The AFL is seeking feedback from all clubs surrounding a proposed change to the current Academy and Father-Son bidding process.
The Brisbane Lions have been active in this process over the past couple of years, after successfully bidding for Hyundai Help for Kids Lions Academy talents Jonathan Freeman, Liam Dawson, and Harris Andrews, as well as Father-Son prospect Josh Clayton.
However, following an extensive review, the AFL has deemed that the current process “does not meet the goal of ensuring reasonable value is paid to secure a father/son or academy player”.
The proposed changes are as follows:
Assign points to value each individual Draft selection in the NAB AFL Draft
• Establish a Draft Value Index which assigns a points value for each selection in the National Draft
- Points are calculated by using statistical analysis of player salary data from 2000-2014 – an indicator of the relative ‘market’ value of players at each draft pick
- Developed through extensive consultation with the Player Movement Advisory Group
- Methodology endorsed by Professor Jeff Borland from the University of Melbourne, Department of Economics
• Points from the Draft Value Index are used to create an objective approach to live updating the draft order after Father/Son and Academy selections (The Draft Value Index is set out in the supporting documents to this memorandum)
Update draft order live during the process of the National Draft to select Father/Son and Academy players
• Existing bidding system retained where Clubs bid for Father /Son or Academy players (‘Bidding Clubs’), and Clubs who have nominated the player (‘Nominating Clubs’) can choose to secure their nominated players
• However, instead of securing the player with its next available pick, Nominating Clubs must now use one or more subsequent picks, to the value of the points required, in order to secure the player
- Points required by the Nominating Club are determined by the value of the Bidding Club’s pick
- The Nominating Club’s next available pick moves back in the Draft order by the amount of points required
- If a Nominating Club’s next available pick moves to zero points, the pick will move to the end of the Draft order
- The nominating Club’s next available pick will then have the remaining points subtracted
- This process continues until the points required reaches zero
- If a Nominating Club does not have enough points to secure a Father/Son or Academy selection in a given Draft, the points required will carry over to the Club’s first selection the following year
• Examples of the process are set out in the supporting documents
Apply a discount to ensure the tradition of Father/Son selections is retained and provide the incentive for Clubs to invest in academies
• Establish a consistent and transparent incentive for Clubs to select Father/Son players and invest in Academy players by providing a discount on points required to select such players
• Nominating Club requires points equal to the discounted value of the Bidding Club’s pick in order to secure the player
• This has been a key focus and after extensive consultation, AFL is seeking Club feedback on either the following options for 2015:
- 25 per cent discount applied to both Father/Son and Academy selections
- 15 per cent discount applied to Father/Son selections and 25 per cent discount applied to Academy selections (by reason of the differing investment made in players by relevant Clubs)
• A chart analysing the effect of the proposed discounts is contained in the supporting documents
