By Peter Ryan and Jake Niall
Despite the prospect that the Brisbane Lions could land another highly rated father-son Levi Ashcroft for a bargain price at this year’s national draft, club bosses at a wide-ranging meeting in Perth have recommended the AFL delays the full introduction of overhauled draft rules until 2025.
Even clubs who had not made significant decisions based on the expectation draft rules would remain in place until the end of this year’s draft and exchange period acknowledged it was more prudent to provide clubs with a lead-in, rather than immediately introducing the full raft of contentious changes, according to one club CEO in the discussions held in the meeting rooms of Perth’s salubrious Crown Towers this week.
Will Ashcroft has been a brilliant father-son acquisition for the Lions. His brother Levi will join him in after this year’s draft. Credit: AFL Photos
That would allow the Lions to use late picks to secure Ashcroft – the brother of Will and son of Marcus – who is considered a top-five chance, and Carlton to implement the strategy they developed last season to land father-son twins Lucas and Ben Camporeale.
Richmond were also among the clubs wanting the league to grandfather the changes to the draft points index and rules surrounding bids for academy graduates and father-son selections that are expected to make clubs pay a higher price for priority access players.
This masthead spoke to four club CEOs who were in the room as wildcard finals, Indigenous All-Stars matches, Melbourne clubs playing home games outside Victoria, and controversial tribunal decisions on tackling were discussed to ascertain the mood towards each issue in the crucial annual meeting that brings club CEOs together to provide the league with feedback. The four CEOs remained anonymous so they could speak freely about the topics raised.
Draft rule changes
The AFL was unable to give a clear indication to clubs on what recommendations it would make to the AFL Commission, which will decide on the issue on August 1, with the positions of some commissioners not yet clear on whether the bidding system should change, future trading of picks should be extended to two years, or the mid-season trading of draft picks should be introduced immediately.
Mac Andrew graduated from Melbourne’s NGA but Gold Coast were allowed to draft him due to rules that lasted for three seasons. Credit: AFL Photos
Changing Next Generation Academy access rules was seen as more urgent (and they are expected to occur), as none of the clubs wanted a further decline in the number of Indigenous players drafted.
Melbourne and St Kilda were the clubs left to rue the rules backflip, having missed out on Mac Andrew and Cam Mackenzie in the 2021 and 2022 national drafts despite their respective NGAs developing them.
Clubs also expect the length of a contract will be relevant in assessing compensation for players who lose free agents.
Charlie Cameron’s three match suspension for his tackle on Eagle Liam Duggan was overturned on appeal. Credit: AFL Photos
Dangerous tackles
Such was the outrage over Tuesday night’s tribunal decisions to suspend Toby Bedford and Charlie Cameron, the CEOs demanded the issue be put on Wednesday’s agenda.
Alas, when AFL CEO Andrew Dillon read out the rules for dangerous tackles contained in the tribunal guidelines, club bosses had their arms pinned and the room momentarily went quiet.
If nothing could be changed this season, there was an acknowledgement that the game had reached a point where a wider discussion was needed on the balance between maintaining player safety and the essential features of the game.
Not a great weekend of travel for the Dockers but little change is likelyCredit: AFL Photos
Victorian clubs playing a home game interstate every three years
Club bosses lingered over coffee and nibbles on Tuesday while Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick made a presentation proposing that Victorian clubs play a home game in either Western Australia or Queensland once every three years to reduce the travel load on clubs from those states.
The address was strong, but few were convinced that the Eagles – who have won four premierships in their 37 years – and the Dockers, let alone the Lions and the Suns, did not enjoy a sizeable advantage when they played at home. Adjusting membership offerings and existing venue contracts was also seen as a problem. Opening round did not even get a mention, despite Carlton and Collingwood wanting change. Clubs expect opening round to happen again in 2025.
A wildcard weekend
To the surprise of many, there was enthusiasm for a wildcard weekend to be introduced, involving an extra game ahead of the traditional finals series where seventh plays 10th, and eighth plays ninth to qualify for the top eight. The argument was made that seventh and eighth may be rewarded with an extra ‘final’ or play-off, rather than being tipped out in week one. Not only did the spectre of 19 teams enthuse CEOs – who have seen the wildcard concept on the agenda for close to a decade – about the prospect, it was also a reminder of the shot in the arm it would give the game in the final rounds.
Representative football
Club bosses want representative football. But they know it is difficult for players and clubs to maintain the rage as they compete for a flag. There is interest in having an Indigenous All-Stars team play a match (with the opponent still to be decided), while there are high hopes an AFLW International Rules match will occur. With more than 30 Irish-born players in the AFLW competition, there was keenness for the concept.
An in-season competition
Former AFL executive and current Suns CEO Mark Evans, who has been outspoken on the need to address competitive balance, told the meeting the game could be brave when contemplating fixture changes, given there are possibilities including in-season competitions and formats beyond 23 matches and finals – such as re-seeding teams for the last five or six rounds.
As Dillon faced the media, executives packed their bags to travel back across the country, while the executive began their work to make recommendations to the AFL Commission on August 1.
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