AFL set to impose restrictions on father-son and academy bids from 2026

The AFL's new father-son draft rules have spared Carlton's hopes of securing top prospect Cody Walker, but elite clubs face unprecedented restrictions on talent acquisition.

Carlton will retain access to father-son Cody Walker next year as the AFL stopped short of a lock-out on the early picks in the national draft.

But clubs have been told under official rules to be handed to clubs next week there could be restrictions on top four or top eight clubs matching bids on academy and father-son talent.

And clubs might have to use a maximum of two draft picks to match bids, forcing them to trade into elite draft picks if they want to secure talent aligned to their clubs.

The league had considered locking out the top 10 picks or the first round of the draft so no club with an academy or father-son talent could match a bid if a rival picked them early.

AFL clubs were told on Monday that the league had stopped short of that dramatic move after strong lobbying from clubs with academy and father-son stars emerging in coming years.

Cody Walker might be the top pick in next year’s draft. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos

Clubs are not yet sure what the restrictions will be on clubs who finish top four or top eight.

But if Carlton improved upon its 2025 ladder position it might have to find a way to trade for a top five draft pick to help secure Walker, who has already committed to the Blues.

The league has long watched on while clubs have effortlessly matched bids on top five draft selections and then still taken multiple later picks in that same draft.

Under the new system matching a bid on one elite draftee in the top five in the draft might totally wipe out a club’s draft hand.

There is a view within AFL House that the AFL must regain some purity in the national draft to hasten equalisation given the league’s power clubs in Geelong, Collingwood and Brisbane continue to dominate.

But clubs were told that there would be a tightening of rules in 2026, even as clubs prepare for new rules which were brought in for the 2025 national draft but are yet to come into effect.

Under the 2026 rules clubs might have to match bids using only draft selections very close to where the bid lobs.

And they might have to use the points value of only two draft picks where in the past clubs could trade a high draft pick for multiple late selections that added up to a higher points value.

Last year Brisbane traded pick 20 to Richmond for selections 32, 42, 43 and 45 because the value of those picks added up to more than pick 20 and could be used to match a bid for Levi Ashcroft.

The Lions will go into this year’s grand final with father-son Levi Ashcroft and academy player Ty Gallop as first-year Lions set to play a key role.

Originally published as AFL set to impose restrictions on father-son and academy bids from 2026