AFL trades day four as it happened: Important Tiger commits until 2032; Key AFLW round details revealed

That’s day four of the official AFL trade period done and dusted.

For the second consecutive day no players found a new home as the wrangling between clubs over players and picks continued with behind-the-scenes negotiations.

Only two players have officially been subject to a trade so far – Alex Neal-Bullen (Melbourne to Adelaide) and Jack Darling (West Coast to North Melbourne) – while a couple of others have found new homes via free agency.

There are still many more scenarios for clubs, recruiters, players and player managers to consider over the next six days of trade action before the deadline on October 16. But Friday promises to be fascinating with the likelihood of a deal or two that could have a “domino effect” on other deals. But let’s see.

We’ll be back with you then as the wheeling and dealing continues. To while away the hours, however, you can listen to today’s edition of our Real Footy podcast, which is about to go live, via all good podcast apps, and stay tuned to our website for the latest news and analysis from the best in the business.

Enjoy your evening and don’t stop thinking about how your club’s list can get better.

Good night.

Clayton Oliver has started his own pre-season early, as the 27-year-old clings on to hope that Melbourne will trade him to Geelong before next Wednesday’s deadline.

The four-time Melbourne best and fairest has been spotted several times in his home town of Shepparton this week, training weights and running.

A source at Geelong, who wasn’t willing to speak publicly given that Oliver still has six years of his contract still to run at Melbourne, said the star midfielder was willing to take a pay cut if it helped get a deal across the line.

Read the full story here.

Former Melbourne president Glen Bartlett is suing the AFL in an escalation of the disputes he has had with various industry figures over the past three years.

Already in dispute with the Demons after his departure three years ago, Bartlett on Thursday filed a statement of claim against the league through law firm Clayton Utz.

Bartlett stepped down from the Demons’ top job in April 2021, weeks after he was unanimously endorsed as president for the next year. He remained on the board until November 2021, after the club had claimed a breakthrough premiership.

The AFL said it had not been served or given any notice.

Richmond have moved to secure key position player Noah Balta, re-signing him for an extra seven years until 2032.

Balta was set to come out of contract at the end of next season but the Tigers, in the middle of a list overhaul, have guaranteed his future at Punt Road until early next decade.

Balta said he was thrilled to remain at Richmond.

Noah Balta (right) with Dustin Martin.Credit: Getty Images

“I think I am a loyal person, and I want to repay the favour that players like David Astbury, Alex Rance, and Dylan Grimes showed me when I was younger,” Balta said.

“They pushed me to get better, and now I want to be the one helping to drive the next generation.

“I could not see myself playing anywhere else, and I think the hard work that we are about to all put in will make the future highs even sweeter.”

Richmond are heavily involved in significant trade talks with midfielders Liam Baker and Shai Bolton a chance to head to Western Australia.

Melbourne have given their AFLW finals hopes a boost by holding on to a thrilling two-point upset win over Adelaide at Norwood.

After starting strongly on Wednesday night, the Demons were challenged stiffly but withstood everything thrown their way and were never headed in their 2.4 (16) to 1.8 (14) victory.

The Crows were left to rue a flat start and chronic inaccuracy, which ultimately sabotaged their bid to conjure a comeback triumph.

Georgia Campbell and Alyssa Bannan booted Melbourne’s only goals of the evening, both in the opening quarter.

On-baller Tyla Hanks and winger Eliza McNamara, making a welcome return to the Dees’ line-up, starred for the visitors, well supported by Sinead Goldrick and captain Kate Hore.

“We haven’t had too many wins over here in nine seasons, so really pleased with the group for how we started the game,” Melbourne coach Mick Stinear said.

“Super proud of the group.

“They’ve always been a tough team to play against, so this win will mean a lot to our group.”

AAP

You asked, we deliver. Here is a rundown of the AFL’s free agency compensation system.

Compensation

When clubs lose a free agent to a decent contract offer from another club they are compensated by the AFL with a draft pick. This doesn’t always happen – for instance if a club brings in a free agent of similar value in the same year it loses a free agent, the net effect balances out – so no compensation is awarded. If, like St Kilda or GWS, a club loses a free agent (eg, Josh Battle or Harry Perryman) and do not bring one in, it will be compensated with a draft pick. In the cases of Battle and Perryman, both the Saints and Giants received a pick after their first-round draft picks.

How can the compensation pick be so high for some players?

