Michael Voss warns the AFL its recruitment strategy is at risk, Suns want loosened restrictions on drafting academy players

Michael Voss admits he’s confused that the AFL are making changes to this year’s draft that will put their recruitment strategy at risk. Plus more on the Suns’ stance to make it easier to draft academy players.

Gold Coast will tell the AFL it should lessen its restrictions on heartland clubs bidding for next generation academy talent rather than make it harder for northern-states clubs to secure its future wave of stars.

And Carlton coach Michael Voss has warned the AFL its recruitment of the Camporeale twins is at risk if the league makes the “confusing” decision to change its points system ahead of the 2024 national draft.

The Herald Sun on Saturday reported AFL clubs were bracing for the league to make changes to its bidding system for November’s national draft.

AFL football boss Laura Kane confirmed on Saturday that was a live prospect as club chiefs await an AFL briefing on Tuesday ahead of a June 25 official feedback session.

Gold Coast has top 15 pick Leo Lombard available this year but next year could have the No.1 pick in Zeke Uwland, with 200cm NGA pick Kalani White available as the son of Melbourne’s Jeff White but also a Demons father-son.

Suns Chief Executive Mark Evans. Picture: Getty Images

As Brisbane and Richmond made clear their objections with any change this season, Gold Coast’s Mark Evans said the league should considering changing tack.

He told the Herald Sun the AFL should abandon restrictions that mean Victorian clubs cannot bid for their next generation academy talent within the first 40 selections of the draft.

At present Sydney, GWS, Brisbane and the Suns can take their northern states academy talent as early as pick 1.

But there are restrictions that mean a club which plays finals can only take two academy picks, with the Suns able to take four last year because they missed finals.

Evans told this masthead the league should instead be incentivising all academy talent after changing its rules when the Dogs secured academy talent Jamarra Ugle as the No.1 overall pick.

“Our view on academies is we think the easier solution (than changing the draft) is for the AFL to widen and improve what it does for access to NGA academies rather than make it more difficult for northern academies. There is a fair argument to treat father sons and NGAs the same,” he said.

“Our primary position is this can be solved by opening up NGA player acquisition rather than diminishing the chances for northern academy players to be drafted to their hometown.

“The whole idea was to incentivise clubs. You have to understand why the academies were there in the first place. The next generation academies are there to promote indigenous and multicultural talent. The northern academies are there to grow the game in those markets and service the players and families to promote a higher level of involvement in the code. We shouldn’t do anything to diminish that.

“There are already protections in terms of the number of players who can be matched as academy talent.”

Michael Voss has his say on the potential for changes to the draft system. Picture: Getty Images

Carlton coach Michael Voss told AFL 360 on Monday night the club had specific plans to secure the Camporeale father-sons and any changes to the points value of the draft picks would be disastrous for the Blues.

“There will be some conversations over the coming weeks but our position will be emphatic,” he said.

“We are all in theory behind the change that needs to happen. The timing of it is somewhat confusing. The expediency of it to get it in this year when planning has been done over 12 months or two years in many instances is confusing.

“We have got some prominent names there we would like to respect and we would like some assurances about them being involved at our football club. If we look at decisions made 12 months ago there are some decisions we would make differently. We would have positioned ourselves differently to how we have.

“Right now we are really comfortable with the points system and do we have enough points to execute that strategy. But if the proposed changes are made we fall short and we have to put our thinking caps on about what we do. Absolutely they shouldn’t be able to do that (with changes for the 2024 national draft).

Brisbane football boss Danny Daly said ahead of the clash against St Kilda the Lions _ with potential No.1 pick Levi Ashcroft and first-round academy mid Sam Marshall _ were against hasty changes to the system.

“Until we find out more about what the AFL is proposing it’s hard to know what will happen but clubs have done a lot of work in the last year in planning and strategizing and we would hope it would be taken into account.”

Richmond president John O’Rourke told ABC Radio on Monday the Tigers, with a swag of late picks they assembled last year to maximise their draft hand, should not be disadvantaged.

“Blair Hartley, our Richmond list manager is aware of the conversations but you plan for list management over three, four or five years at a time. Our view is there needs to be a transition if there is going to be change.”

Originally published as Michael Voss warns the AFL its recruitment strategy is at risk, Suns want loosened restrictions on drafting academy players