Clubs call for priority redraft
By Greg Denham
The Australian
March 18, 2005
WEST COAST yesterday called on the AFL to scrap its controversial priority draft selections.
The Eagles, who snared last year's Brownlow medallist Chris Judd under the current system which rewards poor on-field performance, were reiterating their long-term position.
Chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the league should move quickly to a non-compromised draft system.
"We think the priority picks should be abolished, even though we did benefit a few years ago," Nisbett said.
"Teams can move up the ladder more rapidly these days and they don't need additional help. We've always believed in an uncompromised position."
Collingwood fully supports West Coast's position. Magpies chief executive Greg Swann said the advantage of the concessions was too great.
Nisbett was reacting to yesterday's exclusive report in The Australian that the AFL was reviewing its national draft process.
In particular, the league is addressing the system that can reward clubs which win five games or less with pre-national draft selections the following November.
Recommendations will be forwarded to the AFL commission with a change to the priority-pick policy expected to be put in place before the start of the season next week or early next month.
The three bottom clubs last year - Richmond, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs - were eligible for a priority pick before they took the first three national draft selections.
The five-win or less system has been in operation for the past eight years and succeeded similar concessions for clubs which under-performed over a period of time.
A change in the priority-pick policy was yesterday endorsed by St Kilda under certain criteria.
Saints chief executive Jim Watts, who acknowledged the huge benefit to their playing group under the current system, said overall fairness should be taken into account.
After just two wins and a draw in 2000, the Saints recruited subsequent dual best-and-fairest winner Nick Riewoldt as a priority choice.
The following year after winning four matches, St Kilda secured Luke Ball before the national draft.
"Taking into account the impact it has had on our playing list, it would be churlish of us to suggest priority choices be removed without full access to the AFL research and recommendations," Watts said.
"It would be wrong to stand on our high horse here, and for the sake of fairness, we'd be interested in what the AFL is proposing.
"After all the AFL intelligence and homework, if that leads to the suggestion of change, we'd support that."
Richmond chief executive Steven Wright said the Tigers were not in favour of abandoning the priority selections. "Chucking them out all together is not the solution," Wright said.
He suggested there was merit in smoothing out the process, perhaps over three years, before concessions were given. Brisbane's position will be clearer after its board meeting on Monday night, but chief executive Michael Bowers yesterday said he favoured change.
"Maybe the priority picks could be retained, but awarded after the first round of the draft, that has some attraction," Bowers said.
Pushing the concessions further back into the draft formed part of a submission to the commission made in the middle of last year by Geelong.
The Cats want the qualifying period extended to two years with eligibility only to clubs that have won fewer than 11 games, but no more than seven in a season.
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