.

“At the top you’d end up having a really good lead-in to finals,” Swann said.

“If (the Lions) end up playing the top five teams in the last few rounds it’s pretty tough.

“It probably should target the bottom four teams because they are the ones who are most in need."

- Collingwood CEO Gary Pert

“But if you’re playing teams around where you are then obviously you can be competitive, finish the season on a pretty good note and hopefully sell hope for the following year.”

Pert said he did not like the “17-5” model.

“The commercial impact would be huge because of the uncertainty,” Pert said.

“And I don’t think it is the best interest of the supporters, that’s the key thing. Supporters like to know what’s happening, they like blockbuster games and double-ups of rivalries.

Jack Bowes is touted as a possible No. 1 draft pick but he is part of Gold Coast’s academy. Picture: David Clark

“If you lose that you will have a drop in crowd numbers.”

Under the 17-5 model, Collingwood could be forced to play traditional rivals only once, and like all clubs, could be sent on the road in three of their final five home and away games.

Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell and West Coast boss Trevor Nisbett said a broader draft lottery, including all the non-finalists, countered equalisation measures.

“The fifth-last team could have won nine games and get the first pick,” Nisbett said.

The Herald Sun conducted a 10-team mock draft lottery on Tuesday, which delivered fourth-last Gold Coast the No. 1 pick and Richmond just pick 10 despite sitting 14th.

This year’s average losing margin of Gold Coast (69 pts), Brisbane (54) and Essendon (46) are all greater than Melbourne (37) in 2009, which received a priority pick.

Swann said the industry was warming to the 17-5 model and Campbell expected the league to revisit it this year.

“I think there is merit in exploring it further,” Campbell said.

Hawthorn’s four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson likes the concept while Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said last year it was a “serious step” towards solving fixture inequity.

Originally published as Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert says bottom four clubs deserve equal chance at No. 1 draft pick