The short answer is the size of the contract they are getting is higher than the club has been letting on. It makes for a disconnect when players that would not be considered in the top handful at the club they are leaving draw a top-10 draft pick as compensation. The key reason for this is the draft system – compensation is tied to a club’s draft position. If Battle had moved to the Brisbane Lions, the Saints’ compensation would only have been pick 19. But St Kilda finished low on the ladder and the compensation was tied to that. This isn’t St Kilda’s fault. Though as Geelong football manager Andrew Mackie hinted, the criticisms by St Kilda president Andrew Bassat of the AFL’s father-son and academy bidding system and the overall AFL draft system were serendipitously timed.

Who decides what the compensation is?

The AFL’s football department uses a formula that generates a point rating for players. The league deliberately keeps that relatively secret to try to avoid abuse or manipulation of the rules by clubs.

What do we know about the formula?

The league considers the size of a player’s contract at his new club – which is the average annual earnings for the player over the life of the contract, not just the size of the contract in any one year – and the age of the player. The AFL changed the rules this year – the formula no longer considers the life of contracts beyond five years, nor short-term ones of less than two years. So effectively, giving a player a longer-term contract beyond five years will not affect compensation. Nor will trying to offer a very high one- or two-year deal to draw a favourable compensation pick. Restricted free agents – where the original club has the right to match a player’s contract offer and therefore force their rivals to trade for the player instead of getting them as a free agent – are most vulnerable to exploitation by clubs. That is, a club can try to ensure the contract they offer a restricted free agent is big enough that it draws a good draft pick as compensation – and dissuades the original club from matching the contract.

The AFL then has five bands in which it allocates draft picks as compensation:

• First round
• End of first round
• Second round
• End of second round
• Third round

With the rise in the salary cap under the latest collective bargaining agreement, the amount needed to pay a player to generate a first-round compensation pick also rose. It is now clear that Battle and Perryman were given contracts that averaged close to or above $900,000 a year because they drew band one compensation and a pick in the first round.

“Traditionally, the two determinants for free agency compensation have been guaranteed average earnings and age. They’ll continue. What we’re introducing is the term of the contract moving forward,” AFL head of football performance Ned Guy told the AFL website in August after the AFL Commission passed changes to the contract term in free agency compensation.

Is it fair that other clubs fall back in the draft because another club loses a player?

No. But that is the system. If you abandon compensation altogether for losing a free agent then you might as well abandon restricted free agents altogether as every club would match a free agency bid and force a trade. Besides, clubs wouldn’t agree to losing players for no compensation, even if they hate it when their draft pick gets pushed back because someone else is compensated.

Hawthorn claim they pulled Carl Peterson from the 2010 elimination final against Fremantle after his partner informed them he had used marijuana in the week leading up to the game, according to their defence lodged in the Federal Court.

The Hawks also claim that Peterson returned from a trip during the 2009 mid-season break incoherent and appearing to be affected by alcohol or illicit substances. Peterson also allegedly advised a club official he had no money in his bank account and had lost his clothing.

Carl Peterson during his last season with the Hawks.Credit: Sebastian Costanzo

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The AFL has announced the fixture for week 10 of the AFLW season, running across three days from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 3.

As the home-and-away season draws to a close, that round will play a crucial role in determining the finals line-up. It’s also the second week of the league’s Indigenous Round.

Brisbane Lions will face St Kilda in a Week 10 clash at RSEA Park on November 3. Credit: Getty Images

See the list of games below:

• Geelong v Adelaide, GMHBA Stadium, Friday November 1 (7.15pm)
• Melbourne v Collingwood, IKON Park, Saturday November 2 (1.05pm)
• Sydney v West Coast, Henson Park, November 2 (3.05pm)
• North Melbourne v Gold Coast, Arden Street Oval, November 2 (5.05pm)
• Carlton v Essendon, IKON Park, November 2 (7.15pm)
• St Kilda v Brisbane Lions, RSEA Park, November 3 (1.05pm)
• Richmond v Hawthorn, Swinburne Centre, November 3 (3.05pm)
• Port Adelaide v GWS, Alberton Oval, Sunday November 3 (5.05pm)
• Fremantle v Western Bulldogs, Fremantle Oval, November 3 (7.05pm).

Collingwood are ahead of Carlton in the tender for the services of Dan Houston, in large part because the Magpies are willing to pay a heftier price for the All-Australian defender.

If all goes according to plan, they will land Houston for their future first-round pick, plus the pick 23 they gain from the Suns for John Noble and perhaps smoking Joe Richards (who wants to join Port Adelaide) thrown in as a pair of steak knives.

Ready for lift off: Dan Houston has requested a trade to a Victorian club.Credit: Getty Images

But to be “in the box seat” for Houston also means boxing yourself into a deal that carries significant risks for the Magpies, whose apparent post-season strategy, if there is one, is to double down on mature players at the expense of draft picks.

Read more from Jake Niall here.