St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena explains why club wants AFL academies scrapped

St Kilda’s push to overhaul the AFL draft has intensified, with changes to the father-son rule and the abolition of academies on its wishlist. Jon Ralph has details.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 01: Jake Roger, Jed Walter, Will Graham and Ethan Read pose during a Gold Coast Suns AFL media opportunity at Palm Beach Currumbin Football Club on November 01, 2023 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

St Kilda has told the AFL commission the league should consider removing all academies and draft concessions as the Saints took the battle for a fairer playing field to the highest level.

St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena said on Friday night the Saints believed at the very least immediate changes should be made to the draft to ensure clubs with NGA, academy and father-son picks paid a premium if they matched rival bids.

The Herald Sun revealed early this month in the wake of Ross Lyon’s “nepo baby” sledge that St Kilda would take up its fight to the AFL Commission.

Dilena said the club met the Commission last week as part of its annual club rotation but also took the opportunity to lobby for the abolition of northern states academies.

The Saints told the league that instead of the four northern states clubs having unlimited academy access they should have limited access to players of indigenous and multicultural heritage.

It would mean a return of many players from New South Wales and Queensland to the open draft pool.

“We all recognise that the AFL is trying to help the northern states and grow participation and markets up there but it’s probably getting to the tipping point with such compromises in the draft that we have to rethink it,” he told the Herald Sun.

“This year there was 28 per cent of AFL participation in those two states and that talent is reserved for four clubs. So almost a third of the total AFL talent is reserved for four clubs. Have we done enough for those clubs? It was a really healthy discussion.

St Kilda president Andrew Bassat and captain Jack Steele.

“With the AFL you get incremental change but how do we tighten up the price you pay? Our approach is that if there is someone in your academy you know you can draft and you can build them into your training program it’s a massive benefit but you get a discount. Shouldn’t you be paying more? They should pay a fair price.

“Should there be a restriction on the numbers you can draft instead of three in one draft. Or if you are top four should you access those concessions? Maybe you only get second-round concessions. We have thrown it up for discussion and we think the AFL needs to look at this all. Realistically we shouldn’t have any compromises. We should have no NGA, no northern academy. Maybe you keep the romance of the father-son but with restrictions.”

Gold Coast academy products Jake Rogers, Jed Walter, Will Graham and Ethan Read.

The Herald Sun reported this week that some clubs believe the open pool of talent is the most disappointing in memory given so many academy selections.

St Kilda has its own academy options this year and at some stage could draft the sons of Lenny Hayes, Nick Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo.

But Dilena says St Kilda fears the avalanche of Queensland talent will continue to compromise the AFL draft.

“It’s just going to get worse and worse. You finish 17th and get pick two and you end up with pick eight. It’s just a massive difference if you look at the stats on how you get quality players. It is the compromises in the draft causing that imbalance.”