AFL set to review free agency rules including the scrapping of compensation picks

THE AFL says it will review all aspects of free agency including the scrapping of compensation picks.

Eddie Betts speaks

THE AFL says it will review all aspects of free agency including the scrapping of compensation picks.

Clubs say the trade period has been bogged down by teams waiting for free agency compensation picks, to be handed out this afternoon, before making trades.

There have been only three trades — none including stars — in 12 days, with just six free agency movements ahead of today's deadline.

Before Fremantle’s Viv Michie officially landed at Melbourne yesterday there had not been a trade for seven days.

The disquiet comes as the AFL player union says it wants to discuss earlier free agency, potentially after just seven years.

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AFL Players Association executive Ian Prendergast said yesterday he was open to discussing the scrapping of compensation picks, but reluctant to shorten the 21-day trade period.

He said players should have the right to choose where they play earlier in their careers. Currently the trigger is eight years.

Carlton chief executive Greg Swann described the meat market as “way too long" yesterday, as the league confirmed it would ask clubs for feedback on changes to next year’s period.

Hawthorn will receive a compensation pick as late as No.19 for Lance Franklin.

Some argue that is insufficient, but others believe the salary cap room created by losing a player is compensation enough.

The scrapping of compensation picks and separate free agency and trade periods — rather than a long overlapping period — are on the table.

The AFLPA, leading player agents and club bosses like Swann and Geelong’s Neil Balme all believe compensation picks should be scrapped.

While the AFL will ask clubs about the length of the period — which extends from October 4 to 25 — it seems happy to dominate a whole month with trade talks.

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane confirmed the league would review the period, as it did with the tribunal each year.

“Obviously there have only been two years of free agency to bed it down. The trade period is one we will ask clubs about and ask for feedback,’’ Keane said.

“We have to give players time to consider their options and have medicals and give clubs time to go through their options.

“Clubs need a chance to deal respectfully with players, and player need to travel across the country and weigh up decisions with their family.

“Clubs will have a definitive view, as will the AFL Players Association, so every year we will sit down and have a look at it.’’

Prendergast said the player union wanted free agency earlier in a player’s career.

“We are keen to discuss the compensation and also the length of time a player has to serve at his club before being eligible for free agency,’’ he said.

“We understand there have been concerns about the length of the player trade period but we would be cautious to reduce it based on the impact it might have on deals. There is an extensive process clubs go through from a due diligence perspective, but we are happy to discuss it.

“Eight years is a long time to serve at your club before you have free agency available to you. We think it is the time to have that discussion. We would never advocate free agency being available for every player, but we should discuss whether it is eight years or shorter.”

Swann told the Herald Sun in March that compensation stymied player movement because clubs which had lost stars did not lure free agents, worried it would affect their net compensation.

Yesterday he told SEN there was no point in such a long player movement period.

“To be perfectly honest, it’s not fair on the players — there’s a lot of pressure on them,” he said.

“Also from an administrator’s point of view, it just goes for too long."

Eddie Betts speaks

 
FREE AGENCY ANALYSIS - Jon Ralph

The AFL free agency period ends today, with compensation — based on the size and length of a contract and a player’s age — to be announced this afternoon.

COLLINGWOOD
Lost: Dale Thomas to Carlton on a four-year, $2.8 million deal.
Gets: Almost certain to get a first-round pick immediately after its initial selection. Given Pies have pick 10, they get pick 11 as compensation.

HAWTHORN
Lost: Lance Franklin to Sydney on a nine-year, $10 million deal. Lost Xavier Ellis on a one-year deal to West Coast.
Gets: Hawthorn will receive the highest selection for Franklin, a first-round pick tied to its draft position. Unfortunately this means the pick is only No.19. Will likely get nothing for Ellis, who is on a modest contract. At best a third-round pick (pick 53).

MELBOURNE
Lost: Colin Sylvia to a three-year deal on around $400,000 a season.
Gets: St Kilda’s Nick Dal Santo is being offered a similar deal at North Melbourne, and the Saints believe they could get pick No.22 for 29-year-old Dal Santo. So that means the Demons could get a second-round pick, adding selection 21 to No.20. But the Demons think they will only get an end of second-round pick for 27-year-old Sylvia (pick 35), given he is on a little less cash than Dal Santo would be on.

RICHMOND
Lost: Matthew White to Port Adelaide on a three-year deal at around $300,000 a season.
Gets: White is on modest cash and is 26, so Richmond will probably receive nothing, or at best a third-round pick, likely to be pick 47. Luke McGuane is going to Brisbane but hasn’t been signed as a free agent yet so they get nothing for him.

CARLTON
Lost: Eddie Betts (four-year deal worth $2 million), but gained Dale Thomas at cost of $2.8 million for same period.
Gets: Those two deals will cancel out, so Carlton will get nothing as compensation.

Kurt Tippett

HOW TO FIX FREE AGENCY/TRADE PERIOD

1. Shorten it. All the three weeks of trade period does is encourage clubs to delay and interfere. No club believes we need three weeks to get deals done. Adelaide delayed the Kurt Tippett deal so long last year their dodgy dealings were eventually exposed.

2. Separate it. Clubs won’t trade players until they realise what free agency compensation they receive. So have one separate free agency period, hand out compensation picks, then have a one-week trade period.

3. Have a combined two-week free agency and trade period but no compensation picks. Then clubs won’t have reason to delay trades waiting for compensation. Most peak bodies — clubs, the AFLPA, player managers — believe free agency compensation should be scrapped.