2020 AFL Draft

[one-eyed]

The 2020 AFL draft will be the most compromised ever

February 20, 2020 12:48pm
Matt Balmer
FOX SPORTS

The majority of the top draft prospects this year are already tied to AFL clubs, which means they’ll have first dibs on the star prospects when the draft rolls around.

The obvious signs this looms as the most compromised draft ever came on AFL Grand Final day in 2019, which was also when the All-Stars Under 17 match was held.

In the original squads selected, 17 of the 48 players picked were already linked to an AFL club, either as father-son, next-generation academy (NGA) or northern academy prospects.

Ethan Baxter (Richmond) – Next-Generation Academy

Luke Edwards (Adelaide) – Father/Son
James Borlase (Adelaide) – Next-Generation Academy
Tariek Newchurch (Adelaide) — Next-Generation Academy

Blake Coleman (Brisbane Lions) – Northern Academy
Saxon Crozier (Brisbane Lions) – Northern Academy
Carter Michael (Brisbane Lions) – Northern Academy

Reef McInnes (Collingwood) – Next-Generation Academy

Cody Brand (Essendon) – Next-Generation Academy
Josh Eye (Essendon) — Next-Generation Academy

Joel Western (Fremantle) – Next-Generation Academy
Brandon Walker (Fremantle) – Next-Generation Academy

Alex Davies (Gold Coast Suns) – Northern Academy
Joel Jeffrey (Gold Coast Suns) – Linked to the club via NT
Brodie Lake (Gold Coast Suns) – Linked to the club via NT

Joshua Green (GWS Giants) – Next-Generation Academy

Connor Downie (Hawthorn) – Next-Generation Academy

Kobi George (Melbourne) – Next-Generation Academy
Deakyn Smith (Melbourne) – Next-Generation Academy

Taj Schofield (Port Adelaide) – Father/Son
Lachlan Jones (Port Adelaide) – Next-Generation Academy

Braeden Campbell (Sydney Swans) – Northern Academy
Errol Gulden (Sydney Swans) – Northern Academy

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs) – Next-Generation Academy
Cody Raak (Western Bulldogs) – Next-Generation Academy

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-draft-2020-most-compromised-draft-ever-jamarra-uglehagan-western-bulldogs/news-story/4e6d785fed195ca0645d67229e8446c3

They've left out Maurice Jnr as a father-son for us.

[one-eyed]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/video/afl/afl-tonight/will-the-afl-draft-go-ahead!770166

[one-eyed]

Talk of this year's draft being abandoned and pushing the minimum draft age out to 19. Allows this year's kids to be the ones drafted in November 2021 as well as fitting in with the idea of smaller (35 player) lists for 2021.

[Diocletian]

Seems a pretty obvious thing to do now....particularly as clubs are probably going to have to to trim their list sizes as well....should also abolish the minimum of players you have to draft and allow clubs to pass the draft altogether if they want (though I reckon every club will still take at least one kid anyway) .. at least for a couple of years until things get back to full normality....

[Tigeritis™©®]

When is MRJ eligible?

[Diocletian]

This year... next year if they make the suggested changes to the minimum draft age....

[Rampsation]

Imho they will allow all clubs to take at least 1 player this year possibly two. It will be limited to father son and academy selections.

[one-eyed]

Some whispers the Academies could be dumped as a cost cutting measure.

[one-eyed]

THE 2020 DRAFT, TRADE PERIOD?

With no certainty around when or if the season gets underway that is impossible to answer. The AFL will want a trade period as it is a commercially profitable period with high consumer interest, however the fluidity around contracts and player payments will add complexity. The timing of the national draft and how it is conducted has hardly been considered.

WHAT WILL DISAPPEAR?

Academies will be the biggest area in administrators’ sights while non-core activity such as the international rules, the AFL draft combine, study tours, community camps and other community projects, business-class travel for interstate trips and Marsh Series matches in far-flung locations could also come under review.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/what-happens-when-the-lights-go-back-on-20200327-p54emo.html

[Diocletian]

Some whispers the Academies could be dumped as a cost cutting measure.

Not that fussed as long that also includes the northern academies...

[one-eyed]

Recruiters to fly blind at AFL national draft: McLachlan

Peter Ryan
The Age
29 March 2020

Recruiters and list managers have been stood down temporarily at all clubs and there is an expectation that their ranks will be thinner when the game resumes, with the reduction in the soft cap forcing clubs to find cost savings throughout football departments.

However, there are huge number of issues list management teams will need to work through with the 50 per cent pay cut agreed to by players - that sources confirmed is across the board - even if the season does resume one of the more certain components of the space.

Clubs are unsure whether a new collective bargaining will be negotiated that reduces total player payments, which was set to be $13,013,257 million per club in 2020 and rising two per cent per annum until the broadcasting agreement expired in 2022.

They are also uncertain as to how existing contracts might be treated as a result of the economic calamity hitting football and whether long-term contracts might be renegotiated.

They were furiously working this week to develop new strategies if list sizes are reduced.

Sources said that a future CBA would take into account the disproportionate impact the 50 per cent cut would have on players such as Carlton's Jack Martin, who was set to earn $1 million in 2020 in a heavily front-ended five year deal, although it was uncertain exactly how the discrepancies would be addressed. Players have already received five months of their year's earnings.

Added to that is the need to identify underage talent without seeing them play in 2020 as well as the complications that were expected to arise at this year's national draft with a high number of father-son prospects and next generation academy graduates in the pool.

One experienced club recruiter said they were well placed to assess the form of players eligible for the draft for the first time this season.

"It would be obviously be more difficult but the work we have done in 2019 sets us up," the recruiter said.

He also said if list sizes were reduced clubs with experienced players coming out of contract at the end of 2020 would be in a good position to quickly adapt and potentially grab players from other clubs who might be delisted.

McLachlan indicated there were no definitive plans around how future pathways would be structured but he hinted that he suspected clubs might look at drafting more state league prospects at the end of the season because their form was more predictable.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/recruiters-to-fly-blind-at-afl-national-draft-mclachlan-20200328-p54etx.html

[taztiger4]

When is MRJ eligible?

this year

[mightytiges]

Hard to see them having a draft even if they wanted to do blindly when they don't have a completed ladder to determine the draft order.

[Rampsation]

A lottery draft would work.

[Diocletian]

I'd actually raise the minimum draft age to 20 and have no draft next year either...let them play in state leagues for two years where they'll also have to get jobs and live in the real world for a bit and hopefully learn skills for life after footy...also having the best kids playing should also create more interest, even if just a little bit, in the state leagues who are going to need all the help they can get  and it should sort far more wheat from chaff before they get to the AFL than the current system does anf hence they shouldn't require as many resources like all the development coaches that take up so much space in the soft cap of footy departments ...would also pee off compulsory list changes/draft picks or at least only make them compulsory every second year and even then cut the minimum to just one or two, especially with reduced list sizes...