Trade Daily: AFL confirms a mid-season rookie draft will be held next season
THE AFL has confirmed it will hold a mid-season draft from next season for clubs to provide "a further competitive balance tool". Plus, re-cap all the day's draft news and rumours.
The AFL has confirmed they will hold a rookie draft in the middle of next season.
Clubs will also be able to potentially add to their rookie lists until mid-March next year as the league tries to free up recruiting further.
"In the interest of creating further opportunities for clubs to improve their lists, clubs will now be able to make additions as required throughout pre-season and also participate in a mid-season draft,” AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said.
“These changes seek to increase list flexibility for the industry while also providing a further competitive balance tool in the middle of the season.”
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The AFL will work with clubs, state leagues and the AFLPA to finalise the list rules that support these changes.
The impact on state leagues is set to be the biggest stumbling block with Norwood chief executive James Fantasia claiming an AFL club picking up Magarey Medallist Mitch Grigg in a mid-season draft would be irresponsible in every shape and form.
And he believes the potential damage to state league clubs created by the controversial mid-season draft, to be introduced next year, will be enormous.
Fantasia said any player taken in the draft should be offered a two-year contract to compensate for the upheavel in their life and there needed to be a restriction on the number of players taken from a club.
Central District chief executive Kris Grant said a mid-season draft was a lack of respect for state leagues from the AFL.
The SANFL said in a statement the move would create uncertainty and confusion for SANFL clubs and players and had written to the AFL executive asking for answers to a range of questions on the matter.
Pre-season list changes (December 1, 2018 – March 15, 2019)
Clubs that have a rookie list spot available can now utilise it by signing a player during this period. To be eligible, players must have previously nominated for the draft or previously been on the list of an AFL club.
If a club suffers an injury or retirement, a list spot can be created by placing a player on an inactive list who can now be replaced by a rookie player. Clubs must have the available salary cap for that player as per the current AFL rules.
Mid-season rookie draft (date to be confirmed)
Should AFL clubs have a list spot available or one is created through a player being placed on the inactive list, they will be able to add a player to their rookie list and select players based on reverse ladder order at a mid-season date to be specified.
To be eligible, players must re-nominate for the mid-season rookie draft.
At the end of the year, clubs have first rights to re-contract their drafted player or he becomes a delisted free agent.
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